SWING OF THE PENDULUM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23044, 23 May 1938, Page 12

SWING OF THE PENDULUM

• Sir, —Recently have we observed three instances in which, subjects*'-of His Majesty seem determined to maintain the traditions that have made the Empire the glory and envy .of the world. Following the-" world depression, dis- • satisfaction reigned in many quarters. - In South Africa this resulted .m a.. clamour by a noisy minority to breakright away from the Empire and carry - on as a Republic. In Australia ( a n 4.particularly in New South Wales) audi, also in New Zealand, to adopt sonio form or other of Socialism., That the pendulum has swung back is evidenced by .the overwhelming majority for the tSnited Party in Africa (with the noted anti-socialist and%%cnowned General "Janie" Smuts as one of its leaders) with tho return of the Stevens' Government over -the Lang Socialists "in New South Wales, and the defeat ot the Socialist-Labour candidates in „ tho recent municipal elections in New Zealand. Meantime, we observe a somewhat changed attitude on the part ot the leaders of the Labour Government. Mr. Savage, despite the stated objec-. tive of the Labour Party as the "socialisation of . the means-of produc,tion, distribution and exchange, : has recently stated his Government has no 'intention of socialising the farms. Th® \ Minister of Lands now talks about land ' nationalisation very differently to P hat _ "Ihe recently did when he talked about socialisation of the land , and insulted the farmers describing --thorn', : ;M "gamblers."' But perhaps the news item that caps all is the humble confession of the Minister of Finance that he now Simply "hates the form Government as carried out in Socialist Ttussia<; Many months ago I heard a speaker m Auckland warn his hearers to beware lest, the supporters of the Labour Government did not-, just before election, time, trv and impress on the .people of New Zealand that they were not altogether in favour of Socialism., It seems this speaker was correct 10 h> s propliecv. But let us be warnedtno Labour Party is adopting ibis attitude-, for vote-catching purposes, just as they will make a .present to the farmers or the surplus from the Dairy Produce Account. Nevertheless,,, if they are.reelected. thev will afterward for certain follow tho socialistic programme. down by the Labour Party, and .WiUv. under Mr. Savage, "go the\,whole jouirliey" toward the socialist - State, ifu .which case —good-bye freedom. * W. H. HEiUxewAr.