THE-OUTSr AND THE INS

NZ Truth, Issue 973, 19 July 1924, Page 4

THE-OUTSr AND THE INS

SHAM FIGHT OF, BILL-ITES £ND

TOM-ITES.

Most of the sparks that have been struck m Parliament so far this session have resulted from the impact of Reformer and Liberal. They have represented no calorific energy; merely waste heat. ' < Frlctional heat between two active and opposed and constructive policies is riot always waste. But the friction between "Ref ormer arid. Liberal is not of that sort. It is friction founded on personal, not policy, considerations. Do they quarrel about State trading? No. Massey and the Masseyites have adopted all the Seddon nationalisation schemes—schemes that they once derided! v Do Reformer and Liberal quarrel about cheap money? Certainly not. Massey is a moneylender on a scale that would make Seddon's operations look tiny. He has out-Heroded Herod. And his farmers' only objection is that they do not receive enough. Massey never breaks a . lance with these State activities borrowed from Seddon. Under the 'rose, he may obstruct schemes for their legitlrriate extension, such -as State insurance under the workers' compensation laws —a reform that m America secure^ to the injured worker over 90 per cent/ of ,the premiums paid m, as against about 46 per :cent. under private insurance m New Zealand. Even an inquiry into this promising field is beiiig retarded, perhaps blocked. But Uttle things like .that are done under the orders of the insurance people, delivered to Ministers m various ways that do not see the light. Beneath the surface the Government is pulled by the String of vested Interests. No such thing emerges as an open challenge by Masseyism to the principle of State action m fields suitable to State activity. Of policy m this matter the Government is bankrupt. Where, then, do Reformer and Liberal quarrel? ! Not over policy issues that both are burking. Not over the principles on which government shall proceed. Merely over who shall be m and who shall be out. The extent to which the policy of having no policy has been adopted by the political vagrants of the day *s reflected m the number of "nonparty" measures that confront Parliament. If a Licensing. Bill comes down, vt will be non-party: So will the Gaming Bill. The Voting Bill, a sort of hybrid between, proportional and preferential, will, it.is likely, be broached m similar fashion. Everything will be launched along the line of least resistance. In fact, the Reform Mr. Cox and the Liberal Mr. Box are prepared to make any mutual compromise on principle, but none whatever on things of vital importance— "things of vital import- '' ance" being -• confined almost entirely to the personal possession pf power, position, or emolument. It must be a mere qiiarrel over placeholdlng, because it i* obviously a quarrel over nothing»else. All over the. ho-confidence debate Is written the legend "Sham Fight." There is m it no sting save the sting of personalities. No wonder that the public is weary of it all. :: "_•::. •* Fusion cf the Reform and Liberal Parties is needed because there is nothing worthy to bo divided about. With a party under one loader— not necessarily cither of the existing leaders— there might be time to look round and find a real policy. Anything would be better than accustoming the people to the idea that political partyism has become a mere matter of placeholdlng. ' " ' li :: :» That fusion of Reformers and Liberals would prevent the ultimate accession of Labor to office "Truth" does not for a moment believe. A Labor Government will come. It will be neither much worse nor much better than the average Government, but probably 'better than the present Government. The bitterest opponent of Labor must admit that it haa what the other parties have not— a policy to which personal interest is subordinated. :: :: :: All that fusion will do is to give! Reformers and Liberals ono more opportunity to get to work, m a 'siml-

lar imperaonal manner, on matters of principle. After ' which, no doubt, Liberal Governments and Labor Governments will arise and fall m turn. With that no one need quarrel. A Labor Government is a far . safor thing than a Labor Party continuously m Opposition.