THE PRIME MINISTER’S

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 27, 31 December 1925, Page 6

THE PRIME MINISTER’S

MESSAGE

? '%M' . •& >-; * The message" Mr‘Coates broadcasts to-day is one of hope and confidence. It carries its appeal to. all classes of the community. Characteristically modest in tone it. starts off with the right note. While deeply sensible of the confidence given him at the general election it will, under Providence, be his “earnest endea-

vour to promote the progress and prosperity of the country and the well being of its people.” The guiding principles of the Ministerial policy will, he further indicates, be “the safety and stability of the State and Empire, the security of the individual, tolera-

tion and equal opportunity for all, and peace and order in the community. ” To achieve this, lie will strive “to abolish all causes of class warfare and bitterness, and to increase the general happiness of our citizens.” Worthy objects these, 'indicative of high moral purpose on the part of their proponent, combined with the sincere desire to bring about a more healthy state of affairs than seemed likely or possible in the industrial sphere a few short weeks ago. Mr Coates is right in stressing the importance of en-

suring the safety and stability of the State and the Empire. The interests of both are so interwoven that they are practically inseparable. We are neither strong enough to stand alone nor is it desirable that we should do so. United we stand; divided we may fall a prey to peoples stronger than ourselves. Men of the same race, drawn together by the ties of kinship and mutual inter-

ests, we look to eacli other for mutual support and sympathy. New Zealanders realise that it would be calamitous if the safety and stability of the Empire were 'impaired in any way, for then our {safety and stability would also be {threatened. The security of the individual is equallyimportant, for that means the enforcement of law and order, without which the country would be torn and rent by troubles and conflicts without end. Life is held very cheaply in some countries, although not so in those under British rule. But there is a growing laxity of

opinion, even in British countries, on the rights of the individual, and a growing demand for freedom of action, the tendency of 1’ ich is to threaten, if it does not ually destroy, the liberty of ers. Unrestrained liberty spells .rchy, and anarchy has to be irded against ; hence there st be a certain amount of rectum to ensure the security of individual. “Class consciouss,” and “class warfare,” icli Mr Coates will also endea-

syjtfur to remedy by abolishing their causes, are less in evidence in this than in any other country in the world, although the La-bour-Socialists seemingly delight in telling the workers that they are a poor down-trodden class who never receive justice at the hands

of what they term the “master” or “capitalistic class.” By maintaining equality of opportunity (as Mr Coates promises to do) for all classes of the community, and a more generous outlook on the part of the men who decry the existing social order, a good deal will be accomplished in the removal of the causes for discontent.