Waihi Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1935. THE THAMES SEAT

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXIV, Issue 8847, 26 November 1935, Page 2

Waihi Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1935. THE THAMES SEAT

Here stall the Press the People s High; main**' (Tnawed by influence and unhribod by gain Here Pctriot Truth boi glorious precepts drew. Pledgedto Bnlicioa Liberty nnii Law

Thames electors have probably had their fill of politics this lag* few weeks and have now reached the stage of quietly measuring up the position against their formal decision n at the ballot box to-morrow. They i have heard a good deal about policies ! and, like reasonable men and women, * have discounted untold wealth in f promises. It remains for them to J settle the issue so far as it applies f to this electorate and within the 15 limits of choice afforded by the canJ didates offering. It will not be difficult to reduce the choice to an alter- - native by eliminating the Democrat candidate. No slur is intended on Mr Keegan; it is simply that his party has no particular appeal for . Thames electors. Its origins are in the cities and its real aim is directed at the urban target. Even there tt seems likely to miss its mark. The real battle at this election is “between Mr Thorn and Mr Samuel—not between them as Individuals, but between the ideas they stand for. The line of cleavage here is the same as divides the rest of the Dominion politically. The big general issue is whether Labour or the anti-Labour forces shall govern New Zealand and guide her policies and destinies in the next Parliament; whether the political philosophy going by the name of Socialism, und* carrying with it a number of untried theories, shall triumph over the existing regime, which seeks to hold some sort of balance between the claims of t society and the rights of the citizen, I between the socialisation and coni trol of human activities and indivi- ' dual freedom. That is the broad j issue, with Mr Thorn standing on the i one side and Mr Samuel on the other. „ While there can be no doubt of MiThorn’s personal fitness to represent the Thames electorate the question that troubles thougthful minds arises _ out of the policy to which he is pledged. Many of the things promised by Labour are desirable, but 1 are they practicable? The whole j Labour policy rests on the successful , operation of its proposed central 1 credit authority, which will place 1 under the control of Labour politij cians the delicate but vital mechanisms of currency and credit. All our | activities, social and economic, all | business and industry, depend on the efficient functioning of money—the | means of exchange. The question is I whether electors are willing to entrust this responsibility to a party , Forking on theories? Is the welfare of thg people a proper subject , for experiments? These questions , must be answered in the affirmative „ , by thinking electors before they can vote for Mr Thorn. It must not be overlooked that all the other ' schemes and promises of the Labour S Party depend on the successful manipulation of currency, or on what M.r Pfivage calls “the exploitation of the public flrpjjit.” Other considerations are the irreparable injury this tinkering might, and apparently would, inflict on New Zealand credit i in London and the effect on taxation I of the undeniably costly programme 3 °* labour. As for price guarantees, ' even if they were possible, they lose ' j their attraction when it is learnt I that Labour does not offer a guaran- ! tee to keep down costs. Even if ! Prices did improve under this nebulour scheme, costs would mount faster and cancel out any advantage to the farmer. These are a few of the considerations which should induce thoughtful electors to turn i away from the Labour programme (represented by Mr Thorn and toI a f,4 file tried and proved principles ! recommended ]>y Mr Samuel, who , would return to Parlliuuent as a Arm | and able guardian of the public weal , j against Labour experiments. litors than that, electors recognise in Mr . Samuel one who has served the whole ] district well. He has been" an Indefatigable advocate of more adequate pensions for the victims of miners’ phthisis and for their widows and prphans. Nor is there any need to emphasise bis real interest in and efforts on behalf of returned soldiers, u His effective representation pf the d district’s claims upon the' Govern • I; ment has also been appreciated, g These are local considerations but G important for all that, and Of par a- n mount importance is the fact that a Mr Samuel, an able Parliamentary E tactician, will bring his independent judgment to bear on all issues, and will oppose implacably the dangerous experiments upon which a Labour 81 Government would launch this conn- sl try. W