POLITICAL SITUATION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2340, 23 December 1914, Page 6

POLITICAL SITUATION

PRIME MINISTER'S ADVICE THE STRONGEST PARTY MEETING OF THE OPPOSITION A statement setting forth the atti* tude or tho Government in the present position was made by the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey) to a Dominion reporter yesterday. !he different sections of which tho Opposition is made up and the individual members thereot must possess their souls m patience," said Mr. Massey. ''If a foiv noisy individuals think that by clamour or misrepresentation they are going to affect mo, or the Reform Party, they never made a greater mistake m their lives. The present position may not be satisfactory to any one'of the parties concerned, but it is decidedly interesting. The Reform Party consists at present of a solid forty members, whatever may be said to the contrary. I know of what I am speaking, and I know that to be tho fact. The other parties all put together make up the same number. That is the position at present, but there are possibilities. I'hero are several electorates where recounts are still going on, and in some of them judging by present appearances there will be appeals to the Courts by means of election petitions. Until tho recounts and the election petitions are dealt with, no . man on earth can tell accurately what the position will be. I am optimistic enough to believe that there will be ah improvement from tho point of view of tlio Reform Party, but if not the most the other partios will be ablo to say. will be that their joint forces number as many aS that of our party, and I need hardly point out that one united party is much more likely to be successful thaii a party split up into a- niimbor of factions, with scarcely one idea in common. I have already said that for the country's sako I want to avoid another election at present, and I say so now, but whatever happens there will bo no departure from tho principles for which wo have contended for many years past. As soon as the actual position or parties is ascertained the Government will act in accordance with its duties and responsibilities to tho people of the Dominion, and there the matter must rest." THE OPPOSITION ALLIES. The meeting of the Opposition Parties, of which frequent mention has already been, made, was held yesterday morning. All the members o{ all sections of the Opposition, including those of both the Labour factions, were present with the exception of four— Messrs. Buddo, M'Callum, Walker, and Mitnro—and all of the four wrote letters apologising for their absence. The Leader of the Opposition made a. brief statement to Press representatives after the meeting. His statement amounte'd to no more than a reference to the unanimity of the proceedings, and a recital of tho following resolution, which the meeting carried unanimously :—

"That this meeting of members of the Houso of Representatives records its hearty congratulations to Sir Joseph. Ward on tlio result of the election, and expresses its entire confidence in him as leader. It further piedges itself to loyally support him in any action lis may "fake 111 connection with the present crisis and during the present Parliament."

A resolution qf regret was also carried referring to the death of the .late Hon. W. Montgomery. The meeting also expressed regret for the party's candidates defeated at the polls, and wished them better success on some future occasion. Sir Joseph Ward declined to have anything to say concerning what policy the Opposition might follow in relation to the present peculiar position of things political. He merely repeated that the party was unanimous.