"A SEVERE BLOW TO MINISTRY."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1226, 7 September 1911, Page 5

"A SEVERE BLOW TO MINISTRY."

ITS FATE SEALED. j MR. FOVVLDS'S RESIGNATION. ! PRESS OPINIONS. (By Telegraph.—Snecial Correspondent.) 1 Auckland, September G. The resignation of Mr. Fowlds was tho topic of tho day in Auckkuid to-day. While somo of Mr. Fowlds's supporters in Grey Lynn profess to have felt something of tho kind was coming, it is plain tho uews has been a staggering shock in a constituency which has always had a very strong Opposition section. Thero is little doubt that Mr. Fowlds's most loyal supporters realise that they will have to fight tooth and nail to keep tho seat from going to tho Opposition. Tho resignation, coming as it did 011 top of a big Opposition revival throughout tho Auckland province, is bound to havo effect against the Ward Government. Tho Ward Cabinet has never been popular at this end of New Zealand, and latterly signs have been abundant of a steady current of feeling in favour of tho Opposition. So pronounced is that feeling that oven Government supporters admit tho probability of several Government soats being lost at tho forthcoming election. Tho "Herald" says:—Mr. Fowlds was at great pains to prevent tho public from perceiving the sufficiently obvious reason lor his abandonment of a Government which is exactly tho same Government as that which ho joined live years ago. There is only 0110 adequate explanation for his selection of the present moment for resigning. Mr. Fowlds came muchnearer to a frank statement of the caso when in an interview ho stated his belief that the Government has lost its hold 011 tho country. In his statement i.n the House he claimed to have discovered that the Ministerial parly is not "a truly democratic party," and that tho Government is not a truly democratic Government "pledged to definite principles, principles which it believes in and is prepared to Sight for." This is what the Opposition has steadily asserted, and what Mr. Fowlds has hitherto denied. He suggests that ho had hoped to graft upon* this Cabinet of new principles—certain "principles" to which lie has always been attached. That 110 does not continue Iho experiment can only be due to his conclusion that it is really not worth while, and that it would be wiser to await tho inevitable disintegration of the existing Liberal party, and the downfall of the Ward Cabinet, in the hope of returning to office as a New Zealand Lloyd-George. Presumably it is hoped that a display of bad manners and bad temper towards tho Opposition may; assuage the oft'oct. of his attack upon his own party, but the effect upon the Ward Government cannot be ameliorated by such trilling methods. The "Star" saj's:—Mr. Fowlds has only done what everyone who understood him thoroughly knew ho would do when the crucial timo arrived. We sincerely regret that he could no longer see his way to help on tho cause of Liberalism by exercising his influence within the Executive, but at the same Lime thero can bo no question about his absolute right aud' duty in the matter, holding the views ho does hold. Moreover, although exception will be taken in some quarters to the time selected for his resignation, it is manifest that ho copld not consistently; have gone to the general election as champion of a cause which he intended ' to abandon directly after the fight was over. While realising, therefore, that his retirement under iho circumstances was inevitable, we regret it beeauso the Government can ill-afford to lose the strong support of such men at the present juncture. THRUST THE VESSEL UNDER THE WAVES. Christchurch, September G. Tho "Pre-:s," discussing Jlr. Fowlds's resignation remarks, after referring to somo of the points cl difference between the Minister's ideas and the Government's policy, says:_"It is probable that ,110 is even nioro dissatisfied with some of the proposals for tho (utu ie. Wo ennnot believe that he can regard with approval the retention in tho Cabinet ot. the blatant and altogether impossible Mr. Roderick M'Kenzie, or of tho harmless, unnecessary Mr. liuddo. It is possible that, holding somo of tho views ho does, he does not find tho 11-11. Jlr. Millar altogether a congenial companion in tho Cabinet. -It is not beyond bounds of credence that he shares in the very general impression that Sir Joseph Yt avd is getting tired of politics, and that it will not bo very long before he retires, either voluntarily or involuntarily, by tho will of tho electors, from a position l'roin which he has now exhausted all tho sweets and advantage which it can be made to afford. It is possible that Mr. Fowlds is looking to tho future. In other words, we fancy Jlr. Fowlds is looking forward fx? a union of Prohibition and Labour, and that his new evangel consists to a very largo extent of further interference with tho habits of the people and further application of the thrifty for the benefit bf those who havo not boon so provident, nr, as he would probably put it, who havo not been so favoured by Fortune. There can lw 110 question that the step which Jlr. Fowlds lias taken is a severe blow to tlio J'inistry—perhaps the most severe it has yet received, and that at one stroke he has altered the complexion of New Zealand politics. We do not hesitate to say that from an administrative point of view Jlr. . Fowlds will bo a loss, not only to tho Ministry, but to the country." The artielo concludes: A Cabinet constituted like that at present in power can ill afford to loss such a man, and in this respect it has suffered a very severe blow. Scarcely less damaging ;s tho injury to its prestige causeil by his resignation just 011 tho eve of the goneral election, and the loss of confidence and general feeling of uneasiness which liis retirement must bring about among tho members of tho party. Wo fully accept Jlr. Fowlds's statement that he has not left because ho thinks the ship is sinking, hoping to gain a safer foothold for the time being. However, so far from lightening the vessel, he has thrust her under the waves. She may of course recover after some readjustment in the cargo and s:ome further changes among her officers. On the other hand, it" is very possiblo that she may be steered into port by a different captain and a different crew. CANDID, BUT NOT'TACTFUL. The "Lyttelton Times" says: .Mr. Fowlds's resignation of his scat ill tho Ministry will _ not come altogether' as a surprise to his intimate friends. They suspected months ago that the member for Grey Lynn was not exactly happy under the restraints of office; that lie was pining for the freedom of a privato member; and that he was a little impatient at the slow progress he thought the -Liberal party was making. The speech he delivered yesterday made (lie position perfectly clear to anyone who cared to read between tho lines, and though we may not be able to commend its tact we at. least are compelled to applaud its candour. His allusion to the treatment accorded to his Town Planning .liill by certain members of his ovii party was of course merely a concession to the proprieties of the occasion. Good Liberals like Jlr. Uavey, Jir. Kussell, and Mr. "Witty voted with tho majority, and it is a little amusing to read of Mr. Fowlds, an anient and logical supporter of the Elective Executive, lecturing these gentlemen upon the iniquity of refusing to respond to the parly Whip. It was in this part of his speech, mainly because he had not made up his mind to (lis frankness which he afterwards displayed, that Jlr. Fowlds appeared to least advantage. However, tho point is hardly worth discussing. Jlr. Fowlds has ro signed, not because lie has a grievance against the rani; end file of the party, but bccauso lie hns bo<i unable to induce his 00! leagues to endorse his own political ideals. Hero there can be nothing but praiso for his attitude. There can bo 110 doubt that his retirement just now under circumstances which 110 has not attempted to disguiso will afford more satisfaction to tho opponents of the Government than it will to its friends; but thero is 110 reason to suppose that Ire was net thoroughly sincere in tho high tribute he paid to Sir Joseph Ward and his oollengues, or that lie is less zealous than

ho has always boon in his demotion to tho principle of truo Liberalism. ".IT IS ALL FUDGE." Tho "Evening News" assorts that Iho defection of Mr. Fowlds seals the i'ntc of tho Ward Government, and goes on to point out that, ho refuses to lie associated any longer with tho Government, becauso it is not truly democratic, bec.iuso it is not pledged to definite principles, because it is not prepared to .tk'ht for tho principle it believes in. An effort is being made 1o picture him as a strong heroic soul who prefers principle to office, find who is nobly making a great saerifico at tho dictates of his eonscience. Thero is only one word to describe such nonsense. It is all fudge. There was a time when All*. Fowlds e.onM havo resinned with honour and dignity on Iho grounds that he now advances (o cover his retreat. It was when tho Government hauled down its flag on the Jl'Nab land policy. llis belated discovery on tho eve of an election that he cannot reconcile his views with those of his colleagues will carry 110 conviction at all. What Mr. Fowlds has really discovered is that the game is up, and he prefers to italic out of office now in preierenco to being kicked out by tho electors in November. If Mr. Fowlds is really actu. a tod by the views he would have us believe he now entertains, what was ho, doing in the Ward Government for fivo years? Uo is a prohibitionist and tm anti-gambler, yet lie allowed himself to become a political bedfellow with Mr. Millar and Sir James Carroll. When he wag a Free-trader, a man who does not beliovo ill protecting local industry, who thinks it is wrong and wicked to increase work and raiso wages by means of tariffs, yet ho remained in the Ministry and concurred in the Mi'.'lar tariff, tho most highly prol'tctivo tariff the Dominion has ever had Under the circumstances, we may be pardoned, for suspecting that it was not a consciousness of his own political rectitndo, but the twinges of a guilty political conscience that furnish the. real motive of liis present action.