THE SORRY NATIONALISTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19441, 29 October 1925, Page 10

THE SORRY NATIONALISTS

• (To the Editor) Sir, —I have seen a trout on a hook, a wild bird imprisoned in a cage, and reading the organ that upholds the local Nationalists’ cause brings these similes to my mind. The wild jumps of the hooked trout, the poor bird beating itself to death against the bars of its cage, are as nothing compared with the wriggles and twists and vain beating? and death struggles of that self-condemned organ. I am not a Bolshevist or a Socialist, but a thinker, and I say “self-condemned” deliberately, for I intend to use its own language against it. How many of thatorgan’s partisans do think? Not many, or otherwise every vote in the city would he cast cither for Labour or Reform, for these parties do possess platforms to put before the electors. Their particular candidate would not, and should not, on their own showing, get a single one, and las they are opposed to the Labour cause, then all their attempted arguments must be and are for Reform. I can almost sympathise with them. It is a hopeless job to try anc bolster up a lost cause. I will only deal with the report of Mr Veitch’s speech tit St. Paul’s Hall; to deal with the contents of the paper might shatter their morale altogether, and would take up too much of your valuable space. Ho is reported 1o have said “that if the country’s affairs were directed the right way, there was no reason why New Zealand should not be developed into a country of which we would be even more proud than we wore to-day.” That is just what every “thinking” reader of that organ wants, and they know that given a sufficient majority of “pledged” supporters, 2\l r Gordon Coates is the roost likely roan in New Zealand to carry it out, as he is a man of deeds, and not merely words, and it is a part of his platform, It is certainly the duty of the electors to “get in behind their man and give him all their help,” and there is every warrant for a change, and the prospective change is as physically and mentally fit to do

“the lot that has to be done, and to carry through Wanganui’s business.” “A change did not necessarily mean an improvement.” but, to a thinker, a change in this case must moan hn improvement, as Wanganui will then be represented by a member of the Government, and Wanganui, like the rest of New Zealand, wants Mr Coates, and the latter has specifically said “If you want me to lead the Government, you

should vote for the candidates who officially support the Government. The party which ought to carry the name •National’ is the party which has the present Government’s platform;” and Mr 'Veitch himself says, though he calls himself “Nationalist” and not like Sir Joseph Ward a Liberal, that he ! is not and will not be behind him. ■ Where does Wanganui come in? I “New Zealand was not mining half i the coal required for our own needs.” I Nobody knows why better than Mr Veitch, and he probably has conduced considerably to the reason for it by not I helping in any way to give tho country stability. “Another reason was that j the working condition of the mines was ’unsatisfactory.” Is anyone in sight I or dreamed of who will be likely to i remedy this more quickly than Mr j Coates —the man who says (and what i ho says he does) he will do away with i slums, tind who has given such contenti incut and satisfaction to the public , works labourers that at Arapuni re- | cently they passed him a vote of coni lidence?

This, really, Mr Editor, is the gem of gems; the scintillations of a cluster are as nothing to it. “If Parliament were functioning in the proper manner the country would become richer by millions with tho advancement of our industries. Now, thinkers! I ask you in all seriousness who is mostlikely to make it function in a proper manner? I needn’t answer, for you know the correct answer yourselves, and I can’t imagine Mr Coates getting much help from Wanganui towards that proper functioning unless we return the man he asks us to. I can pass by the sop to the civil servants. Most of them have brains and are

“thinkers,” but I cannot pass by “Mr Veitch would give his support to an improvement in this direction.” And what will that bo worth, Air Editor? Any more than that of every Reformer in the House, who will do tho same, unless it moans jeopardy to the counI try, and the civil servants land all i labour know better than anyone else i that if the country is jeopardised they go down too. “An extension and imI provement. in humanitarian legislation,” “the workers compensation laws required reorganisation,” the “adoption of universal superannuation on a sound basis.” No wonder poor Reform talks (about its thunder being stolen! First the name of “National” I that Reform was entitled to is stolen, j and then almost the whole of Reform’s ' platform is stolen holus bolus. Is ; there any wonder that Mr Coates said, “I hope that after the election the National Party will be a very dead horse indeed.” I think, Mr Editor, I have proved tho contention I started with, that I have condemned them out of their own mouths, and shown to the “thinking” electors some very excellent reasons why if they do not vote Labour they should plump for John Coull.—l am., etc., THINKER. Wanganui. October 26, .1925.