Grey River Argus and Blackball News MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1922. BRITISH TORIES’ TROUBLES.

Grey River Argus, 16 October 1922, Page 4

Grey River Argus and Blackball News

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1922. BRITISH TORIES’ TROUBLES.

Delivered every morning in Grt E“- -dL Hokitika, Dotson. Wailsend. Taylo* jillc, Croiutdun. Ngahere. Blackball. Nelson Creek. Brunner, To Kingha Rvtomanu, roerua, Inchbonnie, Patira, Ruin, Kannata, Kotuku Moina. Aratika, Bunanga, DunoUie. Cobden. Baxter’s, Kokiri, Ahaura, Tkamatva. Stulwater. Waiuta. Reefton, Ross. Ruatapua, Mananin, Hari Hari, Waiho Gorge, Weheka, RewanuL Otira, Inangab.ua Junction. Westport. Waimangaroa, Denniston, Gianity, Millerton. Ngakawau. Hector, Seddonvilliio Cap* Foul wind, and Karam*?.

An air of mystery would appear to obscure the reported British political crisis, as, from th ’r inability to glance behind the scenes, the public cannot be sure who is pulling the strings, and whether it is desired merely to drop Lloyd George, or to try and restore some of his lost prestige. The Coalition’s trouble is obvious. It has lost public confidence, and doesn’t know how to regain it. Its problem is to ascertain whether it would be worse to postpone a general election than to face the electors now. It has no reason to think delay will any longer avail. Its slump is like t'he slump in other things it has been influencing for years past—British trade, British industry, German marks, public spirit, Imperial policy, and foreign relations. The w’ind was sown in defiance of the masses, and the chickens are coming home to roost. You cannot convince a people without work or the chance to ; earn that it is all for their good. You cannot sell honours and expect people to honour the purchasers as nobles. The British Tories fear the working class, who with universal franchise are no longer likely to be exploited by a khaki election, or by the likely substitute of a Near East Peace Election. That cock won’t fight. Labour knows what class dictated a Near East peace, just as it knows who would have had to ; fight a Near East war. It knows Glasgow city alone needs a million in poor relief this winter, and other centres in proportion. It knows the Coalition professed to bo helping Germany pay the indemnity, while imposing embargoes on the only thing Germany can pay with, namely, her products. It knows that the purchaser of German goods, and not the producer, pays the higher prices the Customs embargo creates. Yet it appears George and Co. have fallen out with the wealthy in some way. No oil, no orders for guns, no war profits, no good catch-cry is to-day forthcoming. What is the good of paying politicians when they don’t deliver the goods? They promised to settle everything at each of half a dozen international conferences, and they have settled nothing yet. Turkey has had to settle the Near East question in her own fashion. God knows who’ll settle the German, Austrian, Italian and other European problems. It will require British Labour to settle British problems and there will be less time to try and settle all the rest ijhen the British troubles are honestly tackled. Fancy Mr Chamberlain complaining a Labour Government would mean caucus government, when he knows Tory and Coalition Government has been that of the aristocratic oligarchy, who have used Mr George as their head demagogue. Seeing Labour a constitutional political movement, he yet asks others to distrust their eyes, but to trust his political prattle when declaring Labour only wants direct action. Somebody is taking direct action in his Coalition, anyway, and that is the fly in the ointment. Talk about caucus rule, but the Carlton Club and the secret history of anti-Labour Parties’ funds knocks the caucus bogie silly. The Tory caucus is at sixes and sevens just now, and

that is another reason why George, Curzon, Chamberlain, Mond and Co., want to see if they can whip it into

some sort of unanimity again by the threat, and if needs be the test of an election. They aim to do what Massey and Hughes have done. That is to put Labour in a place of isolation outside the political—though they use the word constitutional—pale, and unite all oth-

ers under their own banner for their own upper-class ends. There must be a coalition in any new Parliament, says Mr Chamberlain. Mr. Lloyd George will agree, though, if the Unionists could get a majority, he’d plump for a Unionist Government as the only

possible one. He prefers office to anything in the of policy. If the talk of Bolshevism continued to fool the people, all would be well; but the new question is as to whether the Bolshevism of the monopolists is not the evil form. The masses in Britain may not know Russian Bolshevism, but they do know British Capitalism, and could be excused even by a fair-minded Tory

if they preferred to give the newer idea a trial. But that is not the question. What the country wants is to get rid of the Capitalistic political incubus first. The next problem can then be faced. “Sacrifice” will be doubtless the Tory election slogan. It may prove an apt one.