THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1392, 19 March 1912, Page 6

THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM. Sir 'Joseph , Ward has not yet consented to mnko any public statement tending to throw 'light- on tho 'hopes and fears of the "Liberal" party, and tho indications are. that no ono elso is ablo to. Tho olio thins that seems clear enough is that tho units of .tho Forty will approach tho tusk of selecting a, .new lender with tlio absolute openness of mind that conies of indecision. It is considered Quito .probable that tho "Liberal" caucus may riiljoimi on Thursday night without having completed its task, and -sit on tho day tir days following. Some people believe that Mr. Wilford's announcement, from London, that ho will Hot. again contest the city Mayoralty is based upon nn expectation on his part that ho will be appointed AttorneyJjciicral and Leader of tho Upper House. The members of thu Reform party are taking things quietly just now, lint it flops'not follow that they aro minded to lieglect thoir'opportunities. Some, of them lire already talking of a platform enm]>aign in the. near future, but thi~ can coino only when tho "Liberal" party lias mice morn entered the lists. At present tho "Liberal" party is in a condition comparable to that of a crab which has oast one shell and gone into close retreat to grow another. The present leaders of the party, by virtue of the Prime.Minister's promise to resign, are to an:extent immune from attack, but ci'lsuch considerations will vanish into thin air when the reconstructed Cabinet has put in an appearance. The political , 'hurly-burly will then begin again in grim earnest.- ■

"A LEGACY OF TUKNED SODS." The "Danncvii'ke News" takes tha Government severely to task for committing the country to (he edit, of preparing a site for the iiew Parliament Buildings when' its own existence as ;i Government is at stake. Mr. jU'Kenzie, the "News" remarks, has disregarded public opinion in authorising the closing of portions of Wellington 'street? and other connected works. "Why." it continues, "is this discredited Government committing tho country to (his large expenditure on public works nt tho present inopportune tune? There an; only two reasons. The AVarulst party either fears another election, and wishes to keep the constituencies-sweet, or it has aii ulterior desire t<; bequeath a large legacy of turned sods to the Reform party should it come into power. The extravagant use of public money to satisfy the political needs of the hour has been a blighting feature of the so-called Liberalism of il\» past five years, but (he practice has awakened the country to the national need of Reform. The Opposition is av present in splendid fighting trim, but it will need all the power of its talented ranks during tho critical times ahead to guard-the best interests of the. country. Willi a distracted Government in office lavishly pledging tho country to the expenditure of borrowed money in the. face of open threats of an industrial upheaval of national proportions there was never greater need for Reform organisation." A PLEA THiT CONDEMNS.

The "Rangitikei Advocate" remarks thnt in attempting to excuse Hie reckless"ijiul extravagant borrowing of the past few years Sir Joseph Ward puts forward a plea to the effect that members of thu Opposition practically support tlie pn>- . posals. "But," continues the "Advocate," "this plea is itself a strong condemnation of the policy, and of the de--moralisation of the electors by the scat-ter-cash policy, and the debauching of tho ■•' constituencies. Under the conditions , which have been created by the system, members of Parliament, who were "opposed to borrowing, on general principles, were compelled to- approve of proposals which included some apparent benefit to their districts, otherwise they would havo no chance of re-election. So long as the qualification? of members of Parliament i'-.'aro measured by their ability to "get ■ KometUing for the district," members can-, not afford to oppose , borrowing when the include something for the tlis'r.ii'i'ct, arid'lhis is where'the danger to the State comes in. That such a state of , nfiairs has been reached is deplorable.and discreditable." : '■':•" -

STAGE-MANAGEMENT. '. . The newspapers just now (observes tho 'Wairarapa Daily Times") are being bombarded with long-winded resolutions, which come from every, port of the country, and which purport to be spontaneous testimony to the popularity of S.ir Joseph Ward and regret at the prospect of his retiring from the leadership of the Liberal party. Wo would respectfully suggest to Ihe gentlemen who are responsible for these emotional resolutions that, by overdoing it, they are in danger of defeating their own ends. Wo may bo mistaken, "but it certainly appears as if the Liberal organisation has been' stirred up to make these demonstrations with tho idea of .showing that the whole country will lament if Uie pilot is put overboard in the manner suggested. There is n strange similarity about these resolutions, and something more tha.i a coincidence- in the fact th.it they, havo come upon us all t<gother. Tt is impossible to beliovo that the country which only three months ago manifested n. spirit of intense hostility towards Sir Joseph Ward should now be mourning because he is to retire from leadership. Certainly, there has been nothing to cause any pronounced change in public opinion. If Sir Joseph was unpopular four months ago, be ought to be unpopular now. Ho has done nothing in the meantime to win>pnblic confidence. He is the same Sir Joseph Ward, who is, perhaps, sometimes painted as a rather worse bogey than the circumstances demand. If, as is shrewdly suspected, the present fusillade of resolutions has been mranged so that' an argument may bo provided in favour of Sir Joseph retaining tho Premiership, . the public will quickly, appraise such tactics at their true value, and its verdict will not materially nssist tho Liberals, in their efforts to cling to office.

"LIBERAL" RESOLUTIONS.

My Te]o£]*3p]i.— l'rc* AP!iorln.tlan.) Auckland, March 18.. At. a meeting of the Waiuku Liberals, ;he following resolution was carried unanimouslyi—"That this meeting convey to-Sir Joseph AVartl its* appreciation' of his ability, and continued faith in him as Prime Minister, and would earn-p.-tly ask him, in the. interests of the people of New Zealand, to reconsider his decision to vacate the position ho has so. ably filled." ' HAWERA LIBERALS." Hiiwera, March 16. At a representative gathering hold hero an Saturday afternoon, the following resolution iw\s unanimously carried -.—"That this meeting of Liberals of Ile.wora and Mil-rounding districts regrets the temporary retirement uf Sir Joseph Ward from "the Liberal leadership, and trusts that he will consider (he necessity of again Bs3iiniins tho leadership at an early date."