The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1911. LABOUR AND THE REFORM PARTY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12840, 11 December 1911, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1911. LABOUR AND THE REFORM PARTY.

Tne; expected is happening.. Faced with .the grave probability of Extinction at the second ballots, Ministers and their followers are feverishly trying to make peace with the Labour Party. Sir Joseph Ward professes to take a hopeful view of tho prospects, but it will be noted that his hope rests almost entirely 'on the slender possibility of the Government being able to capture the Labour vote. By a procqss of reasoning which tho average man' will find it difficult to fathom, the Prime Minis-ter-argues •'that the workers must flock to his banner, because it would be unnatural for them to join forces with tho Reform Party. The workers did not take that view on Thursday last, and there is certainly ,no reason why they should take it on Thursday next. No doubt, every effort humanly possible will bo made to induce tho workers to believe" that there is nothing in common; between them and the Opposition: But the bluff will not succeed. The workers are not going; to believo what they know to be untrue, even to. please Sir Joseph Ward and the remnant of his Cabinet, and they "know the •statement that their ideals arid aspirations, are diametrically opposed ;to those, of the Reform Party is not true. For instance, the workers have alreadyshown by their votes on Thursday last that' there is' one important poip^ i?n' which they are in complete agreement with the party under Mr Massey^viz., tho necessity in the best interests of thj) country of putting an end to the twenty years' reign of tho Continuous Ministry. As to that necessity, organised Labour -is clear and emphatic. We feel sure an analysis of the voting on Thursday last would disclose the j fact that the Labour Party voted consistently with an honest desire to assist in bringing about a change of Government, with a view to ensuring a period of clean and capable administration. To that end adherents of the Labour Party followed the wise and tactful policy of not only voting Labour where Labour candidates were available, but of voting against the Government in any case. It may be confidently anticipated that the same policy will be pursued in connection with the second ballots. The Wairarapa "Daily Times" in October last, in an article reviewing tho prospects of Labour at the polls, pointed out that tho return of the Opposition to'power would be by no means an unmitigated evil from the. point of vifeWof Labour. The next development would probably put Labour in opposition, and, if tho now Government were not sufficiently democratic or Socialistic to suit tho Opposition—although it is probable that the elaboration of Mr Massoy's programme would not prove very distasteful to the latter —we should see-a straight-out fight on questions of politics, and not have the position complicated as at present by opportunist tactics and a-policy of unrestricted expenditure of public money adopted by the governing party in order to retain office. Locally, the second ballot has to bo fought out between the Government candidate and the chosen champion of the workers, who stands as an avowed opponent of the Ward Administration. Wo shall be surprised if fully 90 per cent, of the votes cast for Mr Hutchison, and at loast 50 per cent, of those cast for Mr Mackay,' are not given to Mr Veitch on Thursday. They cannot consistently be given to the Government candidate, for it is beyond question that every voto cast for Mr Hutchison and i\ majority of those cast for Mr Mackay were cast against the Government, and in the natural order of things they ought to bo cast in the same direction at the second ballot.