AT THE PROPER TIME.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1328, 4 January 1912, Page 4

AT THE PROPER TIME.

It is not surprising perhaps that the refusal of the Prime Minister to take the country into his confidence as to when he intends to relinquish office, or at least test the strength of parties, should lead many of the public to urge resort to extrome measures in order to bring matters to a head. Some of our correspondents are urging that Mr. Massey should appeal to his Excellency tho Governor, while others advise a monster petition to Lord Islington, headed by members of Parliament pledged to vote against the Government, The idea appears to" prevail that because nothing is being done publicly Sin Joseph Ward is having everything his own way. This is not the case. The suggestion that Mr. Massey should interview his Excellency the Governor is both improper and unnecessary at the present stage. Lord Islington is an old Parliamentarian and he also, we have no doubt, is fully acquainted with the responsibility which rests upon him as a representative of the Crowni It is true that his responsible advisers are for the time being the members of a defeated Ministry, and it is unfortunately the case that the past record of that Ministry is one which must necessarily raise doubts as to the correctness of the advice which they might be expected to offer in such circumstances as'exist as the result of the recent elections. But it would be an impertinence to suggest that the Governor is not fullv acquainted with the situation and for ourselves wc have not the least doubt thathc will at the proper time exercise with care and judgment the discretion with which he is entrusted in such cases. Sin Joseph Ward is of course playing for time, knowing full well that if he were to meet Parliament at once he would be crushingly defeated. That he has no right 'to over-ride public opinion in this way no one can question—it is quite 'improper and unconstitutional and must bring discredit on the whole of the Ministerial following as well as on the Ministry, for they have made his conduct possible by pretending to accept the view that by some hocus-pocus he can convert a minority into a majority. But while to the public this discreditable course n so repugnant and has aroused such bitter and increasing resentment, it must be borne in mind that his Excellency the Governor cannot be expected to take any decisive step until the proper tinift arrives. That time, wc believe, will be when the PnniE MiMSTEn • attempts this or next week to persuade Lord Islington to prorogue Parliament for a further period without summoning members to attend for the transaction of business. It is worth while, perhaps, at the present juncture to once more show what an utter sham the pretence of Ministerialists that they' have any hope of securing a majoritv in the present Parliament really 'is. For this purpose it is sufficient to divide members into two sections: those definitely pledged to vote against the Government and those not so pledged. By adopting this plan Vc give the Government the benefit of the Independent votes and one Labour vote. There is one at, least of these votes which in all probability will not go to the Government. Tlie list however, of pledged and unpledged members reads as follows:

! Pledged to Vote Against the Not so Pledged, Government. MINISTERIALISTS. Reform Party. Allen, .1. 111-own Anderson Buddo Hell ' ' Huston Bo lard, J. Carroll Bollard, 1!, F. Clark Bradney Colvin Huick — Craigie liuchanan • Davev Campbell Dickie . Dickson eh Escott Forbes tislier Glover Fraser, W. Guinness Guthrie Ifanan Harris Laurenson Hordnian ■ M'Callum Hemes Macdonald {line M'Kenzie, R Hunter Mackenzie, T. ■ Lang Millar Lee Myers Malcolm Volaud Mander Tfced • Massey Russell Newman, Dr. A. K. Soddon Newman, E. ' fjjidcy Nosworthy Smith, R. W. Okcy Thomson, J. C. l'oarce . Ward Rhodes Wilford Sett 'Witty KWl!am- H - . Native Members. S.vkes ty at \- Thomson, G. M. Jangihiroa Wilson rnrata Young Labour Members. Native Members. Hindmarsh I'omaro INDEPENDENT. Labour Members. Khodes Robertson \°!\ l , e * Veitch Jsltt Payne Independent. At more Total, 42, Total, 38. This loaves the Government in a minority of four on a no-confidence motion. It will bo noted that Dr. Pomare is. included as one of those who will vote against the Government on a no-confidence motion, and also Mr. .Atmoiib. Regarding the former we arc in a position to state that ho will he found mi the side of the Reform party on all vital issues. As to Mr. Atmore, he is definitely pledged to vote against, the Government on certain definite issues. Moreover, no one. reading his letter, published in yesterday's issue, can doubt, that a member holding such xiews must, inevitably find himself in antagonism to (he Warp Adniinir;. (.ration on all tho really important

questions of the moment. On the other hand wc have included Mn. H'ixdmahsh, Labour candidate, as a possible supporter of the AYaud Administration. Mn. HiNDinnsH was very careful not to commit, himself to any promise to support the Government, and so far as wo can learn lie will vote with the other Labour members against the Government. This would place the Government in a minority of six, which, in the absence of Mn. YViLFonD, and the probable re-election of Sin A. Guinness to the Speakership, would be further increased to eight. But giving the Government, every doubtful vote it would, as shown, still be in a minority, and it is because he knows this that the PniiiE Minister is so anxious to avoid the proper course of meeting Parliament. He knows, moreover, that in the event of his defeat certain members on his own side of the House would bo relieved of their promises to vote for him on a no-confidence motion and that with their assistance Mr. Massey would be in a very strong position and quite able to carry on the government of the' country. Sin Joseph Ward may' delude- himself that he can carry on indefinitely the pretence that his Government has not been beaten at the polls; but he is as little likely to be able to convince his Excellency the Governor of this without testing the matter in Parliament as he is to > persuade the public who inflicted the blow. At the proper time—and unless we are greatly mistaken that will be within the next few days—the Prime Minister will be forced to do what it would have been much more to the credit of his Government to have done immediately the results of the second ballots were made known. And that will mean the ignoble end of one of the most incompetent, selfish, and corrupt Administrations New Zealand has ever had the misfortune to be burdened with.