WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1922, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE PARTY TANGLE. HOLIDAY GOSSIP. SPECIAL TO OUAUUIAN. WELLINGTON, December 27. Though holiday-makers are not troubling themselves greatly over the political situation, they continue totake a detached sort of interest in the perplexities of tho Prime Minister and the leader of the Opposition. Mr Massey is pictured as busying himself with all kinds of intrigues which have for their object the strengthening of his own party at the expense of the Liberals. and Mr Wilford, as coquetting with the Labour Party in the hope of reaching some basis of agreement by whiche their common enemy may he gnally overthrown. As a matter of plain fact neither of these gentlemen at the moment is perpetrating the particular indiscretion attributed to him. They

discretion attributed to him. I nev both are away from town holiday-mak-ing with the zest of the most irresponsible school-hoy, forgetting the feuds ,of the parties and cultivating the | spirit of goodwill appropriate to the 1 season. Mr Massey has need of the I rest. No previous party leader, not I even Mr Seddon in his most strenuous ' days, ever concentrated so much effort upon an election campaign as did the ; Prime Minister during the recent contest and outraged nature does not allow her edicts to ho flouted with impunitv. j A WAITING THE UNRAVELLING. L Rut no one who has any knowledge at all of the operation of party government can fail to recognise the difficulties of the present situation. Assuming that the Reformers muster thirty-eight in the now Rouse of Representatives, they -will have forty-two members free, to vote against them on any question not actually involving the existence of the Government. It is being claimed on behalf of Mr Massey that lie lias sufficient pledges from Liberal members in his pocket to save him from defeat on a “want-of-confidence” motion, hut these will be of little real assistance to him if they leave their authors free to vote against his policy.. Keeping a Government in and its measures out is a proceeding not unknown in the history of British parliamentary

institutions, hut it is not one any selfrespecting Prime Minister in this counI trv would tolerate for very long. Probably Air Massey would make some concessions to the Liberal-Labour Opposition for the sake of retaining office in what he conceived to he tho best in- | terests of tho country, but he scarcely would stultify himself by hanging on to the Treasury Benches while tho 1 Opposition reversed the settled policy of the Governmnt. the needed support.' j To make the position of the Government secure and fairly comfortable at least five members would have to cross | the door of tho House to give wliolo- ; hearted suppoit to Mr Massey end his j colleagues. This would convert the ; Government minority of four into a l majority of six and leave it free to apI point a Speaker from among its fn.it.li- | ful followers without unduly depleting its ranks. But unless a number ! of the Independents are less indepen--1 dent than - they professed themselves to ’ ho on tho busting, it is difficult to see • where tho needed five would he found. j Mr Isitt; and Mr Witty are among those ’ mentioned as having some sort, of comi pact with Mr Massey, hut it is incredible that these two members would unj conditionally surrender their i tide pen d- ' once. There is precedent,, of course, for j a conditional surrender in the case of the four Auckland Liberal members of | the House who crossed the floor in 3881 ! to give stability to tho Hall Government and to secure from unwilling hands important electoral reforms. Something of the same kind might happen in the present crisis without discredit to anyone. ANOTHER ELECTION, f The prospect of a fresh election is not regarded by any of the parties ) bore with much favour. Tt probably would produce some change in tho personnel of tho House, hut vers- little in the relative strength of parties. Lnbour very likely would capture Wellington North from Sir John Luke, I hut almost certainly it would lose Wellington South to Mr George Mitchell, the former member whose, unexpected defeat, is attributed to the appearance ; of His name, without warrant, on the ) list of candidates favoured by the P.P. . A. The Reformers would recover Pa- . ten, hut they would run a great risk of losing Waitomo, and in all probability , would see Liberal members exchanged . for Labour in Waimnrino and Westland. Tt is argued, on the one hand, j that the constituencies in their desire for a stable Government would rally ronnd Air Massev and give him a good working majority, and. on the other hand, that, encouraged bv tho recovery I of Liberalism and tho advance of Labour they would redouble their efforts > to administer the coup de grace to Reform. Tt is more reasonable to ' up. pose they would do very much wlnt » they did before.