THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1930. THE CHOICE FOR PARNELL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20556, 6 May 1930, Page 10

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1930. THE CHOICE FOR PARNELL.

During an election campaign it is often difficult to recognise the country from th 3 description of it given by the opposing sides. The things said are either too good to be true or too bad to be possible. Parnell has been no exception. The most impossible picture painted has been that given from the United and Labour camps as the result of "1G years of Reform administration." Both have been shy of descending to detail about what has happened since. The reasons arc not hard to guess, remembering the melancholy record, remembering how the two share the responsibility for it. Beyond a reminder that a positive case cannot be established by negative arguments, that a Government cannot justify itself by abusing its opponents, that peculiarity of the Parnell contest nerd be discussed no further now. Let some of the consequences of those 16 years be considered instead, leaving out of account the war period for reasons that should not need to be detailed. After the war the Reform Party in office had to face the economic disturbances that resulted inevitably, the arrears of work necessarily piled up by the suspension of normal national activities, the periods of depression which came in close succession. How did it leave the country when its term ended? New Zealand's credit abroad stood second to none among the countries of the world. That statement cannot be challenged. A favourable balance of trade had been maintained during the greater part of the after-war decade, there had been prompt recovery frojn one or two adverse periods in that time. The volume and value of primary production rose at a rate without parallel in the history of the country. New records were made only to be broken, as the past three or four years amply prove. The value of exports per head of the population, as computed by the method the Commonwealth Statistician employs, was the highest of any country in the world. The arrears of public works had largely been overtaken, and the great hydroelectric schemes, of which Arapuni, now just beginning to serve Auckland, is an example, had been added to the public resources of tho country. These things happened in the period of Reform administration. Another side of the picture is shown by the people's savings. In a decade amounts to the credit of depositors in the Post Office Savings Bank increased from £38,393,000 to well over

£48,000,000. In an almost identical period the deposits in private savings banks grew from £3,558,000 to £8,478,000. If the invitation to consider the results of Reform administration is accepted these are some of the things to be found. They explain why the critics confine themselves to sweeping generalities. Mention of the public works programme is a reminder that the chief burden of reconstruction in this department after the war was borne by the present leader of the Reform Party. Before being called to the leadership, Mr. Coates had established completely his reputation as the ablest Minister of Public Works New Zealand had known, and it still stands. He energised a department that had grown inert because of adverse conditions. He introduced system where little system had existed before. He banished politics from the allocation of the money available for the department. He organised, consolidated and extended its activities, and there is no evidence that the change which has come over methods with a change of Government will be anything but mischievous. As leader of the party and head of the Government Mr. Coates had not completely found his feet when a turn of the political wheel ousted his party from office. In defeat he bore himself so admirably as to draw ungrudging tributes from his most determined opponents. Tn Parliament last session he was

one of the outstanding personalities. There can bo little doubt that the experience gained as Leader of the Opposition will be of inestimable value to Mr. Coates in the political career still before him. It is natural to emphasise the leader because he is at present engaged in the Parnell campaign, but the Reform Party is not a party of one man and one name. Mr. Coates is seconded by tho ablest mind in active politics today, that of Mr. Downie Stewart. There arc other men of ability arid promise in a party which has withstood the shock of adversity without a defection and without any murmurings from the ranks against either its policy or its leader. These are the signs of vitality. Tho party and the leader arc represented in Parnell by a candidate with whom both can well be satisfied. The choice fell on Mr. Endean ahead of the member who had resigned in unusual circumstances, and of an aspirant who had represented the seat for many years. The almost embarrassing offers to carry the party's banner show that it lias not lost its appeal for men seeking to enter politics. Mr. Endean comes into the field after a successful professional career ; he is not turning to politics for a living. Summoned to contest a by-election at short notice, I lie had much to learn. By the man- j ner in which he has taken hold of the task, he inspires every confidence that, given the opportunity, he will pick up the threads of Parliamentary j life rapidly, and prove a member who will, represent the interests of Parnell worthily. By education, train-

ing in affairs and experience ho will also be capable of exercising a wider outlook, not merely considering the boundaries of Parnell the limits of his interests and his duties. Argument during the contest has ranged over many topics. Questions of party, of national policy, of the past and of the future, have been debated. When the end comes, it is by choice between the candidates that the voter must express his response to the overtures made to him. To-morrow's choice must be one of three. After all the heat and turmoil of a brief but keenly-contested by-elcction, the issues can easily be clarified. Parnell" has the opportunity of returning to its old allegiance, of supporting the party which served New Zealand well through many stressful years, led by a man who is still a force in public life. This can be done by voting for Mr. Endean, a candidate of the type any party would be pleased to offer to a constituency.