The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1912. A TEMPORARY REPRIEVE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1375, 28 February 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1912. A TEMPORARY REPRIEVE.

The Ward Government received a temporary respite last evening by means of the dishonoured votes of members elected pledged to turn it out of office. Tho country has witnessed the spectacle of a Ministry condemned at the polls clinging to office in defiance of public opinion; sacrificing dignity and self-respect in a pitiful endeavour to escape defeat; and finally winning a temporary success by means of the votes" of members false to their constituents and false to their election pledges. The degradation of the politics of the Dominion .under the Ward rer/ime is thus fully and fittingly consummated. Those members who have broken their' pledges to their constituents may well be left to the electors to deal with. If Me. Robertson thinks that anyone is likely to swallow the flimsy pretext he puts forward as a reason for his vote to retain in office an Administration he had condemned and promised to vote against, he greatly under-esti-mates the intelligence of the public. There is not the least reason for him to fear that resort will be made to innuendo and slander to attack him for his betrayal of those who voted for him in the belief that he would keep his word to oust the Ward Government. The facts, even as admitted by himself, are quite sufficient to damn him politically and to injure beyond his power to repair the causo which ho professes to have at heart. The public docs not take kindly to such hair-splitting aB Mr. Robertson indulged in in his endeavour to excuse his breach of faith; but prefers—if preference can be given to acts so opposed to political morality—the brazen effrontery behind the course pursued by his Labour colleague, tho member for Grey Lynn. But the public, we suspect, having seen those members in their true colourSj will be more interested in the possibilities of the situation as it now exists than in what has gone before. The Ward Government lias won a temporary advantage by dubious methods; but there cannot be tho slightest doubt that, in the eves of the country, it is held in greater distrust than ever before; It ig of course quite impossible for the Government to hope to carry on with I lie narrow majority disclosed by lust night's division, and it is equally plain that that majority, Hina.ll as it is, is dependent (in fjiitl Josbi'H Ward's promise to resign Hie leadership of the parly. Promises and pledges we are aware are at a discount just uow in political circles, and it is nn unfortunate fart, that very, fow jjeopls really attach any

'! value to the Prime Minister's professed intention to retire. But if Sin Joseph Ward does not retire, what then ? What will Mr. Roisertson do'! What will the other members of the party who regard the Prime Minister as the real cause of the downfall of the Government at the polls do? Politics in New Zealand have sunk so low that we can almost believe that the undertaking given by the Prime Minister of the country will be treated in the same manner as were the pledges of Messrs. Payne and Robertson. And if Sir Joseph Ward persists in clinging to office? So far as his party is concerned we have little doubt that they will tamely submit to_ his domination as they liavc submitted in the past, and 'the Labour members will then be properly fooled as some of them well deserve to be. Mr. Massey, however, still holds the key of the situation. Even if the Government are given the full strength of the Labour vote the Reform party is strong enough to force a dissolution at an early date. The Government cannot hope to carry on the business of Parliament on the narrow majority it possesses and the inevitable reconstruction of the Ministry is almost certain to further weaken the party. Moreover, the fact cannot be ignored that the Government does not really possess the confidence of the country—that but for the fact that certain members broke their pledges to their constituents the Ward Government would now have been defeated. Whatever may be said concerning the Reform party it cannot bo questioned that the country unmistakably decided against the Ward Administration at the recent polls. In these circumstances, however regrettable it may the proper course for'the Opposition is to force a dissolution. The alliance made which has temporarily permitted a continuance of Wardism is one which sets at defiance the verdict of the country. It reflects discredit both on those who have broken their pledges to their constituents and on those who have profited thereby. That last night's vote will prove dearly bought for the Government party, we have not the slightest doubt. If, as promised, Sir Joseph Ward retires from the leadership of the party it will quickly find itself in trouble. Should he be persuaded to continue in office and thus break his undertaking, the trouble will come still more speedily. The struggle has really only commenced, and no one knows this better than the Prime Minister who has scored the first trick at so heavy a cost to his party and to the country.