The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1914. THE DUTY OF ENROLMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15505, 16 November 1914, Page 6

The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1914. THE DUTY OF ENROLMENT.

The electoral rolls will probably be closed in a few days from now, and it is important that electors should see that their names are on the roll without delay. N/o duty is more liable than'this one to be left too late if it is once postponed. Yet there has never been a time when it was more important that a strong, abk Government should be elected in N.ew Zealand than now, when the difficulties occasioned by the war are certain to increase with its continuance. The strength of the Reform Government lies in the fact that the minds of it 3 members and of its supporters m Parliament are ajrroo4 0 n definite

views, and that the Cabinet is not a one-man concern, but a Ministry of even strength.. Mr Allen, Mr Herries, Mr Herdman, and Mr Fraser are as well able to bear their share of the load as Mr Massey is to bear his, and the wide differences of views and aspirations which Sir John Findlay found existing- in the Opposition party have no counterpart on the other side. It is easy to see the advantages possessed, for effective legislation and administration ,- by a party of like elements over a party of conflicting elements < and divergent aims. The Reform Government has made some mistakes, no doubt, but they are trifling compared with the large amqunt of solid, useful work it has achieved during -i ■period of greater difficulties than any with which dormer Governments of New Zealand have been confronted. To say that it has been reactionary is to ignore all the legislation that it has passed, and all the tendencies that it has shown in increasing advances to settlers and workers, extending pensions schemes, accelerating close settlement, liberalising measures like the Workers' Compensation Act, intended for the benefit of workers, and raising the wages and improving the conditions of the State's employees. Among the many scores of Acts which it has passed there have, indeed, been very few which the Opposition Liberals have been able to oppose in a division. It has managed the finances so, well, despite the heavy expenses of thp smallpox epidemic, a national strike, and the war, that the prosperity of the country is selfevident after war has been raging for three months. It has rid the Civil Service of political influence, and those who allege, > with the security of general accusations, that " social influence " has taken the place of the old evil, have hot the slightest chance of being able to substantiate their charge. Nor can allegations that land aggregation has increased under the present Government be supported, since all the figures that are available point the other way. While revolutionary Labour men of the Senrple type can be expected to oppose the Government fiercely, it has done much for the mass of workers. Its Bill providing that a secret ballot must be held before a strike can be precipitated by extremists is really a measure for their protection, and the experience . of a country which had more than sixty strikes while Sir Joseph Ward was Premier is not likely to be repeated now that this measure has become law. TheGovernment has also carried through its legislation for an elective tipper House, and it requires a boldvinan-tavsay that.the system of an Upper House elected by.jthe people is less democratic, than an Upper House to which members are appointed, as they please, by the Ministry in office. The, Government has carried out a progressive, democratic policy, and has announced a further policy of the . same kind which it will carry otit when it is returned to power. The case of its opponents rests on vague charges, for the most part, made by candidates who are careful not to dwell on the present state of their own party, or the policy which represents the timid efforts of its leader not to fall foul of the views of any section. There is another reason why: every voter who wishes to see a strong, effective Government administrating the affairs of New Zealand for the next three years should take care to see that he is on the roll, and so qualified to vote. Though it is not proving easy to carry out in several electorates, there is ample evidence of a reciprocal agreement between the Social I)e----cratic party who supported the late strike and the Liberal party, not to oppose each other's candidates in' various constituencies-. Mr Webb, Mr Payne, and Mr Veitch have no Liberal opponents so far, and in other cases where the list of candidates shows thai: Oppositionists are standing as well as Social Democrats, the Oppositionists do not bear the official mark. The country will have the option therefore at this election of returning u Reform Government, or a Liberal Government holding office subject to the control of such extremists as were responsible for the Into strike. The necessity for choosing rightly between those alternatives i,s u strong reason why every Voter should see that he is on the roll. The speech which t Mr Massey is to ma-ke_ to-morrow night at Temuka will no doubt give mucli information as to the work and objects of the Reform Party.