THE POLITICAL CRISIS

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1367, 19 February 1912, Page 6

THE POLITICAL CRISIS

WHAT MEMBERS THINK OP THE SPEECH.

THE COMING DEBATE,

.DESPERATE EFFORTS TO AVERT DEFEAT. ,:The Speech from the Throne is wondered at and lnughedat in the lobbies, but it is clear that it will-not help tho Government to avert defeat. The Opposition regard it as absurd, and they will ignore it or ridicule it. Members liko Mr. Ell, Mr. Lnurenson and Mr. Myers praise- it mth every appearance of seriousness, but an important section of the party finds it very distasteful. It is being used by Government heelers as an argument to persuade members opposed to the Government to modify their attitude. A canvass with this object was begun immediately after the Speech was delivered, but, as already indicated, it does not seem at all likely that it will be allowed tojcloud tho issues which combine to form the present political crisis.

.;One Opposition member, in a reference to "\ tho Speech, remarked that while it -.■ontainod an immense amount of debatcublo matter, he did not think it would figure to auy great extent in the no-con- ■ JUlence debate which is about to commence. "Wo did not go to tho country and fight the elections upon these pro- • jK&als," ho said, "and I don't see why we tliould[• discuss them now." Agood many mjipibers take a similar view, and it may be • ventured that, iu its capacity as a red herring, tho Speech will prove a signal failure. THAT CAUCUS. Sir Joseph Ward has contradicted the ■statement published in Tue DoutNiox that he did not take his followers into his confidence at the caucus which was held last Wednesday. He states that the policy enunciated in the Speech from the 'Throne -was'-"fully, considered" on that occasion. Information from other sources gees to show that the mountain, of promises .of which tho Speech is composed was at any rate exhibited to the' meeting, and received the formal approval of a majority of the'party as there assembled. The'..''information previously published came from n usually well-in-formed source. It is, however," perfectly certain that a--.number of members on that.sido of. the-House, are disgusted with the manifesto put info the month of .the CoTernor s 'Oji'thjs'-occiisipn7 'They feel that they have;;been "placed;in:it. humiliating and Jliidicrous ■rio'sirioni'.: through' being drawn:.-by. 'pa'rty.\ties •to. -associate themselves -with." s'itcli."au,'extraordinary piece nf tac^ef:'-It is.-stated'that all the members, ol'-.tho. party-were.:, present at the raucms except if r. T,i II':, Clark (Chalmers) ,ind ;Mr, Forbes(Hurunui). ! TEMPTATIONS. Oii' several occasions .'mention has been made of the' fact that desperate; efforts are licing made to persuade certain members to break, their election pledges. It is just as well that the public should know what is going on behind the scenes. No fewer than five members elected to support Sir. Mnssey have been offered inducements to vote for. the Government or not to voto sit all fn the no-coniidencc amendment, LENGTH OF THE SESSION, Some members now think the session may last three' or four weeks longer. The no-confidence debate, which begins to-morrow afternoon, will be followed, they.say, by another, in which the nc.w Reform Government will bi> the .object of attack, and this, may be protracted and bitter—but of course nobody knows vet how much ; fight will be left in the "Liberals" after the defeat which.-is now regarded 'as..their .inevitable fate. ;; WEST COAST LEASES. As [was reported on Saturday Mr. Okey, member for Taranaki, is moving on behalf of a number of West Coast settlement, reserve lessees who desire to have tho iCoiiditioiis" under which their leases are held, amended. Tho tenants in question; took np iircas of Native land iu Taranaki under an Act. of 1882, which Fixed the term of the leases at thirty years and gave no right of renewal. In 1892'"an. Act was passed under which land, similarly placed was leased on a thirty years' tenancy, with perpetual right of renewal. The later Act gave tenants under the Act of 1882 tho right to come within the scope of tho provisions relating to renewal, provided they made application within twelve months from the date at which the Act of 1892 was passed. Many nf the 1882 tenants failed to make application, because, it is stated, they did not understand the amended conditions. Their leases are now about to expire and they desire to bo placed on .the same footing as other tenants in regard to renewal. Sir Jas. Carroll promised last year to set-up a commis-, mon to inquire into tho matter and Mr. Okey is pressing for an immediate fulfilment of the promise. The number of tenants on the West Coast settlement reserve lands under the Act of 1882 is about 1.12 and they hold in the aggregate some 18,000.acres. A much larger area of the reserve lands is leased subject to a. perpetual right of renewal.