WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1917, Page 3

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE APPROACHING SESSION

PREDICTIONS OF TROUBLE

(Our Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, Juso 25,

The return of Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward to tho Dominion has iw vived interest in political discussion and widened the field of political speculation. Tho “New Zieaiand Times,” anticipating the arrival of the travellers, published on Saturday a re-hash of the vorious stories of personui squables and Cabinet discussions that have been circulated since the departure of the party Leaders, and this has been sufficient to set tho tongues of the gossips wagging with redoubled vigour. The quid nuncsses begnning at the very beginning, when the Hon. G. W. Russell . and the Hon. J. A. Hanan failed to put in an appearance at the ship’s s 'side to say farewell to their own party chief, and going on to tho ending when Sir John Findlay refused to second the Address-in-Reply, recite a whole multitude of troubles that are going to bring about a hopeless situ a-M tion from which the on ly escape will I lie by way of a dissolution of the I House and a goneral election a£ tliel end of the year. I NOT ALTOGETHER GROUNDLESS. I It as admitted oven by people who I do not accept all the extravagant I stories of th 0 ' gossips that the position I is a difficult one: The troubles with- J in the Cabinet are obvious for everyone to see. First of all, the reconciliation of th e conflicting elements of Reform and Liberalism required by the existence of a' National Government never has been so complete as the optimistic friends of peace and harmony thought it would be. While Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward were here, b°th having entered upon the arrangement with a whole-hoarted desire to make it a succoss, little differences of opinion were smoothed over and personal protests were not heard beyond tho Cabinet room.

After .their departure Sir James Allen and Dr. McNftb, thoir respective locum tenons, kept the administrative machine running without any serious friction, but on tho death of Dr McNab its delicate mechanism became very materially impaired. WHERE THE TROUBLE LIES.

It is .the order of precedence that has been the chief source of trouble. When Sir Joseph Ward left for London be nominated Dr McNab as actingleader of' the Liberal Party in the Ministry and in the country. As tho Doctor, among the Liberals stood next in succession on the order of precedence his appointment as the representative of his absent chief was taken ns a matter of course, though it was rumoured at the time that another member of the party within the Cabinet was an aspirant for the position. But no provision had been made for the appointment of a successor to Dr McNab in such a catastrophe as vne on e that occurred, and Sir Joseph evidently being disinclined to exorcise his authority from the other end of the world, left the acting-leadership undetermined, and the opportunities-for confusion and misunderstanding considerably increased. WHAT MAY HAPPEN.

Just what will be the outcome of all this it is impossible to say. One of the current stories is that Sir Joseph Ward will retire from, the -leadership and return to London t° assume a high representative position in tho heart of tho Empire. This takes a great deal for granted without more warrant than is afforded by the fact that Sir Thomas Mackenzie’s term as High Commissioner has been extended for only four months. Anot.her«story donls with tho formation of ft new Liberal Party which is to have Sir John Findlay at its head, with Mr .Russell and Mr Hanan among its sympathisers, and th 0 sane section of labour looking towards it with approval. The defects in the construction of this pretty tale aro that it ignores Sir John Findlay’s pledge to the existing regime, and that it implies th e Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Education prei< two birds in the hush to the o n e i hand.