Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1914. AS OTHERS SEE US

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 28 December 1914, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1914. AS OTHERS SEE US

The result of the New Zealand elections appears to have been watched with very keen interest throughout Australasia. The Sydney "Morning Herald," which ds probably the most influential journal in the Commonwealth, deals at some length with the situation that has arisen in the Dominion. .In the course of a thoughtful article it ,sayf.»:—"The existence of the war in no way diminished thy ardour with" which the Oppstion obscured broad questions • of policy by thar criticism of administrative acts, or by insinuations of Lad faith] Mr Ma.-:sey was accused oi'-bo'ng responsible for the Hmitly disaster, of having unduly favoured the North Island at the expense of the- South, and of having bud It a raitway for the improvement of an ostrich farm owned by one of his supporters. Such calumnies are the stock-:u-trade of all parties with a bad case, and probably had no influence on the people of New Zealand. On the other hand the firmness with which Mr Ma;*ey suppressed the wharf-labourers' strike not only earned him the most severe denunciation, but cost-him some seats. Sir Joseph Ward, if he succeeds to office, may have the good fortune to escape such a 'strike during the next throe years. U fortune is against him, S'r Joseph will find himself terribly handicapped by hi* all'ance with the strike leaders during these elections. If he appeals to the law, h's own speeches will answer him. In any case, he has definitely abandoned that system of settlement of industn'al disputes by arbitration which isalways claimed as one of the highest achievements of his party. It was no doubt inevitable that in an electdou

conducted with Duch bitterness the conduct of naval and military aflVrs should not escape criticism. i\ir Ma.--sey and Mr 'Allen have boeu »o successful in all they arrangements for the Expeditionary Forces that their opiwiu-nts could find very little to .uy, though that little was said with great personal bitterness. But the whole question of the proper contribubon to be made by New Zealand to the British Navy was dkcus.sed its if the events of the last few months had never been; as if, in fact, our relation,} w'tli the Imperial Government were now exactly as they were when Sir Joseph Ward was delivering Irs ill-digested specchou at the last Impenal Conference. It has not been difficult to prove that the change was fir.*, recognised when Mr Allen paid his visit to England -in 1013, and participated in the deliberations of the Defence Committee. Since then the New Zealand Government has taken the view that the only safe :ostein for New Zealand, as for' Australia, is the system of local units. A.» Mr Massey has told us. that opniou has become a fixed belief through the experiences of the four months. We should regret exceedingly if this question should be decided: by a party vote, as it was for a time m Canada. Our experience, has taught that it i'i only by local navies that the safety of the Donr'nions can be secured and the ontliusia«m of the : r inhabitants maintained. We aiv prepared to admt. that wo stand to gain considerably if iho pw)j)l 0 of New Zealand decide to follow the same course as our«dves. Everything that helps to consolidate the, influence of the white raws 'ln the Pacific will be strengthened, and the efficiency of our fleet will be enormously increased if the Dominion and the Commonwealth can agree on a common policy."