The Dominion. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12. 1914. WHO IS TO BLAME?

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2305, 12 November 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12. 1914. WHO IS TO BLAME?

Appearances point to serious disquiet in the ranks'of Wardism. The little trouble in Wellington North has not quite worked _ out as was planned. When the Eight Honourable and Titled Leader of Wardism proclaimed to the world that Mr. W. H. Turnbull was tho. one and only candidate to bear the official brand in the Wellington North electorate, it was fully expected by all .the loyal and faithful that Mr. Holland, the Social-Democrat candidate, would remove his unwelcome presence from the field of competition. Mr. Holland we know has declined to do anything of the kind, and it is to be feared that his obdurate attitude is responsible for the fact that Sir Joseph Ward has discovered it advisable to make a somewhat hurried return to Wellington to smooth over the difficulty. Unhappily the only way out of the trouble appears to bo for Sir Joseph to make up his mind, with as good grace as possible, to persuade his own candidate to stand down and leave the field clear for Mr. Holland. Of course it is easy to understand that this would be a most distasteful thing for the Leader of. Wardism to do. To submit to the dictation of the Social Democrats in this public fashion would be most unpleasant, not to say undignified. But on the other hand the Social Democrats have on this occasion been both obliging and modest. Mr. Holland was good enough to remove from the 'Central to the North seat in order to assist the cause of Wardism; and he was first out for the North seat when it seemed hopeless to get a candidate to run against Mr. Herdilan. then should ho and his fellow Social Democrats submit to being sacrificed to the pleasure of the titled gentleman and his nominee 1 But it is not only in Wellington North that this trouble has arisen. In tho Suburbs contest the Labour-Socialist candidate, Mr. F. T. Moore, who got into the second ballot at the last General Election, is having pressure brought to bear on him. A Wardist candidate in the person of Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald has come into the contest and Mr. Moore is expected to give way. Mr. Moore apparently sees as little reason as Mr. Holland to give way to the demands of Wardism. It is a little curious but -with the exception of Mr. Payne the Labour-Socialist members of the House appear to have been able to keep Wardist candidates out of their constituencies even if they cannot keep them out of those, of their brother Labour-Social-ists. Mu. P. 0. Webb] lor instance docs not find a Wardist oandidate threatening to jump his scat; nor does Mr. Veitch at Wanganui; nor Mr. M'Combs at Lyttclton; nor Mr. Hindmarsh at _ Wellington South. All these candidates happen to be sitting members, and presumably in consequence have more influence with tho powers that be than their less fortunate co-workers. We had almost overlooked tho member for Otaki, Mr. Robertson. In his case apparently, as in tho case of Mr. Payne, both the Wardist and the Labour-Socialists probably regard tho result as a foregone conclusion as far as the sitting members are concerned: that is to say their peets of success are too remote to call for serious consideration. The moral to be drawn from the unhappy position which has arisen is that Sir Joseph Ward is either vory badly served by-his subordinates in the party or has made a pretty muddle of things himself.- Either he has to give way to the Labour-Socialists or the Labour-Socialists have to give way to him, or he has to face the unpleasant possibility of an indignant set of Labour-Socialists throwing him over at the last'minute.