COALITION PROPOSALS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3986, 20 July 1915, Page 5

COALITION PROPOSALS.

THE OPPOSITION CAUCUS. TO RE'RESUMED TO-MORROW. (By Telegraph—Special Correspondent.) ' _ . WELLINGTON, July 19. National Cabinet stm Its have risen during the last few days. At the end oi last week there were few so sanguine as to hope that any kind of arrangement betw-eeiL the parties which could lead to a measure of union would be consternated, but. it would not he correct to say that this is o.ie'vicw of inem';<•!•> now. ft is believed now that we shall know the best or tin- worst on Wednesday, on which day the Opposition will resume their caucus meeting, adjourned from Friday last. There is a. question on the Order Paper, addressed bv Mr E. Newman to the Prune Minister, asking for information as to what steps have been taken with a. view of formiri"- a National Cabinet, but it is not at all likely that the question will be answered on the printed supplementary order paper. The answer to the question, when it comes, will come in some other way.

in reply to an inoiiirv on the .subject this morning. Mr Massey said that he could say nothing at all about coalition or the prospects of <oalitiori. He said that iie had not se n Sir Joseph Ward for several days. In actual fact. Sir Joseph Ward has been in Christchurch for the last day or two. When the offer by the Government was to take in three members of the Opposition into a Cabinet of nine members, this proposal was rejected by the Opposition for a reason stated that in view of the fact that the parties were practl'-idiy < omd in the House the proooi i:o;i wa> not a just- one. Sims- then .a new proposal lias been made, it i under Mood, which cannot be rejected on this ground. It is no secret ,n the lobbies that one of the obdados in the wav of a- National Cabim r is in tin- choice of the colleagues of Sir Joseph Ward to represent t.se Opposition party in the Ministry. There is a suggestion that the party ought to he allowed to elc-ct tiiose members.