Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1031. THE ELECTION DECISION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17608, 26 October 1931, Page 6

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1031. THE ELECTION DECISION

Whatever views may be held as to the wisdom of the Government’s decision lo hold the general elections as soon as possible after the termination of the present session, there is little doubt but that widespread approbation will greet the announcement that tile two major parties are to face the electors as a coalition in support of the policy which was announced following the formation of the present Government. It is true that some well-reasoned arguments had been advanced in favor of extending the life of the present Parliament in order that adequate time should be given lo place 'the finances of the country on a sound basis, but against this view several equally strong contentious were put forward, notably the unconstitutional nature of such a procedure, the desirability of obtaining a mandate from the people, the danger of such action being regarded as a precedent, and the obvious intention of the Labor Opposition to make party capital from the efforts of the Coalition in the national interests. Whatever might have been gained by the Government continuing in ofliee either for a few months or for a year or more can still be gained by holding the elections at the usual time. The carrying out. of the policy which lias been formulated need not be interrupted because of the. elections, and is not likely to be as a result of them, for .it is highly probable that the forces behind the present administration will be returned with added strength, and with the knowledge that the programme already outlined has received the endorsement of a very large majority of the electors. From the information which lias been permitted to leak out it would scent that the main motive for delaying the appeal to the people was an endeavor to avoid a permanent alliance between the United and Reform parties; a hope, that within the near future conditions would have been adjusted to a suilicient extent to enable a resumption of the old party warfare. The impossibility of a return to the old state of affairs, however, was emphasised when the two parties first came together, and it became even more apparent as the work of the session progressed and further evidence accumulated of the imperative need for a continuance of strong concerted action in the interests of the Dominion. Since the time when--Mr. Forbes assumed the leadership of tHe United Party there has been no vital difference in the policy adopted by him and that advocated by the Reform Party, and it was clear that the only obstacle to fusion was consideration of party interests. That obstacle has now been removed and any risk of the electors being confused by irrelevant issues Ims been eliminated. It is possible, of course, that there may yet be some uncertainty in some constituencies, but every effort doubtless will be made to reduce this to the absolute minimum, and generally speaking the people will be given a clear opportunity of expressing an opinion as to whether the affairs of the nation should be in the hands of a combination of all the moderate elements, pledged to a policy of stability and reconstruction .in the interests of the country as a whole, or entrusted to a party of extremists, representing one particular class, and who throughout the present crisis have proved incapable of offering a single constructive suggestion and have been content to obstruct and hinder every effort that has been made to restore some measure of prosperity and confidence in the Dominion. The Labor Party has made repeated demands that there should be, no delay in holding the elections, but just how sincere it was in its protestations may bo gauged from the bitterness of Mr. Holland’s remarks in his comment upon the Government’s decision. The real aim ol the Opposition in tho past has been to belittle the Government, and its most fervent hope was that the elections would be delayed in order that it might have more time in which to misrepresent tho policy of the Government and criticise the unpopular measures which it has been forced to take to prevent economic, conditions becoming even worse than they are today. Mr. Holland and his followers rejected a real opportunity to prove their desire to serve' the country when they refused to participate in the formation of a national government, and now they are to oe called upon to defend their actions at the bar of public opinion. Hanged against them are the combined forces of the. other parlies, the members of which are prepared to sacrifice their own interests, subordinate their own policies, and disregard any attempts to court cheap popularity in preference to working together in a determined effort to serve the country to the best of their combined ability. The action ot the Government is in conformity with the desires of a very large majority of the electors, and its leaders may go forward into the election confident of the support of the country.