WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 November 1917, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

PAP.Tr politics. TTT'E WELLINGTON NORTH. SEAT. , (Our Special Correspondent) WELIJNGTON November 20

It is being taken for granted here that the rumour of Hon. A. L. Herdman’s early retirement from the Cabinet in order to take S' 1 ’ John T)euniston s place on the Supreme Couit Bench is "ell founded and already the prospect of the contest for the Wellington north seat is being eagerly discussed.

Under the arrangement between tile Liberal and Reform leaders the nomination of a candidate will rest with Air Massey the seat now being held by a Reformer, but the Labour Party bas never officially subscribed to the compact made two years ago and considers iitself quite free to put a candidate in the field if it sees fit to do so. It asserted its independence at both the Patiatua and Hawke’s Bay by-elections and there is no doubt- it would do so. with'out the slightest hesitation at Wellington north if it thought it had any chance of succeeding at the poll or of embarrassing the National Government.

A HAZARDOUS POSITION. This, of course, is true only of the extremists in the Party who can see in the conditions created by the war no reason for the suspension of party activities. 'The moderate members of the Party, represented in Parliament by such men as Air Veitcli and AH. •Hindmarsli are just as anxious as the Liberals and Reformers are to preserve the political peace till the Empire emerges victorious from the life and death struggle in which it is at present engaged. But if an acceptable Labour candidate were actually in the field for the Wellington North seat, a well-balanced solid man, pledged to give the same support to the Government’s war policy as Mr. Veitcli and Air. Ilindmarsh are giving it might- go very hard with the Reform candidate. The by-election at Pahiatua and Hawke’s Bay showed that neither of the principal parties could he worked up into' any great enthusiasm over the return of the other’s candidate, and if the got no more assistance from the Liberals in the Wellington North contest than they did in the Pahiatua contest anything might happen. THE WAR CABINET.

What reads veiv much like an inspired paragraph appeared in the “Dominion” yesterday calling attention to the fact that the Imperial War Cabinet will meet in London next April and stating that the Prme Minister will not be present at the gathering. “It is well understood,’’ one sentence runs, “that Air. Alassev is not going out of New Zealand to attend it, so that if New Zealand is to represented it will have to he another Minister or perhaps hv other Ministers.” This leads up to the suggestion that “Sir Joseph Ward may go,” and that possibly “Sir James Allen may accompany hi»n.” It seems, according to this authority, that the Minister of Finance can he better spared from the Dominion than the Prime Minister can and that the Minister of Defence lias got his department running so smoothly it could he left in los s capable hands for a few months' with perfect safety. f?ir Joseph Ward is away from Wellington just now and his views on the subject cannot he ascertained, .lmt, admirably as he is observing the party truce, In’s friend s doubt if lie would be content to leave the fields'll the possession ot his old political opponents with a general election among the possibilities of the immediate futnro. parliament.

it is generally expected that if the end of tin* war is not well in sight, when Parliament meets next year the Government will bring down early in the session a proposal to prolong tlm life of the House of Reps, for another twelve months. Nothing to this effect has been said by Ministers, but the existence of a National Cabinet for the course of the war makes it- well nigh impossible for cither party to frame a policy with which it could go to the constituencies.

The most the party leaders could do would be to stand together ill a demand for the maintenance of the Government in which they are associated. ißut with the general election further postponed Sir Joseph Ward might- attend the meeting of the Cabinet- in the full assurance that during his absence bis trusty understudy, the Minister of Customs, would administer the more important of his departments with the same care and ability ns lie displayed last year.