LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1441, 16 May 1912, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE PRICE OF VEGETABLES. Sir,—Mr. Tregenr made a statement to the doctors of Kilbirnio about a grower of Lower llistt having produced account Kilos, less commission, of Gd. a sack for cauliflowers. I wish I knew the grower, because cauliflowers for thu Inst fortnight have been selling at: Ruhliish (is., good 10s. to llis. per sack. Xo doubt, tho cauliflowers the so-called groiver tent to the market were like .some 1 have had the misfortune to buy—two good ones on tlmtop, tho rot rubbish. If Jlr. Trcgear, before making such statements, inquired from retail greengrocers, no doubt ho would learn the truth.—l am, etc., C. K. LEWIS. THE CONTROL OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Sir,—llw "Otago Daily Times" of this morning contains the information from Auckland that the Hon. J. A. Millar has expresswl the opinion that "the defeat of tho Mackenzie Ministry during the next session of Parliament is certain"; also that "there is no chance of dissolution during the present Parliament." Many will no doubt be asking what Mr. Millar's intentions are, and 1 think that, vakiii*; into consideration each item of the "play" during tho last fow months, it may bo possible to see a little further ahead in to what may some day, by means of tho pen of some able journalist, form a very intcresling , story on the "Romance of Politics in New Zealand." What, then, is it possible to find? Some sis. months ngo wo had the general election for members of Parliament. Two or throe months later Parliament met, with Sir Joseph Ward as Prime Minister. Almost immediately after meeting, Mr. Massey, as Lender of the Opposition, moved u vote of no-confidencc. A lot of valuable time wns wasted in the discussion that followed, as n result of which, however. Sir Joseph Ward, by the assistance of the Labour members and by tho casting-vote of the Speaker, managed to retain his position. There seemed, however, to bo a feeling against Sir Joseph retaining the leadership, and it wns decided that he should resign, and a new Ministry, under a new leader, be formed. Now wo come to the more interesting part. Bet'oro the election the Labourites throughout New Zealand did all they could to "cry down" Sir Joseph Ward and his Administration, but by what may be called diplomacy, when it came to the division before referred to, Sir Joseph Wnrd had won over the supposed-to-be Jirect representatives of the Labourite!).' When it camo to the selection of a new leader it was found that Sir Joseph Ward had sufficient influence over these members .to prevent his first lieutenant, Mr. Millar, from getting the position to which he aspired, and to which he- was entitled nnder the circumstances. Tho Labourites considered they held the "key" to tho position, and Mr. Thos. Mnckenzio was selected as leader, he being now the only member of the present Ministry that was a member of the Ward Ministry, all the others being "turned down." Probably rcalisins that Mr. Millar was too otreng a politician to play with, more especially should he becomes an oppou. ent, we are told they tried to get rid of him by offering him the High Commissionorship, with the salary of ,£2OOO per yenr. Mr. Millar, hnwerci, «aw some, thing more interesting, and all the satisfaction they could get from him nt that time was that he intended to consult his constituents. A couple of weeks or so ago hn visited Duni-din, and consulted his committers. They nerc-ed to give him a "free hand." he thanking them, and tolling them thnt he would not depart from past principles, also leading reporters to understand that they would have plenty of "copy" as to his position in o few weeks. We now have the first of this, and making what deductions y.o can, it is poR--ib!o to find in Hie immediate future tli!> following, viz.: When Parliament jnQois, and tho vote on the no-confidence motion is token, the Mackenzie Government will fimi iNelf defeated by n substantial majority through the loss of the support nf Mr. Millar and his staunch following. Wo will not. lioweyer, find Mr. Millar on Mr. Massey's side, but ho and his followers, taking up an absolutely independent position, and not votins* at all on the no-confidfiiicn motion. Mr. Massey.would tbroi be called for, and allowed to form a Ministry, and would bo allowed by the Millnrites to remain in nov.-pr. but ravlly under the control of Mr. Millar. It will thus be seen til-it if Mr. Millnr wore to take un this nosition he would hold the "true" kev (.o the situ'iiion, and although not meantime Primp Minister, he would he able to control the w'lole work of Pnriinmcnt in n wav that he could not do, in the present sl-ifa of parties, even if lie wow Prime Minister. Then by tho time another trenral election came round, lie could probably have gathered round him a sufficient following to be independent nltntreflier of Sir Joseph Ward, ; the Hon. Tlios. Mackenzie, the present Labour members, and all those who havo so recently turned him down , .—l am, etc., ■ G. S: THOMSON. Duncdin, May 11, 1912.