The Dominion. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1913. THE FAILURE OF SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1931, 13 December 1913, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1913. THE FAILURE OF SIR JOSEPH WARD.

, It is to'bo feared that, the strain o£ the'session's work, or:.possibly it may be the long hours spent by the Opposition in stone-walling the proposals of the Government, have had a prejudicial effect on the nerves and temper of the Leader- of tlic Opposition.:}, In the House yesterday alternoon'he gave .rein to his feelings in a manner reminiscent of those un-happy-outbreaks of-his of some two years ago, when, smarting under the sense of impending defeat, he raved and stormed and abused .until, even his staunchest supporters were forced to . admit.': the:-; /oily . of his con.duct, ■■■ 11. .v/a:, -..an itncclifviiitt exhibition "'yesterday''-.of bitterness and '■ spleen, *?;■and;'.,impotcnce, . .the bottbd-up . essence'"of 1 a' session of ■failures and blunders finding vent'in a wild outburst of envenomed denun; ciation. directed .against, those who had exposed his shortcomings and "censured :. his failure':, to -. rise to. .the'responsibilities of his office. It is wholly . regrettable".that such an unfortunate incident should have disfigured the closing hours.fof the session ; but it. is still more reprehen- , si bio "that S i if' Joseph , Ward ' sliou I d once?.more,'"at a critical stage of the existing f- : - industrial .. . crisis, have adopted an attitude, which is liable to be.taken by the : -'strikers''as favourable to their proposals', and by so ■'dmiii< encouraged, them to prolong a costly• and .useless.struggle. It is of no use-Sir Joseph -'Ward protesting ■bis desire to end the-struggle, when in- practically; I lie.,, same .broalh Ik: lays himself, out one of the most bitter,and unjustifiable a (tacks ever' given-.utterance' to in the House of .rte'presentatives;; on those , in an-! thorily who have? been striving so earnestly so' ably to ""convince the: strikers' 'of \the'■ folly "iof .their ;-ways, and. to protect the ■ community against: t-he, enormousloss it ; must have suffered, lwl the< Federation of rLaiiOuriV.succeodoci in .itstf'nttempt fo : block our" ports ami . jnralyre the trade of -the country. '. Since his-iiiit : I

iiil" :igc^}^q[-;- • tim. strike' ti'oiibl€s,?<\vlicii.< lio'/soliin-j ..lusUy'and.so-imp'ruiK'rlji; iii'ttoinptcd,>A° throw.discredit on-the spccialjcon*;; .sta.iJos who, under most trying- cii;- : cumstanoes, had ' behaved i so,"adhnr-' .'jtbly-iu Post Office Snuare,' ho has ■ by hss incliscrect utterances, con-' stmtly assisted to prejudice the posi-. j tion from the point of view of the • general public. It may bo that his ! Jiicknient is so warped by his sense : .of failure since he again assumed the ' lljositsonj of party leader that he : :i! oc . s . not quite realise how misehiev- ■ otts.and harmful ins utterances have ;wen;-bnt it is very remarkable that ion -practically every occasion they •'s.TO.ltl...ha\'c.;.been: so'.'singularly- ili-it-imcd.'vpfsp..- '■'.■■ '.:■ ;s;'lt to follow Sir . "Asn'H. \\ Ai;t> ! hvougi'. the strangely tortuous, reasoninfr by' 1 means of Which', he'* sought' to show'that tho ;!n vc . ninlc . nS ' lac ' failed to copc with - thtt situaiioru Tho Minister .of Jusi.tica-. .dealt with that phase of the s« lucidly and so forcibly that it would be superfluous to devote any . inrtne.i' attention to the vague and I® '' UK ' inaccurate diatribes .of Sir, Joseph Ward. Nor is-it necessary to do more than direct- attention to the almost childish ;■ boasts . and bombast of the member for ■Awarua. To those "who'havo'.fol-' lowed the course of events in recent years under Wardism, the spectacle conjured up by Sir Joseph Ward's heroic presentation of himself in the role of the big, bold, central- figure striding masterfully into tho lions' den of strikers and bringing them cringing to his feet must appear as an excellent .jest. Aa Mr. Herdmax 80 justly pointed out, it was the weakness of Sin Joseph Ward and his friends as much as anything else —their constant dread of running counter to the militant section of Labour-Socialism—that has encouraged and assisted the lawless spirits of the Bed Federation in spreading! their evil teachings of intimidation and terrorism. It is most unfortunate, too, for himself, that the Leader of. the Opposition should have directed attention to his interference in the Wellington Tramways strike. The citizens of Wellington have had to pay dearly for that mischievous, uncalled-for, and undignified meddling on his part. We would commend to Sir Joseph ■.Ward's attention, and indeed to the attention of the whole of the Opposition party, the speech delivered in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mn. : J. A. Millar. ■ There arc few- men in New Zealand who have been more intimately associated with tho Labour movement than Mr. Miliar. Unlike Sir Joseph Ward, he understands tho working man and his aspirations', and he has the courage to frankly tell him when he is being led astray. In the speech referred to Mr. Millar discussed the strike situation as h-a sees it. His candid and open recognition of the difficulties with which Ministers have had to contend, his'obviously sincere and disinterested advice to tho Labour unionists generally, and his warm and generous approval of tho Government's efforts, are in striking contrast, to the wild and unsupported accusations, and the vague and almost incoherent declamation of Sir Josbpii Ward. _Mr. Millar's attitude is that of the man who realises the obligation resting on him at a critical juncture to rise superior to party influences, and who strives by honest- recognition of facts and by wise counsel to assist to relieve a situation- which is injurious to all classes. Sir Joseph Ward is the party politician first and always: striving to cover his own discomfiture, and at the same time add to tho embarrassment of, his opponents, blind to tho injury he may do the community. It is a strange thing that the Leader of the Opposition cannot, sec that even on the lowest ground, that of his own party interests, it would bo to his advantage to !-avoid any step likely to give encouragement to the strikers, who are ;J----ready beaten, to hold out longer. His failure as a party leader has: by his conduct during the present industrial crisis, been impressed on the public in a manner which can leave | no possible room for future doubt.