WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 January 1919, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE NEW POLITICAL PARTY. DISSATISFACTION. tOur Special Correspondent^ WELLINGTON, January 27. The statement concerning the formation of a now political party attributed to “two northern members ot Parliament” and now going the round of the newspapers, is merely an elaboration of other stories of the kind that have been mentioned in column from time to time. That the National Government is less popular with the parties to-day than it was at the time of !its formation, when it seemed to be the only alternative to another appeal to the constituencies to decide whether the Reformers or the Liberals should have charge of the affairs of the country during the course of the war, there can be no possible doubt. During the and a half years of office it has had several disagreeable tilings to do, has committed many blunders and has left various pledges unfulfilled. These sins of 'commission and omission have brought it into more or less disfavour both in Parliament and in the country, and the talk of a new party is one symtom of the prevailing dissatisfaction. DESIRE FOR CHANGE.

But whether or not the proposed new political party will take definite shape in time to make its appear to the constituencies at the next general election will depend very largely upon what the absent party leaders do or leave undone on their return to tli ( » Dominion. A peculiar feature of the position is that the dissatisfaction with the National Government is associated with a much kindlier personal feeling towards the two party leaders irrespective of political colour, than existed in the days before the truce. Ibis is a good nugurv in that it suggests the public life” of the country is to be placed on a higher plane than it sometimes has occupied in the past. But neither Alt Mass'cy nor Sir Joseph \A ard will he accepted as the leaders of the lieu paity without first renouncing his allegianceto the Coalition. The promoters are frankly tired of non-party Government and determined to get hack to the old order to things as early as possible THE PEACE CONFERENCE. It is thought, here that the cable messages referring to Mr Massey’s protests against New Zealand being represented by only one delegate' at the Peace Conference give a distorted idea of tlio manner in which the Prime Miuistei has made bis representations on the subject to the Imperial authorities His friends will not believe that Air Massey is basing his claim for a second delegate on New Zealand’s war sacrifices or that he is declaring these sacrifices to be equal proportionately to those of the Mother Country. This they say, might be the language of the section of the British Press that is always seeking to put Air Lloyd George in the wrong, but it would not be the language of a representative of tlic Dominion wishing to make the way of the Imperial Government easy. Tile facts of the case will be awaited with some interest and meanwhile Air Alassey’s critics are making what capital tbev can out of the cable reports. " THE EFFICIENCY BOARD.

The lolial papers, perhaps a little tnrdilv, are waking up to the fact that the National Efficiency Board is in peril of being shunted into oblivion. The “Dominion’' can find, “no justification in reason or coniinonsen.se for tlic Government’s apparent intention of allowing the Board to wind up its activities in the near future,’’ and .the “Post thinks it “amazing” that just when the Board is best qualified to help the State it should receive its marching orders from "an ungrateful unappreciative Government.” The “Post” implies very broadly that certain politiciains, “including a few in high places,” arc looking askance at the Board on account of its disposition to interfere with their prerogatives and without, attaching too much importance to a suggestion of this kind, it is easy to believe that on occasions, Afinistcrs have found the commissioners recommendations a little embarrassing.