THE GOVERNMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 22 June 1938, Page 2

THE GOVERNMENT

AND THE PRESS. (By “X”).

The coming election will be one of the most important in the history of New Zealand, and it is essential that all elect-ors should properly understand the issues. They can only do this through the press, which Mr Fraser admits was, in the first year ol the Labour Government’s tenure of office, kind; in the second year, tolerant; now it has become critical, and he evidently fears it will become more so ns the election approaches. Really this is a high tribute to the press which admittedly has given the Government every chance to put into concrete form a policy which at first was obscured by its charming inexplicability. At first it was presented as a form of Radi-cal-Liberalism, Mr Savage asserting there was nothing to be alarmed about, as lie was simply stepping into the shoes of the late Mr Seddon. Naturally, old Liberals who remembered that the so-called Labour Party, which at one time was the left wing of the Liberal Party, had violently attacked, and finally cut itself adrift from that party, were somewhat sceptical regarding this assurance. But it was only when the policy of the Government shed its camouflage and stood revealed as purely Socialistic, or more correctly speaking Socialist-Commun-ist, that the press very properly questioned whether any mandate had been given to introduce any such policy. From that, time relations between the Government and the press have became strained.

The issue is a perfectly clear one. Did the people know, and was it clearly explained to them by the ‘-‘Labour” Party, that the return of that party mean the Socialisation of production, distribution, and exchange? Did any of their leaders or candidates openly admit the objective of their party was to establish —or endeavour to establish —a purely Socialist State? Did they explain that as Socialism is the direct antithesis of individualism, all freedom of individual effort and initiative would bo controlled, coerced, or suppressed, as may be decided by State dictatorship?

If these points were made clear then the Government has a right to claim it is acting on a mandate of the people. If they were not, then because, and in so far, as the Government has, when vested with power, abused it by substituting the tenets of Socialism for Liberalism, and threatens to go further and in the matters of community ownership of land, and distribution of wealth, irrespective of earning power, accepts the objective of the Communists, then it is, to use Parliamentary language, “no longer worthy the confidence of the people.” Or to use the idiomatic language of our friend, Mr Semple, should be promptly provided with serviceable running shoes. But though this will be the major issue at the coming election, it must be remembered that only those with some knowledge of political economy can clearly differentiate as between the various “isms.” Many may not be able to follow the gradations as between Conservatism, Liberalism, Radicalism, Socialism, and Communism. Instructively they would know that “Labourism” is an absurdity, as labour is an industrial, and not a political definition. But what they really require to know is what this new political party —whatever they may call themselves —is really aiming at; what they have done, and what they propose to do? We can all admit that New Zealand has shared in the increasing world prosperity of the past four years, but tho question is, lms this been increased owing to the political changes made, and if so to what degree • or has it been retarded, and if so in what way. No ex-party statement can be accepted as providing adequate answer to these questions. The whole of the facts and figures must, as far as possible, be placed clearly before the electors, and this can only be done adequately through the press. Tho political campaign will of necessity be a strenuous one, as the issues are so vitally important. But there is no reason why it should not be a straight, clean, light, without vituperation and without mis-representation. Regarding mis-representation, it is clear that to make political capital out of the fact that, conditions are infinitely more prosperous to-day, wlmn overseas prices for our primary products have gone up by some twenty millions, ns compared with 1931, when prices had dropped by practically the same amount, is quite unwarranted unless it can lie shown that our internal politics had direct bearing on the find nation in world prices; and unless it can be shown that such fluctuations should in the past, and can in the future, he obviated bv any political re-adjustments in New Zealand.

Itogarding vituperative abuse, nr “pnul slingi.ng,” there. lias been too in noli of this in the past, and both political parties would be well advised to sternly repress this in the future. To illustrate: It appears somo irresponsible tool circulated, some pamphlet or document urging all Nationalist speakers “to use every possible play upon words, and every fact, to show that their political opponents were* fools, political hypocrite's, usurpers of power, and traitors to their eonnt.rv and their Emmi - '*.” ft was one of those effusions which any sensible person, 'and certainly any responsible editor, would have nromptlv put in the waste paper basket. Of course* n copy of this, which probably few have seen (I certainly haven’t), and of which fewer still would take the slightest notice, came apparently into the hands of Mr Frasor } whose