THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Saturday, December 6, 1941. THE TRUCE IN POLITICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24783, 6 December 1941, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Saturday, December 6, 1941. THE TRUCE IN POLITICS

It is not; necessary to accept all the arguments advanced' by the Prime Minister in his letter to the Leader of the Opposition to agree that, in the sum total, he has made a strong case for the avoidance of by-election contests during the period for which the life of Parlia-' ment has been extended. If the political truce is to have any reality at all political controversy on the open forum should not be encouraged. There are other and graver preoccupations for the public mind at the present time than questions of politics which have no more than a domestic application. No doubt the National Party, when it decided to nominate a candidate for the vacancy in the representation of Bay of Plenty, was attracted by what was deemed a more than reasonable prospect of wresting the seat from the Government. But not even that result, intriguing as it might be in giving cause for speculation on a changing political view throughout the electorate as a whole, would compensate adequately ibf the distracting effects of bitter political (argument at a time when the country has matters* of far greater moment to engage its attention. Despite Mr Holland's spirited rejoinder to the Prime Minister and his obvious belief '• that he has reason to question the motives underlying the latter's request for a wider truce in politics, we are still of the opinion, previouslyexpressed by us, that the Natiqhal Party would have acted discerningly in giving the Government a clear field in the Bay of f ar as its non-partici-pation ma by-election would have done so—leavingthe question of testing, public opinion on the Government's conduct of national affairs to a more'suitable occasion. It seems to us that Mr Praserjs wholly justi-fied-ih pointing out that, if national unity, was desirable when the decision to postpone the general election was made, the need for it has become far more urgent with crisis mounting in the Pacific and with battles of vital import to democracy's world cause being fought in i Russia and North Africa. The Do-, minion has been warned to expect sombre tidings relating to the casualties so far!•' suffered by our troops in Libya, where the goal of .victory.-is not yet in sight; and, unless : we; completely misjudge the temper of the people at this anxious time, they have never been less ih the moodeithiei'for group disputation on politics or the hot contentions, on lines, of a single political contest. The Government, nevertheless, if it" looks for the unstinted co-operation of other political elements in the wholesome and necessarytask: .of prompting national,unity, should have a care that example in its own ranks does not belie precept. In the past week two Ministers of the Crown, at various public functions oh the West Coast, have given platform exhibitions, that would be deemed less than edifying even if the political 'atmosphere of the times were normal-rand it is far from that. Neither Mr Webb nor Mr Semple appears yet to . have discovered virtue in the separation of partisanship from the discussion of public affairs, and the latter seems habitu- ( ally-to make a mockery of seemlihess in his proficient employment of the w argot of t the .street corner against those' who presume to dissent from his views.-? ;