MY DAY TO GROWL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 75, Issue 6443, 7 November 1947, Page 5

MY DAY TO GROWL

* ABOUT THIS AND THAT LIFE’S VICISSITUDES AND ITS PLEASANTRIES (By A. Growler) Probably the most unlucky man m New Zealand last week was Mr Ware, who having been selected as the official Labour Party candidate for the Westland seat had to withdraw from the contest owing to illness. While nothing in life is certain (with the exception of death) it is a foregone conclusion that the Government will hold the seat- If they don’t it will be a greater landslide than the municipal elections were in Britain. Still it is an ill wind that blows no one any good, and the new Labour candidate should benefit as a result of the waves of fortune.

Once again the Government has indicated its weakness in dealing with questions tfiat are of import. I refer to their failure to take effective steps to conserve petrol. They must have known that the voluntary method was doomed to failure before it was even announced. Their latest method of making a cut in the supply to resellers, accompanied by a threat, backed up by the statement that coupons and licenses were already printed and would be used if the 10 per cent cut failed, aggravates their inherent political weakness. The Government have been cowed into submission so often by the members of strong unions that they have lost the ability to grasp the nettles of called for action and by so doing solve the problems that arose from time to time. If it is an urgent necessity to save petrol, then wfty not impose such cuts as are absolutely necessary to bring about the required savings. Far too much petrol is selfishly used purely for pleasure purposes. The latest move by Mr Fraser will' serve to emphasise the fact that he is politically the weakest Prime Minister New Zealand has ever had. Gone are the days that bred a Bill Massey.

I was somewhat amused at the remarks made by the Mayor of Auckland when he deprecated the introduction of “party politics” into municipal elections. I bet Mr Allum as a faithful member of the National Party rubbed his hands with holy glee when he read of the successes of the Conservative Party (another name for the National Party) in the municipal elections in Britain. Such inconsistency is remarkable in a man of Mr Allum’s ability and standing. There are five by-elections pending in Britain, and it will be interesting to see if the results of the local body elections there have any effect on those Parliamentary tussles. So far the Government has not lost a seat since they were first elected to power. ♦ * * *

While the delinquencies of the naughty miners and wharfies in knocking off work on the slightest provocation is deplored, it is rather surprising that those who so freely and scathingly denounce such tactics do not say anything when large crowds of people take week days off to watch golf matches. Photographs of the crowds who are doing so during the tour of the Australian golfers have appeared in quite a few papers, and I venture to say that there are no miners or “wharfies” among them. Again a glaring case of inconsistency that is all too prevalent in New Zealand.