The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MAY 15th, 1925.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 May 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MAY 15th, 1925.

THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK. Fiif. newspapers and public conversation lor some time to come will concentrate on the political outlook. Writing before any announcement is made regarding the Ministry which will be set up now to replace the Massey Ministry, we may say at once that it is doubtful if tiie Ministry so appointed will he more than tentative. It is expected that there will he a Reform caucus in Wellington to-day. and m doubt Ministers will he present to place proposals before the party. The fact that Air Downie Stewart is out of the Dominion and that electoral rolls are in process of compilation, preclude the possibility of an early general election. It will be a month or more before the absent Minister can return, and probably some time after that before the rolls could be prepared. In the ordinary course Parliament will

require to meet in six weeks' time, and in that interval the. Ministry now being appointed will have time to feel its feet.. It is not at all unlikely that ,n tin l interim there will lie a good deal ol talk and perhaps action in referem e to a fusion of Reformers and Liberal.-, a- a National party. That lias been in the air for some time, and was mooted smile weeks ago. With Relorni hcii lt of its greatest leader the fusion becomes possible, if not desirable, unless the party is to be relegated to the cool shades of oppo-it ion for an indefinite term. Refoim a-, at present constituted and with tin- present possible leaders in sight, is mo -irong enough within itsell to faec Parliament and carry through a session. An appeal to the country for a maud.no would probably lie as complete a liasco as that a'peal nf the Ms. Ili mild Ministry at I lonm when ii rttshed to its doom on such a missinii. I hero are those among the Relorni partv im doubt who will no| coiinteiianee a fusion. Kqu.'lHy there are the- - in. the Liberal ranks as sternly resolved. Hot from those favorable in both parties a majority to hold the llollsc would doubtless he possible if a fusion were entered upon. I'lie reason why a lesion is desirable is because ol the alternative in store. A

failure of the two parlies referred to to come together would mean the irilimpli of the party hd In Mr Holland. Thai Would he the eiipome ol a triangular general eh-, te n now that Mr .Massey is out ol tie- battle. Reform, larking his leadership and lii.s prestige, would Ise hea'ilv. while both biberal and labor would gain. Tin l former would have the prestige of Sir Joseph Ward a.s an asset a very valuable one indeed in view of the finnneial outlook; and Labor would gain ground been use of the desire for a eliange, and the wish to try a newset of men in office. The desire to have Labor in olliee on such grounds is very irresponsible, as the party is without experienced administrators. Itut chief of all the opposition to Labor should he on policy grounds and the danger of the party tampering w ith matters constiliifaonal. The polkial outlook therefore suggests all the ♦dements of a serious turn in events unless the politicians are prepared to clean the slate and make a fresh beginning by placing the country Ixd’n' party. Events are so falling out llia.L there is the opportunity to make il b new commencement, and it is possible for the new Prime .Minister, assuming that lie has his seat in the Lower House, to set about creating a new party with national aims which will save New Zealand from the desperate straits likely to arise were Labor to secure supremacy. On that account the position is fraught with the greatest interest and concern, and the development of events will he watched with the closest attention by all, for the immediate future of New Zealand is hound up in the political developments within the Dominion during the next few weeks.