The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7th, l924. HOME POLITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 October 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7th, 1924. HOME POLITICS.

Tice British political sit nation is a succession of ci.'ises, through all of which the Labor Ministry seems to emerge with .success. The Conservatives and Liberals cannot make op their minds for the filin' unity which would bring down the Government. Mr MacDonald selects his testing ground with 1 articular discrimination and however much the Opposition may rage can manage to control the situation in the end. K'vents seem to fall out very hai>pily for the Government which is growing in strength and stature all the time. It must he remembered cf course that there is a fair leaven, of the Liberal element in the Ministry and it is conceivable that the . Government derives a good 1 deal of advice and experience from that quarter. The leadership in the Upper House is in the hands cf the Liberals, who will be in dose intimacy with the Government programme all along. Last week the Government negotiated the first barrier on the boundary question by bc-

curing the passing of its amending legislation whereby faith wa.s kept with tile Flee State party. As regards the appointments to the Commission, Mr MacDonald seems to have been fairness itself in offering a seat to Laid Carson, and the latter no doubt- helped the (ioveriiiiient situation not a little by (let-lining the appointment. The llitssistu treaty ratification is the most important obstacle ahead, but here again. Mr .MacDonald's tactics are likely to succeed. He does not propose to make the subject a party one, but rather an occasion for a .statement how far the political parties would lie picparcd to go. The treaty as proposed is oil a concrete basis indicating upon what foundation an agreement can he reared. it is a beginning or starling point for the purpose of reaching definite proposals. Tin* negotiations as far as the - have gone were Mr MacDonald's personal ell'ortcs to avoid a complete break down. Short of that, how far w:.!i l'lirlinaiiut lie prepared to go to reach a goal which it is believed in most t|iuirters should lie attained in the desire* to see necessary trading relations between llussia mill (treat Riitaiii re-established. The inter-trade is believed to he essential for the Median* of the Mother-kind, ami hcvaiiM* of that .something miisl lie sacrilic eel or compromised. Mr Mac 'Donald presents his vein- of the* matter to Parliament this week. Ilow far and to n lint- extent will the (.01111111111* he prepared to vary that proposal ? That is all there is in it, but it is 11 good deal, involving heavy financial considerations nliieh in turn have I heir economic hearing on the trade I I l*e country. Actually it does not seem .1 proli'ciii !ur parly, lull rat her a national issue as to what is lie-t to be lone in an all iimttd arrangement to secure the greatest good I'm tile greatest number. Tt is a mat ter of trade to he (ixed cm the* best terms the complicated position of all'aTrs will permit. This aspect really removes it from the region of parly strife* and leaves il to 'Parliament as a whole’ to make* the host bargain the unusual circumstances of the occasion make possible.