OTHER OPINIONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1313, 16 December 1911, Page 6

OTHER OPINIONS.

THE PRIME MINISTER RETICENT. 'WAITING FOR MAORI POLLS. Tho Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) had nothing further to say yesterday in regard to the political situation, and it is understood that ho will make no announcement as to his intentions until the results of the Maori cloctions are known. The polling in the three' Maori districts where thcro are contests will take placo next Tuesday. It is anticipated that all the Ministers will bo in Wellington early next week. MR. JAMES ALLEN. (Bj Telegraph—Press Association.) Duncdin, December 15. Mr. James Allen says tho clear duty of Sir Joseph Ward is to call Parliament together immediately. In that caso a no-confidence motion will bo passed without doubt. Mr. Massey would be able to carry on, but if such were not tho case another election would lie inevitable, and he (Mr. Allen) did not tliink tho country would stand that. Mr. G. 31. Thomson agrees, adding that if tho Ministry attempts to fill tho High Commissionership or to appoint Legislative Councillors the Governor should assert his prerogative. THE HON. J. A. MILLAR. Dunidin, Dcoombor 15. Tho Hon. J. A; Millar, interviewed this morning, said that as things appear at present thcro seemed to be little chanco of any party having a decent working majority. It was. however, impossible to como to a definite conclusion on tho figures at present. . SIR G. M. O'RORKE. Auckland, December 15. Sir Manrice OHorke, interviewed, said ho had knora instances at Home where tho Government of the day, having a sweeping majority against it at tho elections, resigned immediately before Parliament met, but where the margin between tho two parties was small, it was tho custom to wait till Parliament reassembled. The first business was to elect , a Speaker. He had known that appointment used for a trial of strength between the parties. In view of Sir Arthur Guinliess's popularity, however, ho thought Mr. Massey would take the first opportunity subsequent to the Speaker's election to challenge the Government's posi- , tion on a no-oonfidance motion. Sin JAMES CARROLL. Auckland, December 15. ' Sir James Carroll, in an interview, ' Raid he accepted unreservedly the expros- ' sion of the will of the people. Still, lip was convinced that confusion of the truu issuos and an inherent desire for char.gc wore contributing factors. In trying to read the signs of the times one could seu J on the horizon growing forces struggling to find expression, forces that once concentrated. must ont-distanco anything yet < accomplished in tho way of _ reform. . Meanwhile tho other side had its ranks strenstheaed by forces that could only bo regarded as ephemeral. He anticipated a settlement of the differences that had arisen between Liberalism and Labour in j the protection of tho common interest. 1 Th>» political situation. was nnquostion- 1 ably serious, but the bonds unijing Liberalisiu and Labour were so firmly knit ( that no passing wave of discont&at oould ' ifl ittj Wff. «Tftr tiwa. 11

Mil. FOWLDS INTERVIEWED. WHAT' HE INTENDS TO DO. (Br Telegraph.-Sccclal Correspondent.) Auckland, Uw.entlmr 1.7. Interviewed by a "Mar" reporter this morning, Hie lion, Georgo low Ids said: "I thill it tlio mam feature "I Hi" elecUou iii the signal victory m tliu Liijuur parly, •j lift 'Iriuio" has recognised t.lio grim deti'i'ininalicm ot a largo majority of Die people el Now Zealand to abolish Ilio liquor trallie, and have with wonileiiul success luado a mighty cllort lo buy a proiungeil oxisteuco oy f-eeuring Iho election oi lliiw-lilth candidates. Apart 1 rum cheating, <ind tlio many other peculiar forms ot trade influence, tlio national prohibition majority is probably very much greater than tho iniquitous thrceliitlus handicap which tlio law requires. Wo can novor get decent clean politics in I his country until we get tho liquor (.rallic out of politics, and wo can never get tho liquor trailic out of pulities until wo get it out ol tho country, i think it is tho finest thing which has happened in New Zealand ill my time to get all Iho monopolists, laud, liquor, etc., into ouo cauip as we havo got them at this election, and Mr. Massey is entitled to all the gratification ho can get out of the very modorate succoss which tho combination has brought to his party. The action of leading Oppositionists in going into tho Master lon electorate wliilo Mr. A. \V. llogg was lying ill shows that they would bo prepared to dig success out ol tho cemetery. My own defeat is merely tho result of a passing wave of mental aberration, backcd by a combination of Opposition and liquor interests. 1 think the union of Mr. Alassoy and tho Liquor party in support of Scheme 45 and Revolutionary Socialism is simply lovely. Tho elections havo divided tho people generally into two classes. On tho one hand those who believe in clean sport, clean homes and hotels, and social justieo; on the other hand thoso who beliove in gambling, liquor, and monopoly. Although tho latter havo gained a temporary advanlago in tho first encounter, tho drawing of this clear dividing lino is a very great gain, and I venture to suggest that for some years to come it will mark the permanent "lino of parLy cleavago. If tho new Parliament could only unite to pass into law a proportional system of representation and then dissolve it would make itself memorable in tho history of New Zealand. The condition of parties gives ono no hope of a stablo Government except by means of political deals and intrigues which would bo dangerous to tho country. Personally, I am neither sad nor downhearted at tho result of my election contest, or at tho result of the elections generally. I intend to join at once with others in organising a real Labour-Liberal parly on the democratic basis of a bare majority." THE OTHER SIDE. Our Auckland correspondnet writes as follows:—In respect to motor-cars and lavish expenditure which one Wellington telegram refers to, it is worthy to note that in tho thrco second ballot 1 constituencies of tho Auckland Suburbs, tho Government candidato in each case is a wealthy man. Tho Reform candidates at Parnell and Waitomatd, and tho Labour candidate m Groy Lynn, are not wealthy, and not one of them had wealth behind them. The Government candidates in each case were helped by largo relays of motorcars. Never were so many motor-cars before seen in Parnell and Waitemata. When friends of tho Reform party sought cars to help in those two electorates, they were scarccly to be had. If ever gold and petrol were lavished to win elections tho Government campaign in Waitemata, Parnell, and Grey Lynn were glaring examples. Mr. Fowlds states that tho brewers' party worked for Mr. Payne, who, by the way, is a baro majority man. Sir. Fowlds is the only man who believes it, but before he threw stones he might havo inquired what organisation was assisting his learned frier.d in Parnoll, and it was rather unkind of Mr. Fowlds lo suggest that tho brewers' canvasscrs worked against a Government supporter, seeing that Mr. Arthur Myers and Mr. Vigor Brown, both Government members, are browers. Mr. Fowlds dees not explain the presence of double rows of men lined up in front of tho chief Parnell booths to conspicuously display Sir John Findlay's colours.