Oct. 27.
To-tay the British elector will bbe asked to pass judgment on the decisions which replaced the Labour Government by a Na-anal Government composed of all three of the then existing parties in the State, 'Those decisions have been followed by' ethers which have balanced the Budget and, by tele from the' gold standard, hay removed a burden from industry. This is merely a preliminary to the longer and harder task of rebuilding national prosperity and ensuring the stability of] national finances. The country is faced with the necessity to cut its coat according to the cloth. All classes are asked to Dear the load of retrenchment, to reduce their scale of ex: penditure and to place work afore play. The Prime Minister has shown commendable courage and patriotism in giving this firm lead. He has been ovally and splendidly supported by Mr. Snowden and Mr. Thomas. Ungrudging cooperation has come from Mr. Baldwin and Sir Herbert Samuel, both of whom have displayed qualities of self-effacement in the national cause. Others, in equal or less degree, have responded to the call. The Opposition is not happily placed. Tt can command a caucus whi automatically places a number of votes—and seats—at "its disposal. Tt cannot so easily command the respect acd confidence of the electors who cheerfully or _courageously ignore that caucus. Some of Jeaders are obviously fil at ease in the role thrust upon them by their own pusillanimity.
Unfortunately the spirit patriotism shown by Mr. B win has not entirely exorcised the evil of party. prejudice. Among a section. of the Conservative Party the -balief cing stimulated that. this is a suitable time in which to make of tariff reform a shibboleth for the consolidation of the party jand the destruction of minority groups. The pettiness which, in spite of Mr. Baldwin's appeal, has set up opposition from Con: servative candidates to Sir Herbert Samuel and the plucky National' Labour men," may seriously weaken public sympathy with the Government. Elec. pioneering is a complicated business. It is possible that the out-and-out Tariff Reformers, by the accident of the locality of their candidatures, may score successes the significance of which it would be easy to exaggerate. The main issue before the electorate is the preservation of the National Government. To suggest that a victory for the National candidates, who are overwhelmingly Conservative, would imply endorsement' of Tariff Reform would be unfair unless the individual circumstances of the elections, on analysis, proved that beyond doubt." At all events Mr. MacDonald relies on the understanding with the Conservatives to leave the question of a tariff to the discretion of the Government and not to make it bear the imprint of an electoral mandate, These ' uncertainties must make of considerable importance the attitude of that class of elector which holds aloof from party politics. At the last election a very large number of electors failed to go to the poll. Therefore if heavy polls rule to-day, surprises may be recorded. It would be pleasant to find a severe rebuff given to the extreme exponents of the tariff creed. The Government's victory can hardly be in doubt 30 another salutary reminder to Lord Beaverbrook that the British voter is not going to accept the dictation of Press Magnates would not be amiss. The cleavage seems to lie between the National groups of Conservative, Simon Liberals and Labour with the Samuel Liberals on one side and the Labour and Lloyd Georgian Liberals on the other. This journal, a fort night ago, calculated that the former groups combined might expect a clear: majority of 167 seats over the latter. That forecast cannot be revised with any satisfaction on the eve of the poll. It is to be hoped that it will turn out to be approximately correct for Great Britain requires a strongly-backed Government to carry her safely through the next two or three years, in which the reconstruc tion of her finances, the read-fustment of her" industria Policies and the revision of her economic outlook will demand the concentrated energies of the dest minds at her disposal. From the personal standpoint all eyes will be on Seaham. Good luck to Mr. MacDonald there! But, even if, Seaham should falter, there will be a seat in the next House of Commons found for one who has so brilliantly and selflessly asserted his claim to national leaders!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.