The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1930. SWING OF THE PENDULUM,

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18510, 6 March 1930, Page 8

The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1930. SWING OF THE PENDULUM,

In view of the impending visit to the South Island of the Leader of the Reform Party, interest in party politics will be immensely quickened. For some months attention has been focused on the trial s and tribulations of the United Party which has revealed itself as the most disunited party in the political arena to-day. Having wholeheartedly condemned the only too apparent failure of the present Administration to honour its fulsome promises and deliver even a mere fraction of the legislative “goods” that were to be produced under the spell of much vaunted wizardry, several high officials of the United Party have attacked the incompetence of the drifting Administration. Once upon a time, when the new Ministers were new to their high and perilous positions, the electors were treated to a display of puffed-up pride that could be excused on the grounds of lack of experience. Moreover, during the first session, the newly-installed Cabinet Ministers seemed incapable of doing little else than pour out the vials of their wrath upon the somewhat decimated ranks of the Reform Party. But the electors have “seen through” the poor tactics of the new Administration, which being incapable of translating its wealth of electioneering promises into performance, had perforce to abuse the other side rather than thus early make a confession of failure. But the great bulk of the electors cannot be fooled all the time. Some of the less discerning voters were fooled some of the time, but now that the great awakening is taking place, thousands of voters are beginning to ask themselves if the best interests of the country are being served by the retention in office of a minority Government that may at any moment of crisis dance, with implicit obedience, to the piping of the Socialists. For the moment however, the Reform Party is not concerned with the woes of the United Party. It has been suggested that the most practicable solution of existing political problems, as far as they bear any relation to party, might be found in fusion. The question is invariably raised when the United Party, alias Liberals alias Nationalists, find themselves in peril of defeat. But it can be said quite definitely, that ■ the United Party has had its chance to reveal its capacity to govern this country with courage and efficiency, and it has done so in a manner that is obviously displeasing to the chairman of the Dominion Executive of the Party, as well as the Dominion secretary and the Dominion organiser, and presumably to many of the rank and file of the Party. It is not surprising, therefore, in view of ,the transparent failure of the new Government to make good, notwithstanding the sympathetic attitude of all sections of the Opposition, that Dominion-wide interest has been rekindled in the activities of the Reform Party. Reports from the capital city, it is interesting to note, show that a tour of ten South Auckland electorates was completed at Thames on Thursday last, by a party of Reform members of Parliament, headed by tiie Leader of the Opposition (Mr Coates). The Thames correspondent of The New Zealand Herald states that at all points the attendances greatly exceeded the expectations of local committees, and in at least one case a larger hall was hurriedly engaged to accommodate an interested audience. This enthusiasm led visiting speakers to say it merely confirmed a deep-rooted impression of “the swing back of the pendulum of public opinion to Reform.” At all centres visited votes of confidence in Mr Coates as leader and in the Reform Party were carried. It is generally realised, of course, that the new Government’s financial policy has not only not restored confidence, but the recklessness with which the financial affairs of the Dominion have been handled, culminating in the colossal blunder of borrowing unnamed millions in the local market at 5-J per cent, has grievously affected the finances of private enterprise and local government. It will be remembered that the Minister of Finance in the Reform Government made a courageous and statesmanlike effort to stabilise the national finances on an unassailable foundation, but it was obviouß during the last general election campaign that the people, heedless of the consequences which are now being experienced, allowed themselves to be fooled into believing that the United Party could produce millions with the ease that a conjuror takes rabbits from his hat, and that the stable progress of the Dominion could be maintained by wizardry rather than sound finance and efficient administration. The visit of Mr Coates to the South Island will be welcomed by all friends of selfreliance in finance and sound and progressive administration. It is regrettable, of course, that the Prime Minister’s health has remained so indifferent for so many critical months, and it is fervently hoped, in view of the bewildering and pressing problems confronting the Dominion,

that it, will not lie long before the tiller of the Ship of State is firmly held by a strong Administration which will terminate the present policy of drift and irresolution.