WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Til]'} PARTIES. \ • .. ' SOME STORIES. / (Our Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Sept. 13 A number of more or loss hyperbolic stories are in circulation suggesting grave dissensions within the ranks of the Liberal Party. One of them alleges, with a wealth of detail, that Mr Wilford was elected leader on a catch vote, not more than half the members of the party being present at the caucus or having had an opportunity to attend. Some colour is given to this story by what happened ill the House of Representatives on Friday night, when ■Mr George Witty on being reminded that his party leader had agreed to an arrangement of which lie was disapproving retorted that Mr Wilford was not his leader. It seems probable now, however, that the member for. Iticcarton intended merely to protest against any leader being' allowed to abrogate the right of a private member to discuss the Estimates in any way he pleased, not to renounce his allegiance to the Liberal Party. THE NEW LEADER.

But whether Mr Witty i satisfied or not with the new Liberal leader, there appears to be no eag r v alternative to Mr Wilford. To begin with, the member for Hutt has the great advantage of having been nominated acting leader of the party during the late Mr W. D. S. MacDonald’s temporary absence from Wellington. Mr MacDonald’s judgment, everyone recognises, is entitled to respect. Then Mr Forbes and Mr Sidey, whose claims to promotion were at least as strong as those of Mr 'Wilford, made it known they, were not candidates for tlie position. On his own account, the member for Hutt is recognised as one of the readiest and most capable debaters in the House, and with comparative youth he has more than twenty years’ experience of the inside of Parliament. These are assets of no mean order. THE REFORMERS. In view of what has happened since, it is interesting to recall that when Mr Wilford was suggested as a member of the. National Cabinet Mr Massey objected to his inclusion among the nominees of Sir Joseph Ward. Just what objection the Prime Minister urged against this vigorous young man, the public was not permitted to know, but apparently it had disappeared three years later when a vacancy in the Ministry occurred and his name again was submitted to the head of the Government. Perhaps Mr Massey had come to recognise in the interval that the hustling ways and vigorous speech of Mr Wilford were typical of the new conditions created by the war-and that

they were compelling recognition from those in authority. In this connection the difference between Mi 1 Massey’s old colleagues and his new lias a very striking significance.LABOUR. Though Mr Wilford all through his political career has been well- disposed towards Labour, and never more so than at the present time, Mr Holland and his colleagues of the Official Party are not yet showing any disposition to draw nearer to the Liberal Party unler its new leader than they did under its old.

As ai matter of fact the late Mr MacDonald commanded respect and regard from all sections of the Labour Party and Mr AVilford will he fortunate should lie continue'to stand as well with them as did his predecessor}' Meanwhile the Official Labour Party remains one of Mr Massey’s greatest assets, in that it keeps alive the haunting fear of extreme socialism, direct action and the rest, and commends Reform as the only safe refuge'in the country’s hour of peril. And Mr Massey, it must be admitted, is handling the position extraordinarily well.