The Dominion. TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1912. THE PRIME MINISTER'S DECISION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1332, 9 January 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1912. THE PRIME MINISTER'S DECISION.

The statement issued yesterday by the Prime Minister intimating his intention to ask his Excellency the Governor to summon Parliament to meet on February 15 affords tho very best possible evidence of tho utter hopelessness of the Government's position. Tho best that even the optimistic head of tho Ward Administration could say of the prospects ahead is: "I have had assurances that on a want-of-confidence motion I should have a small majority. ,, AVhose assurances'L.'And then we arc told that he has been urged to defer calling Parliament together until the ordinary time or until after the close of the financial year. Again,'it would be interesting to learn who these people arc who have urged the Priiie Minister to defy public opinion and flout the decision of the electors at the polls. Apparently he desires the public to picture him nobly resisting a tremendous pressure of argument and persuasion, and eventually triumphing in his determination that "Parliament alone should deal with such a Bituation." We find it a lifctl difficult to fit in the facts with this heroic role. From the day on which tho second ballots were' made known practically the whole press of the country, Ministerial and otherwise, .urged that the_ only courses open to the Ward Administration were either to resign or to summon an early session of Parliament to test the position of the Government. Even some of the Ministerialists them-, selves admitted this. And Sir Joseph Ward would now seek to persuade the public that the assurances to tb contrary effect which he had received from some unnamed persons required a full three weeks' consideration ere he rejected them. We have not the I least doubt that the people of New Zealand will have their own opinion as to what has been going on (hiring the past threo tyeeks, and the reasons which have actuated the Government in attempting to stave off the evil day when they must face the vote of Parliament. Before proceeding to discuss the political situation as it now stands, there is one other delightful gem in Sir Joseph Ward's "carefully prepared" statement which calls for reference. The Prime Minister, it will bo seen, solemnly assures the people of New Zealand that "in my opinion it is essential for the good and sound government of any country that the, party _ in power should have a majority supportiiiff it." This pearl of wisdom wo must assume is the product of 20 odd years of Liberalism. It has' fallen to the lot of Sir Joseph Ward to make the momentous discovery that where party government exists the party in power should have a majority. Believing perhaps that some of his own party may not agree with the remark that it is merely his careful to preface his announcement with the remark that it is merely his own opinion, that ho is putting forward. Could anything better illustrate tho desperate position of the Ministry than the necessity for resort tosuch rubbishy banalities'! Coming now to the altered situation which must result from the decision to summon Parliament to meet on February 15, it should bo noted that Sir Joseph Wα ud puts this as the earliest practicable date for the assembling of members. This of course is absurd. Parliament could be summoned to meet without any inconvenience by tho end of the present month. Members should, as a matter of fact, have boon called together much earlier. They have been fully alive to the possibility of an early summons ever since the'second ballots, nnd could attend at the I shortest notice permissible. Sir Joseph AVaijd, in fixiug the date of meeting so far ahead, no doubt has some purpose to serve. It may be i that he is merely endeavouring to put off as long as possible the day which will see tha casting of Urn Ward Administration from oflice; ■ or it is possible that them is some deeper motive behind it. But, whatever his object-may In? it is a grossly improper thing that Ibis Furfln-r i\:;lay should havo taken place It must be, borne in mind that ih-j Prime Minister now admits tli.it he bar, not got a majority, and if he has I not got a majority he, on bis own

showing, has no right to retain office, lu his published statement he savs:

.... In my opinion it is essential for tho good ami sound government of uuy country that the party in power should h.ivo a majority supporting it, anil while NKITIJKK of 'the principal • parties can directly, as tho result of the elections, claim that they have this, I fed that the course I have intimated is not only the constitutional one, but in tins btst interests of tho people as a whole.

In this statement a direct admission h made that tbe Government has not ' a majority, and if Ministers were honestly desirous of consulting the public interest and placed the "interests of the people as a whole" above their own and their party's interest, they would have resigned or called Parliament together immediately. But the Ward Administration appears determined to die as it has lived, greedily grasping at office until the last, and hoping against hope that by some trickery it may defeat the verdict of the people at the polls. While-the Government has done a wrong thing in not summoning Parliament to meet at an earlier date than that now fixed, there is some satisfaction to be derived from the fact that Sib Joseph Ward has at. last been forced to make a definite pronouncement on the situation. He admits that the Government does not possess a majority, and he claims that his opponents are in a similar position. Beading his statement, those of the public who do not understand his methods might be led to the conclusion that all that he now desires is that Parliament should meet and a straight-out vote be taken Jo decide the fate of the Government. If Mr. Massey or anybody else thinks that this is the plan of campaign to be adopted by the Government, they will probably by disillusioned ere Parliament meets. Sie Joseph Ward knows quite well that if the question goes to a vote the Government will be defeated. He knows—his party have known all along—that there are a sufficient number of members elected pledged to vote against the Government to ensure the defeat of the Government by a fairly large margin. And in face of this the only hone of the Government is trickery. What will probably happen will be that on the eve of the assembling of Parliament the Government will suddenly discover that it cannot command a majority in Parliament, and tender its resignation. The object of this would bo to force Mr. Massey to meet Parliament a? Prime Minister, and unless ho were prepared for such a contingency it might place him in a very awkward position. Tho Ward party, no doubt,'hope that the Labour members who are pledged to vote against them will not vote for Mr,. Massey when that gentleman 'gets into office, and that out of the . tnr-> moil which they expect to follow they may again wriggle back to the Treasury benches. We venture to predict that those Ministerialists who are building hopes on the Waiid Administration retaining ofiice by any means at all arc doomed to disappointment. Sir Joseph Ward, whether he resigns voluntarily or is ejected by the votes of members, has had his day. Mr. Massey up to the present has kept silent, and probably will continue to do so until Parliament meets or Sm Joseph Ward resigns. Then_ he may be expected to make a definite pronouncement as to the immediate intentions and future programme of the Reform party. Then members and the country will see how i far tho party has been maligned by its 'opponents and be afforded practical proofs that- the real progressives are those who have been fighting the battle , for Reform. And then_ tho. Ward faction will crumblo to pieces, as it would have done long ore this but for the bolstering up which it has received on the strength of the early achievements of the party,, and the gross misrepresentation which.it has indulged in of the aims and intentions of those arraved against it.