Grey River Argus THURSDAY, March 14, 1935. GIVING WAY.

Grey River Argus, 14 March 1935, Page 4

Grey River Argus THURSDAY, March 14, 1935. GIVING WAY.

Yeslerdav the Coalition caucu

continued its wrangle over the latest of the series of mortgage jilis. The dispute appears to have been left where if remained the previous day. when a disagreement left file- leaders no option

bitt io adjourn. The second adjournment lias left file matter very much in the air. The Prime .Minister is m the unenviable position of being unable to tell whether there is to be any reousting of the measure in order io satisfy those members who are afraid of what their farmer constituents may do at the polls There must therefore be a good deal in the report that Air Coates rules the Ministerial roost, and '.hat there is reason for the anti-

cipation that the upshot may be something of a disruption. Evidently Members feel in many cases that the Government has too lender a regard for the moneyed interests, and that the working farmers trying to carry on under the mortgage burden are a secondary consideration. At any- ■ ate, it looks very much like a

jse of “the weakest to the all.” because in proportion to farmer’s difficulty is his liabil

ity io lie left working for the mortgagee. While the caucus was i lius occupying its time m a manner of doubtful utility, the Labour ami other Alembers of the House turned the interval to

what should prove of greater advantage for the country by giving a hearing Io the rase for the fifty thousand men who are on rebel' and their dependents. The case was slated by wives of the relief workers, who also did the same earlier for the Minister of Employment, but only to find lint they could get no hearing from the two leaders of Cabinet. Ii is a strange thing that those leaders allow so little of their tiine to be given to the plight of Ihe unemployed, whilst they are ready io devote what is really a special session to the interests of others. Ther ( . was thus a real significance in the action of those Alembers of the House who did give the wives of the relief workers a hearing. It may be that the .Minister of Employment and Unemployment Board as quickly saw its significance as anybody else, because the Alinister at the same time made a promise of some little concessions to a deputation representing the unemployed of the whole Dominion. A better ration was announced, and some impro\vmeni for one class of relief workers, for which the representations of the women are doubtless no less responsible than those of the num. TJie Board’s reserve fund, however, is to remain a swollen one. unless the growing agitation against the paltry relief rates proves too strong. Possibly the idea is to “.splash” th,, reserve fund on the eve of the general election. From every city comes forth the cry that th e Government ’s handling of unemployment is a proven failure, a policy I hat is pauperising instead of rehabilitating those in need of regular work at a living wage. If, then, any large body of the fanning community remains in jeopardy under the mortgage legislation. it means that a double failure must bo credited to the Coalition. Therefore it is no wonder not a few of its rank and file are worried and scared, or that there should go out from a sympathiser the advocacy or so heroic a remedy as that of dissolving partnership and trusting Io luck. It may be said that the Government has now a hard row to hoe, but nobody as much as i I self lias made it so. It is a far cry to the time when the majority in Parliament were whipped into line behind the veiled dictatorship, and all that holds up that dictatorship to-day is the party whip. The people are becoming very sick of it if the protests and complaints on all sides are any criterion.- Its stocks are slumping every day, and perhaps that it why there is this final rush to fix the farmers’ finances in a way to suit moneyed interests before the collapse of the Coalition. There is just a chance, however, that it may prove to be the last si raw.