Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established Third of a century.] TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1912 THE GERMAN ELECTIONS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11248, 16 January 1912, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established Third of a century.] TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1912 THE GERMAN ELECTIONS.

Even with the meagre information conveyed to us by cablegram, it is possible to understand something of what is going on in Germany, a*id the intense excitement that must be reigning in political circles. The first ballot is over, and second ballots have to take place in 18!) electorates, and bargaining for support by the half-dozen political parties interested has already commenced. A cablegram in to-day's issue states that the Socialists are oiler ing to help any candidates who pledges himself not to resist in making the Reichstag franchise less democratic, and wno will asssist tho imposition of any taxation that will add further to the already high cost of living. The Socialists entered into the present election contest with the determination to not only regain the scats they lost four years ago, but also to win so many new seats that they would become a power to be reckoned with in the new Parliament. They appear to be well on the road to success, but iv order to appreciate this one has to study the present state of parties closely, and understood clearly the policy of each ' of these partios. About 210 seats have already been won, as follows:— Centre .. • ■ $~> Socialists <>[> Conservative .. -55 Poles .. . . 1« Imperialists . . . . 2 National Liberals . . . . (5 In the above list, tho Socialists include tho Radicals, which differ from the bigger party principally in name. The Conservatives, who will support tho pn-sent Ministry, maintain the principle of subordinating everything to patriotism and to tho protection of vested interests. The Government can also count upon the general support of the powerful Centre. Tho latter has had almost complete control of the Catholic districts of the country, and it is an opportunist party whose action can uevor be questioned beforehand. Sometimos it is absolutely Radical, sometimes

ultra-Conservative, as now, but always everything is subjected to the iuterestsof the Catholic Church. The first ballot almost wiped out the National Liberal which supported, on different occasions, both the Government ■ and the extreme Radicals: In voting for the National Liberals, the people could no t give a direct voto for any particular policy— and on that account, apparently, they gave support to the Socialists, for the Socialists' party at least has a clearlydefined policy, and we are informed that "tho Socialists' successes are largoly at the expense of tho National Liberals and Radicals. " The Socialist policy is well known. It calls for tho nationalisation of most forms of production, including tho land, and it is opposed to tho participation of tho workers in tho subscriptions to tho various forms of State insurance, which it contends should bo borne by tho employers alone. It is also strongly in favour of Free Trade. Knowing the effect a policy of opposition to Germany's external aspirations would have upon such a patriotic nation, the Socialists cleverly gave expression during their recent congress at Jena to a kind of somi -approval of the Government's colonial policy, and thus took away from tho patriotic parties what might havo become a powerful rallying cry at the olections. It is also significant that in the cablegram published to-day it is stated that tho Socialists make no reference to the armaments question. Tho Socialists are determined, if given power, to reduce tho cost of living and improve the conditions of life among the masses; and this would mean a reduction of taxation and a decrease in the amount provided for the upkeep of the army and navy. But the Socialists are careful not to say so, for if they were reduce armaments tho governing party would raise the election cry of "Germany versus Socialism," with results as disastrous to the Socialists as was the case in 11)07.

The position, therefore, is as follows: —If the Socialists cannot depend upon any votes from the Conservative or Centre groups—and there is nothing to show that they can—they must get at least 100 of the JBS) seats which have gone to a second ballot in order to control the Government of the country. It seems certain that the Socialist-Radical combination will outnumber any combination of Conservatives, Poles and other Independents; but the whole position will be dominated by the powerful Centre organisation, which has sustained practically no losses in connection with the present election, aud which is a peculiarly uncertain quantity. However, if the Socialists win only forty more seats, as they confidently expect to do, they will bocome a very powerful party, bound to exercise an influence on the future of Germany that, as yet, cannot be properly realised. The power of this Socialist party (which is a combination of trades unions, and the strongest and the most determined in Germany) and its wonderful discipline are shown by the fact that, as a protest against, the increase of revenue duty on spirits two years ago, they advised the members of the trade unions to exercise abstinence. The effect has been to reduce the consumption of spirits con siderabl}', the amount drnnk in the first ten mouths of the financial year 11)10-11 being only :$!),(1-1H,»28 gallons, as compared with 51,150,25(i gallons in the same period of the financial year IHOS-i).