PUBLIC OPINION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 6 March 1912, Page 6

PUBLIC OPINION.

In defiafl/e «\| pi Mr Mas

I se.v r«4f«ng€-tl to grant Mr Wilford a ! "Pali," and thus not omy disfl-anehifiWl ! an liiipoj/taHt electorate, but deprived . tne Liberal party of the voiu of one ,of th---ir wrongest and most capable ««|:fiuiteiv. As a matter of tact, the Lioerai members of the House nUmber four more than the Mas*e,vites. and even under our present uflsatisTactoVv .systeril of .representation the Opposition, in spite of all boasts. can hardly claim yet to speak with the voice of the people of New Zealand. All these things ought to be ciear by this time to Mr Massey, and he muSt readjust his plans to meet the altered circumstances. The Government must be allowed time to carry out the proposed reconstruction and to arrange not only their personnel but thev programme befo.-e they meet Parliament again. No reasonable person can object to this, but Drobablv as a result of his many recent disappointments Mr Massey is by no means in a reasonable frame of mind.—Auckland "Star."

We do not approve of the analogy between landowners and criminals. for it would be wrong to convey the idea that the- land monopolist is to blame. The real criminals are the members of Parliament or the people themselves—the one class for not legislating to provent the evil and the other for sending men to the Legislature who are either incompetent or unwilling to do their plain duty. We trust this vigorous aopeal for more drastic measures will have a good effect.—Ashburton "Mail."

Under the circumstances we think another e.'ection is desirab'c. It is better that fiome partv should be in a position to. rule the countrv than that it should be, in the position it is in at present. If we could get a- good, clean, honest- Labour in power they would be better than what we have at present.— Temuka "Leader."

Sir Joseph Ward's belief that the Government, possess the connduice ot a majority of the House has been fuhy justmed, and there can be no doubt thai the partv's position in the country ha* been confirmed. The verdict of the people's representatives is therefore 111 accordance with the views of the electors. —Timaru "Post."

Mr Thomas Mackenzie is probably best qualified to command a majority in the present chaotic state of affairs. He may attract to his support five or six members of the Reform party whos e chief concern should be effected, and the members of his Ministry would st-ill be sufficiently progressive to obtain the Jtadical and Labour vote. The Government of the next three years must be one of exoediencv rather than one ad'hering consistently to principles, and x?hen the North and South Islands, the Town an<J Country, the Leaseholds and Freehold sections have been satisfied it is all that can be expected in the meantime.—Southland "News."

Th.re is at least this hopeful feature in New Zealand industrialism : that the employers honestly and sincerelv desire to assist .in the permanent establishment and maintenance of humane and civilised conditions. They object to disturbances, and they resent an» attempt to intimidate or terrorise them, but they aspire to carry on industry by the aid of prosperous and contented workmen, whose hearts are in their work, and who do not think of the employer as an enemy to be attacked whenever he can be caught at a disadvantage.—Auckland "Herald."

It is not for us to eay which is the correct view, that preached b— the Con- >. : vatives as an electioneering force or thai acted upon bv the Conservatives in Parliament. One thing, however, requires to be stated as quito clear. This is that the two views are mutually destructive cne of the other. —Napier "Telegraph."

Let us hope that the day is not- far distant when the honour of Parliament shall again hold nrst place in the minds of parliamentarians, and when duty to party shall be subservient to it. When service to State becomes the first consideration and service to partv is relegated to its proper sphere in the machinery of covernment, the- confidence of the people w.ill be speedily restored._ and scandals will cease to poison the po.it.ca, atmosphere.—Hastings ''Tribunc."

Precedents apart, there was only one proper course in the circumstances, and it was the course urged bv the Opposition. Tho prolonged discussion and tne reiteration of the argument by Opposition members were fullv justified, and we think that the country will take the view that the Opposition would have failed in their duty had thev allowed the proposal for adjournment, which was virtually a proposal for prorogation and for committing the business of the country to unknown -hands, to na6s without a determined challenge.—Southland "Times."

The truth is, as Mr Justice Higsins suggests, that a strong union is the best guarantee <»f industrial peace. Unionists are not always "spoiLin" for a fight," and if thev have the means at their disposal to negotiate with their employers 011 something like even terms, thev are not likelv to carr«' a dispute to extremes. The real!*- discontented body of workers is th P one that has 110 sense of unit-v and chafes constantlv under -its inability to resent /unjust treatment. Mr Justice Higsrins has done us all a service by emphasising these features of the industrial situation —"Lytteltoii Times."

The Grey Lynn elect-ors mav be sorry that they chose Mr Pavne. but must also, after Mr Dickson's first sample of political indiscretion, very fittingly hi annoved at not having made a better selection. John Payne, gentleman, comes out in the fierce white light, and gels the biggest advertisement he will ever have, but otherwise comes out of the mesh of rumour and allegation qu,it'>.\ unscathed. The moral of th-a whole r.ac; tale is that personalities are net politics, and that Mr Massey doesn't know it.— .Auckland "Observer."