The Tuapeka Times AND Goldfield Reporter & Advertiser "Measures, not Men." WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1914 POLITICAL NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLV, Issue 6219, 9 December 1914, Page 3

The Tuapeka Times AND Goldfield Reporter & Advertiser "Measures, not Men." WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1914 POLITICAL NOTES.

■Sir Joseph Ward seems lo be having the time oi lus Hie. lie is the popular hero oi tne hour, llis electioneering campaign is a triumphal progress comparable lo the lamous .Midlothian campaign of the late Mr U. E. Gladstone, the G.O.M. of British Liberals. In every issue oi the d- il v papers of the Dominion we read, pel favour of the United Press Association, of receptions marked by intense enthusiasm, unanimous.votes of thanks and comidence, sheering;, hats and handkerchiels waved in the air, anu as a climax, an ovation in Wellington lown Hall said to be unique in the history oi a party leader s reeuption anywhere in tne Dominion. At Ine same time, correspondents devoted to the cause oi M.nisters write that Government candidates are holding successlui meetings, that Mr Jiassey's tour ol the North island is m the nature ol -a. triumphal progress, anu that, so iar as tne Wellington disLrict constituencies are concerned, the Opposition is going to meet with a regular landslide at the coming polls. The volatile and sanguine Minister oi Customs and Marine, tne Hon. F. M. B. Eisher, caps these conlident anticipations with the prediction that the lieiorm Party is coming back with no less than hlteen seats to the - good.

These hopeful iorecasts, however, do not seem compatible with the receptions accorded to Sir Joseph Uard in assumed Ministerial strongholds, and " lieiorm partisans apparently evade any attempt to explain Sir Joseph's popularity. Ui course it is possible to explain the demons trutkrna otherwise than as omens oi the Opposition's approaching victory. it is a strange physiological fact that little men commonly have big voices, and by analogy, we may argue that little political parties may mate a bin noise. Possibly Sir Joseph Ward may be taking round with him an organised band of claqueurs specially selected for their vocilerating powers. I'ossibly also, the " Ketorm Party " is encouraging and stimulating popular demonstrations in honour of the leader of the Opposition, with the chivalrous idea of giving him a good time before his final dismissal from politics, or with the less worthy motive i of rendering his disappointment keener by raising hopes doomed to be dashed to the ground. However, we think it is a more sensible hypothesis to suppose that the telegrams from the, North breathing hope and confidence are_ meant to reassure. and hearten wavering electors who may be feeling an inclination to lay, their votes on the altar of the rising sun of the Opposition. The Hon. !R M. B. Fisher's testimony is to some extent discounted by the fact that lately on one or two occasions, he has been seeing . things fluting In the

political atmosphere, for example, \isious ui meetings ur social uemucrats that au\er louk place. Lp lo the ; tlllle ol UlMiUg We r>ue Uu reasou to revoke our lormer preuiction trial the i» guiiig lo win.

-.Notwithstanding anticipations wneu Irorn Wellington ol appioacmng disaster to tne Opposition larly m ihe Heiiihgion district, ilieie seems Lo In reason to conjecture thai, prop jr Lionany, utago will iurmsli u greute! nuniuer ol btipporieis oi Jlr Jias.ii-. mail any oilier district Willi tile pi'oVj aule exceptions oi laranaKi auu itawke s Day. At any rate, 11 (Hugo docs not, it wnl be a poor look-oui lor .iiasseyism. Jn ihe tliree largest towns oi tile bouiinion tile workers Have obviously tile majority,, and at is equally ouvious that the class vote oi llie workers is not going to Air Massey. ihe rural districts around tiie cities will be inlluenced in the =ame direction. Dunedin and Otago hase not so great a proportionate proletariat, on account ol tne comparative stagnation ol mdusty since ilie decline in mining,, consequently me voting power of the people with a state in the country is proportionately stronger, it may be presumed that the majority of the landowners will vote against the Liberal-Labour alliance. canterbury, Weatland, JSelson, and Alarlborough will almost certainly put in Liberals and (Labour men with lew exceptions, while there seems no reason to suppose that in Southlaud the star 01 Sir Joseph Wards tirstilly has waned to but a pale shade oi its erstwhile brilliance. In the .North island which has been the region ol industrial strife and turmoil during ihe .Uassey regime, the workers organisations have foresworn internecine striie for the present in order to oust the Government, and avenge the defeats at Waihi, Jluntly, and the waterside, it is not rash to anticipate victories for Labour at Wellington and' Auckland, to say nothing of Wanganui and Palmerston North. It must not fie forgotten, either, that .New Plymouth has sent Radicals to Parliament ere this occasion, and Napier is not likely to throw over her popular Liberal member, J. Y. Brown. The entente cordiale between Liberalism and Labour ought on present appearances, to » account for between 40 and 45 seats, leaving out the Maori electorates. The leader ol the Opposition expresses complete confidence in the result, arid he, as an old experienced campaigner, ought to know as well as anybody. His present assured and conlident attitude contrasts rather strongly with his hesitating and dubious deliverances immediately before and after the election of 1911.

At the same time it must be conceded that the Massey Government has bestowed benefits on several influential and numerous sections of the community. The railway employees and public school teachers owe a debt oi gratitude for increased wages, thr.. i in 1 these cases the Liberal lea.' i ■ can retort that they 'meant to do Lue same had they been in power. Crown tenants are deeply beholden to the Government for the grant pfthe freehold on easy terms, though many of them would never have reached the vantage ground of Crown tenancy had it not been for Liberal land legislation. Then there; '.are the thrifty capitalists and investors whose speculations were interfered with by the various strikes so cleverly out-man-oeuvred by the . Massey Government. Most of the votes from these classes ■will likely go to supporters of the | present administration. However, toflw sections of the public cannot

command a majority, without support from the wage-earners, and there is a strong suspicion abroad that at least supineness may be alleged against the ■ Government in regard to! ministerial control of the lands, mining, and labour departments, as evidenced by the Omarama and Huntly incidents. Still no fair-minded person can deny that the Government has shown promptitude, decision, and, address in dealing with the war crisis, and many electors will doubtless be influenced by that evidence of ability. Careful observation of the political weather-glass, however, seems to warrant the conclusion that the' breeze of popularity has veered south, and that our only baronet will shortly be once more Prime Minister of New Zealand.