THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1925. PARTIES AND LEADERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19150, 16 October 1925, Page 10

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1925. PARTIES AND LEADERS.

Three parties are offering themselves to the people of New Zealand at the election soon to be decided. Each has at its- head one man who, by consent of the rest, bears the mantle of leader. The position of each in his party means that he has in him the qualities making him acceptable for party leadership. Since some one party must eventually predominate in Parliament, one of these three must be leader of Parliament and the country. A point to be weighed by the voter, therefore, is the comparative merits of these three. It must have some bearing on his choice, which, to be made intelligently, should include an estimate of the comparative worth of candidates personally, of parties, and of party leaders. The third of these three should not be passed by hastily. Though a popular franchise and an alert, intelligent public opinion leave in the hands of the people much power, some also must reside in the man who stands at the head of the Government. The will of the people is expressed in general terms, but the application of it to circumstances and details gives to Cabinet, Government, and the head of the Government a task which cannot be properly accomplished unless the actual planning and the execution are in the hands of a man of ability, force and character. The general supervision of administration is the special task of the Prime Minister. It is this which makes it essential that the holder of the office should possess qualities which are not vouchsafed to every man. The duty of every elector is to weigh the ; merits of the men who may reach j that office should the tide of popular j favour float into office the party headed by any one of them. His action on polling day should be influenced heavily by the decision he reaches about the possible national leaders. The approach to aij estimate of the rival leaders is easy. Candidates themselves have introduced the subject. It will be noticed that at least two members of the Labour Party, for instance, have been devoting some attention to the Prime Minister. That is only natural. They have found, no doubt, that the reputation won by Mr. Coates and the rank he takes in popular favour make him a force they must counter if their hopes are to be realised. Hence one candidate has said this of him : "He was a fine fellow personally, but he was, of course, absolutely useless as a leader." Another, assuring his audience that there was nothing personal in his remarks, said Mr. Coates had no ideas and was absolutely without capacity. Had the speaker become really personal in his efforts to belittle the Prime Minister, he would surely have said something worth hearing. These patronising opinions, expressed by men whose most notable political achievements to date have ; consisted wholly and solely of words —thousands of words for every tiny idea —have their use. They afford the opportunity of asking what member of their party can produce any positive achievements comparable in the faintest degree with that which Mr. Coates' record as a man of action shows. There is none, j The whole party docs not include a member who can point to a record of things achieved. They have a leader who holds the position until some other aspirant can dislodge him. Mr. Holland is chiefly (lis- ' tinguished in Parliament by his indefatigable industry in making speeches. These are principally i interesting because of the rigid and ] inflexible outlook they reveal. His I mentality is curiously similar to that j which history shows to have been ! possessed by the Puritans of Crom- , well's day. There is no salvation 1 except by bis political formula, lie even has a personal devil, the wealthy landowner or the great financial institutions. But how poor a thing leadership is in the party can be shown by an incident at Mr. Holland's first campaign meeting in Cobden. Answering a question regarding six o'clock closing of hotels, Mr. Holland said he would vote as the Labour Party in caucus decided, if the matter came before the House. Leadership of the Labour Party does not seem to produce much independence of spirit. These things are not very important. They need only be mentioned because of the amiable and patronising manner

in which some of the party's candidates refer to the Prime Minister. It is well that they should be reminded of the proverb about glasshouses and stone-throwing. Their very system of party organisation and discipline discounts real leadership. The negative side of the answer to Labour members' remarks about Mr. Coates is the challenge to them to provide the contrast from among themselves. The positive side is found in what he has done for his country, both inside it and beyond its borders. In a stern school where manhood met its severest test Mr. Coates won laurels as a soldier and a leader. Returned to civil life, there came to him the opportunity of using his exceptional gifts as organiser and administrator in Government departments which had grown flaccid and languid during the preoccupations of war. Not only did he restore the measure of efficiency which existed before the war, he increased it immeasurably. Judged by results, the only true criterion, he appears as the possessor of ideas and of the ability and strength to see they are carried into effect. The truth of this is writ large on the public works in progress in the Dominion. His reorganisation of that department is an achievement which cannot be explained away by those who seek to decry him. There are other examples, but this one is the best. The contrast between deeds and words is the measure by which the leader of the Government and any present or possible leader the Labour Party contains must be judged. There is a third party with its chosen head to be considered. He has somehow disappeared out of comparison, a fact which speaks for itself. Irom even this brief survey, people of discrimination should have little difficulty in weighing the claims and finding the man when they take the question of leadership into consideration, before making their choice among those offering on I\o\ ember 4.