The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1927. PIRACY IN POLITICS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 171, 10 October 1927, Page 8

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1927. PIRACY IN POLITICS

THERE have been so many writs for libel issued during the course of the New South Wal«s general election that perhaps the first explanatory comment on the political - rivals in the brawling contest should be that they are all honourable men. For that reason the electors have decided to get rid of several of them and thus bring about a desirable change in the character of the Government. It is a mild statement of truth to say that anything would be infinitely better than the extreme Labour Administration that for years has fouled the political history of the maladmipistered State. Though the final count of the poll has not yet been made, it looks as though the Lang Government has been thrown out of office. For those who desire to see something like wholesome polities come into operation again the prospect of Labour’s defeat gives much cause for jubilation, but it still is too early yet to whoop in triumph. In some electorates the results of the preferential voting in some eases may disturb the present balance of power in favour of the Nationalist-Country Party. This, fortunately for the ultimate good of all the people of New South Wales, is only a possibility, not a probability. In the murky circumstances, however, it would have been more conducive to Parliamentary progress had the majority for the more honourable composite party been of greater numerical strength. It is always best in dealing with political pirates to make a clean sweep of the crew in addition to scuttling their ship. It is not necessary to roam far to find reasons to explain the return of New South Wales to the promise of a period of clean, honest government. Nothing good can be said about the Lang Ministry and all that might be said about its bad features could not be told adequately in polite language. Enough to say that since the death of “Honest John Storey,” who stood for all that is good in Labour politics, Labour’s political record during the past lustrum in New South Wales has been not only notorious for all kinds of profligacy, but also has been a disgrace to the Labour Party and a menace to its cause. Though a conglomeration of political evils must have influenced the majority of the electors to vote for a better administration, it is probable that the crop of charges about political corruption helped to convince the people that the time had come to kill a greedy cuckoo in the State nest. More than ordinary disgust must have aroused many people against the Labour regime. The astute Mr. Lang had not failed to provide tempting bait. He had promised to give the people everything that might be expected to make them happy. And the promise was made in a manner that suggested if mundane gifts were not sufficient for happiness he would add the sun, moon and stars and a comet or two as a spectacle for occasions when there were no pony gallops and no tin-hare coursing. The extravagant nonsense was wisely rejected. No one need anticipate a wonderful record of statesmanship from the Nationalist-Country Party. It contains several politicians of the solid, conscientious type, but there is nothing like political genius in its constitution. But then the State has had more than enough of the flashy type of political scallywag and blustering buccaneer. It can he said, however, that Mr. Thomas R. Bavin, the leader of the anti-Communist forces, will at least establish sane government and will attempt to suppress political corruption and ruinous humbug.