The Dominion. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1912, AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1376, 29 February 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1912, AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION.

' The situation which has developed in the politics of tho country as tlw result of the no-confidence division on Tuesday evening is unprecedented and , cannot continue. It would be, of course, quite absurd to expect the business of Parliament to be carried on satisfactorily with parties so evenly divided; but the position is aggravated in the present instance by the circumstances under which the party in office continues its hold on the Treasury benches. To begin with the Ward Government holds office by a single vote; it only secured that majority because Sir Joseph Ward promised to resign the leadership of the party; and furthermore, it would not have succeeded in escaping defeat at all had not certain members broken their pledges to their constituents and by so doing flouted, the will of the people as expressed at the polls. That, briefly, is the position. Tho next step isi the fulfilment by Sir Joseph Ward of his promise to resign. It has been suggested that the Prime Minister does not intend to carry out this undertaking just yet, but that he will retain the office until Parliament disbands and members return to their homes. It is quite possible that Sin Joseph Ward has something of the kind in view; but there are very excellent reasons why this course should be vigorously resisted by every constitutional means available. The resignation of the Priue Minister, it must not bo forgotten, means the resignation of the whole Cabinet and the formation of a new Ministry. The formation of a new Ministry means that the control of the affairs of the country will pass into the hands of a new set of men about whom neither Parliament nor the country has had an opportunity of forming a judgment or expressing an opinion. In other words, the new Government may be such as to possess even less chance than the Ward Administration of securing the confidence of Parliament or the people.

It must be plain that in such circumstances it is desirable that Parliament should know before it disbands who its new leader is to be and who he has chosen as his colleagues. Otherwise a situation will be created in which the control of the affairs of the country will be handed over to the sweet will of a sot of men, chosen by one man, without consulting Parliament and against whom no effective protest will In; possible for something like four months. It is difficult to find any pood reason why there should be any delay on the part of Sir Joseph Wα m> in carrying out his promise to resign. He knew, ho has known for weeks past, that his party was in n minority in Parliament and that nothing hut a breach of faith on the part of cerLain members could save him from defeat. It was under stress of these circumstances that he offered to resign the leadership provided lie could escape the sLing of defeat. Realising tin , position, he must have long ere this madv bis arrangements to go out- of oflice. Had thf iio-eoii-lidenee motion been carried this would have been imperative yesterday. 1L can occasion no greater incouvenience, therefore, (o resign at. once than it would have occasioned bud In , been forced lo:ei)d in his resignation by the vote, of Parliament. The new Ministry, would then bo

formal and Pnrliamcnt would know all about it before dispersing. We df. not propose i<. disouwt the ]MK . sibihties contained iii fhu formation of a new Ministry out of the remnants of tliß Liberal party. T<j us it appears r|«ibp. dear that'it is well'nigli hopeless for the pnrtv to expect to form, a Minis-try that will command a working majority in Parliament or win Lin- confidence, of the cfjtintry. Hut lie that as it may 111 the circumstances which at pn>Mnt exist in the politics of the country it would he a wrong thing f ()1 - Parliament tit adjourn without, first insisting ou a cleur and definite announcement from the Pimme Mixisteii as hi his intentions. Then mi'iiibers will be able to decide whether or not the course proposed is one which meets with their approval. No one wishes to hurry Sin Joseph Ward unduly, but where the personal convenience of the individual conflicts with the public interest the public interest must be given first consideration.