THE Temuka Leader TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1922. THE HOME ELECTIONS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 10393, 21 November 1922, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1922. THE HOME ELECTIONS.

It were idle to pretend that any of ns on this side of the world could foretell what lias happened in the Old Land. We all knew that there was a strong feeling in favour of returning to the " prewar system of government, and ending Coalitions. The result stands oi.it that the Conservative Party lias been sent to Parliament with a solid working majorityover all other parties. The next feature is what, may be termed the debacle of the Liberal Party, and the most portentous feature of the election is the big vote east.for Labour. This last will be regarded by many thinkers ns an, indication of what is in store for Britain in the not far distant future, a Labour Government in power. It. is significant that the city of Glasgow, the industrial centre of Scotland, has returned eight Labour members. Many English statesmen have often previously seen the portents j of the future in the,votes cast by < Scotland at parliamentary elections. The memorable saying which most readily comes to mind is Lord Beaeonstield’s—then .Mr Disraeli —saying, “Keep your eye on Paisley," which lias just returned Mr Asquith, but with a greatly reduced majority as-com-pared with last election. Chureliill’s defeat at the hand of the Scotch in Dundee also has a meaning lo which just, yet we do not hold the key. The average New Zealander asks what will be die result, of the i cl urn of tliesc part ies in the numbers made known to us. A Conservative Government in power in Lntain has always been i-yuonynvum with a strong foreign policy, and there is no reason lo

believe that it will be otherwise .at' the present time. All European governments have long known that they, dare not try to fake a,twist, out .of the lion’s tail while h Conservative Government is in power,. This may prove for good in dealing with the subtle Turk, who at present is presuming on a certain amount of weakness and vacillation on the part of Britain and the Allies. We shall be mistaken if the Turk is not soon undeceived. To that extent it is good for Europe that the Conservatives are in power in Britain. • When we turn, however, to what their Homo policy may be, the vision is not so clear. Tim. House now holds 141 Labour members, and as these have been returned to demand the amelioration of, all the conditions of life for the labouring classes, Mr Bonar’ Law will find his path a thorny one when dealing with social questions.- We do not, see strikes and industrial turmoil commencing exactly the day after to-morrow, but assuredly their possibility, is . always at hand. Some, people in New Zealand are-speculating as to whether the results in Britain will he followed by similar results in New Zealand. As there has been a debacle of Liberalism there, will the Liberals also be stranded bn the shore of .defeat here? Will the growth.of Labour sentiment there be also followed by a similar growth here? And, finally, will the success of Mr Bonar Law be follow-ed-by a triumph on the part of Mr Hassey r These are difficult questions to answer for the antecedent . conditions -.there are very dissimilar to those prevailing here. On one point results so far are .similar, and that is that the breakjug up of a Coalition Government in New Zealand, was followed by the' return of the Reform Party, just as iu similar case a Consefyatice ■ Party has been returned in Britain. It would be mere speculation- to carry the parallel farther.

'One great outstanding feature of the election is that what we -formerly called Liberalism has decidedly drifted to a severer and more extreme form, which is now called Labour, and that henceforth tiie fight will be between Conservatism and Labour. Mr Massey and Mr Holland are saying the same thing of New Zealand. We shall have more to say bn this point on the Bth of December.