POLITICAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11254, 7 December 1914, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

The Bible in Schools 'League has a very low estimate of the public intelligence. It invited the electors to throw overboard principles, and ideals, and' political convictions. and vote tor tho men who have found it- convenient to fix on their breasts the label: "I favour a referendum.'' *#" It is not singular that it is the reactionaries who have made the machinery for a referendum without a conscience clause, it is the reactionary candidates who art? prepared to introduce sectarianism into the schools; it is the reactionary candidates who in their desperation hare sold their independence for a label.

For the first time in the history oi New Zealand' an attack is being made upon our free, secular and compulsory education system ; for the first time in the history of New Zealand denominationisni is being made a test in politics, it is a coincidence that these things only occur when the Tories force or sneak themselves into power.

The issue in Christ-church North is. for instance, not whether Mr Lsitt is a strong, vigorous, clean-living, highthinking personality, who has sacrificed himself cheerfully on the altar of his convictions, but whothor he is prepared' to swallow whole tho nostrum prepared by an " imported agitator" in the person of Canon Garland, at the instigation of another reverend gentleman who has not been in this country long enough to have a vote. The theory is that some of the electors can be fooled : and some of them surely can! '

Last time he stood Mr *Toogood was against the Bible in schools, because the popular notion then was that any attack upon the free, compulsory and secular system was unthinkable. Mr Toogood was a Radical in those days. He has since joined the reactionaries, and is prepared to sell the people's birthright of political freedom for a mess of political pottage for himself. It may be that he will succeed. But then again he may not!

Reform newspapers urge the electors to vote for the Tories against the Liberals because the Government " defended the public's freedom" against the strikers last year. Did the Government ;< defend the public's freedom " against the strikers last year? Dfd tile Government "' defend the public's freedom," or did they simply hand over their functions to one of the parties to the dispute? Did they make an earnest attempt to settle the matter, or did Mr Massey in his self-imposed capacity as an arbitrator between the parties scuttle from the presidency at the first sign of a row?

Did the Government newspapers urge the parties to come together and settle the dispute reasonably, or did they for political reasons endeavour to identify the Liberals and the " Red Feds." and by a steady stream of abuse and contumely provoke the latter to talk insanely and act unwisely?

"When those questions are answered let the electors ask themselves one more: If Sir Joseph Ward had been in power would he have found it necessary to spend over £IOO,OOO of good gold to "crush the 'Reds'"? ". Or would he by firnv yet conciliatory methods have got the parties together —before the thing had gone too far—and effected a settlement? These are questions which the public whose " freedom '"' ha-s been assailed are now in a position to consider calmly and dispassionately. We leave tho issue to them.

"A strike," said Mr M'Laren to a Wellington audience, "is when the worker withholds from sale the only commodity that he has, his labour. At the present time a very serious-strike against the whole of the public of New Zealand is in progress. Mr Horrell, of the Canterbury Farmers' Union, has said that he knows that many merchants are holding their wheat stocks. They are waiting for higher prices. They do not think that 5s per bushel is sufficient. They want 7s per bushel. This is a strike against the consuming public. I charge the Government with refusing to put down this strike. Many merchants are snapping their fingers at the. decision of the Cost of Living Commission. I intend to charge the Government again and again .with their failure to perform their dtttv in this respect,"

A very shrewd political observer, discussing election prospects, expressed the opinion a day or two ago that there was no real call from the people for Sir Joseph Ward, says the Welling-, ton " Dominion.'' We suggest to outcontemporary that this will, make very amusing reading if repeated next Friday morning.

''• The Opposition (says the Christchurch " Press'') is very angry because some commercial travellers, suspected of favouring Mr Fisher, intend to oxer-

case their legal right to vote in Wellington Central if thov choose. This is very wicked, they say." Our contemporary is quite sympathetic with this subtle .sample of political jerrymandering JiOt us see what the "Pirns" has the hardihood to countenance and endorse:

A hoot importer in Wellington iNorth (Mr H. Hannah) is registered in Central, his business address in the latter electorate being given. Another inipoiter is similarly treated. Among tho '•commercials " who liave suddenly appeared on the Central rolls is a coal merchant, several clerks, an accountant, a brass founder, a- shop assistant, a mercer, ' the former keeper of a sweet shop now closed, the director of a produce- firm, who until Wednesday was on the suburbs roll, a tailor, a bootmaker, two auctioneers, a draper, a bookseller and a shop walker. All these live in electorates outside Wellington Centra], some in remote suburbs.

If the '• Party of Purity " ever takes to two-up, n will bo well for the people who play with them to inspect the pennies!

The Government newspaper in Timaru has been telling its readers that the Hon John Anste.v, the Liberal candidate for the Waitaki seat, was once a severe critic of Liberal land legislation. The candidate's reply will not be pleasing to the supporters ri : Masseyism :_<• The instances you quote of absenteeism and aggregation, condemned by me," writes Mr Atistev. " were on the expiry of leases granted twenty-two years before, now twentysix years ago, under legislation passed by Conservative Government and before Liberalism had commenced to introduce those land settlement measures which have done so much to place settlement on the land and build up our prosperity, my complaint being that although Liberalism had done much, there were further steps in that direction that were being neglected. While it is perfectly true that I did complain that the Libei'al Governmentdid not push their settlement policy far enough to include bona fide settlement in moderate areas so as to include our vast pastoral lands, I now complain that Mr Massey not only neglects to do ■ so. hut by administrative interference accentuates the evil of absenteeism and aggregation, and actively opposed and defeated proposals made bv mvself and others to correct this evil."

" I want to say to-night- that methods are being used by the Government in this election that are on a line with those used bv Tammany Hal! in New York.." said Mr D. M'Laren at Kilbirnie. .''There is nothing that endangers public life so much as the staffing of the rolls. This is the key that opens the door to every corruption. I have in my possession a list of over thirty names that have been placed on the "Wellington Central roll; their owners do not reside in the electorate; they have been placed there as commercial travellers, although they belong to various other trades and professions. Mr Fisher's explanation is an insult to the intelligence of the public. His definition of a commercial traveller is very wide; anyone who collects money is a commercial traveller! According to this our ideas of population will have to be revised. New Zealand is a country with over 1,000,000 population, mainly commercial travellers! The thing is utterly absurd. The chimney-sweep who collects money for his chimney-sweeping is a commercial traveller. The clerk of the Court is a commercial traveller because he collects five shillings from a drunk; the drunk 'is a commercial traveller because he collects the five shilings from his wife, who is a commercial traveller when sho collects the money for her washing. (Laughter.) ' Mr Fisher is seeking to deceive and delude the people—and he , is head of the Electoral Department. '■ The bona fide commercial travellers exercised the right of voting in the electorates where their business houses were situated in 1911, and Mr Fisher is trying to suggest otherwise."

If any further proof is needed of the reaction of public feeling against the Masseyites throughout New Zealand, states the. "Auckland Star." it can be found in the recent course or political events throughout Auckland district. Everywhere, even in the outlying rural townships, where the names of the "'Reform'' leaders are usually supposed to be household words. Liberal candidates have been received with enthusiasm, and' promises of support hare been given by hundreds, who as settlers or agricultural workers are popularly supposed to he bound to Mr Massey's chariot wheels.

*' ( The Reformers have done themselves tbe very things that they accused the Liberals of doing but failed to prove that the Liberals had done," says Mr James the Liberal candidate for Timaru. <: Take the Bay of Islands election. Mr Vernon Reed has changed his coat and gone over to the Reformers. He was elected as a Liberal in 1911 and now hj" is standing as the official Reform candidate. Mr Wilkinson, another Reformer, is standing against him and has been offered a- seat in the Upper Mouse if he will stand aside in Mr Reed's favour. J don't know what you call this, but F call it political graft. Then there was the appointment of Mr Ro.vcl Garlick as Director of Physical Instruction at a salary of £'6oo a year when better men were offering. The position was not even advertised. .It was n most irregular appointment, and ]• can only call"it political graft."