WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

SIR JOSEPH "WARD. STILL A LIBERAL. (Special to “ Guardian.”; WELLINGTON, November 2d. ■Sir Joseph Ward has returned from his election campaign in excellent health and spirits, and with many pleasant memories of the contest fiom which ho emerged triumphant. “There were incidents in the light which are to he regretted,” he said in the course „f a chat this afternoon, “ because they fended to provoke personal feeling and to lower the tone of politics; hut the great body of the electors wore in no way responsible for them and I have no reason to suppose that they were countenanced by my opponent.” Sir Joseph declined linnly to pursue the subject further. But he had been greatly touched by the manner in which his old friends rallied around him and by the cordial reception given him in every part oi the constituency. Having been away from active polities -o long he had a great deal to say to his amliem o.s and sometimes he mtisl have sorely taxed their patience but thev invariably listened to him with th,. utmost courtesy, lie was under a very great obligation to his friends lor their cordial co-operation in avoiding all offensive personalities. A small section mi the other side had not been scrupulous. Ini! there had been no suggestion of retaliation from his friends. THE PARTIES. Sir Joseph Witrd thought there could be no doubt of the magnitude or the significance of .Mr Coates's majority, lie said Mr Coates’s majority, rather than the Reform majority, because the contest was made purely a personal one —voi-v wiselv in the eirciimstanees

- and till' victory was complete. At the election of 1 !;().">, just twenty years before, the Liberal-, under the masterful leadership ol Mr Keddoii, secured sixty seals, the Reformers lift-con, ami live members were returned as Independents. That was the largest majority ever secured by a party in the New Zealand Parliament and Hr Coates’s majority was the next largest. Whether or not such large majorities were good things for the parties to which they fell, Kir Joseph Ward was not prepared to -ay. He admitted, however, that the big majority to which he succeeded in 10015—Mr Sudden having passed away between the general election and the first session of the new Parliament —had proved something of an “ embarrass do richesses.” Disproportionate strength in Parliament did not always make tor good or comfortable government. In a House of eighty members a majority of teii or twelve was large enough for anv .Ministry. " But even with a majority ol JO or .*sl, as my Iriend the Prime .Minister appears to have, there .still is room lor the activities of a capable Opposition.” Sir Joseph was not disposed to discuss-the composition of the present Opposition. FUSION. Elision of the kind that had boon discussed during the last session ol Parliament. Sir Joseph thought, would receive little attention from the new House. It would he ridiculous to expect a Prime Minister with a huge majority over the two other parties to open negotiations with one ol them for the purpose ol strengthening his own position. lie thought the liberals had played their part in the previous negotiations with dignity and perfect good faith. Such credit as could he gained from the incident remained with them, lint in the new House with at least half of his colleagues thinking themselves entitled to ministerial rank. Mr Coates could not afford to east favour'- across the floor of the House.. But there was not tile slightest mod for the Liberals to he down-hearted over the position. They had hefoie them lhe splendid example of Mr .M.'.'-'.v who laboured in the Reform Opposition for eighteen years and then mounted the Treasury benches to administer, much to his credit, the Liberal policy. As for himself, Sir Joseph hoped In have many opportunities to help along the cause of Liberalism, under whatever name it might appear. lie would remain a Liberal, preferring the old title to the new. hut he would sit with the Nationalists and co-operate with them in every olfort they might make for the velt-lieing and advancement of the country. I)II'T'TCTLTIES AHEAD. Though Sir Joseph regards fusion as cut ol the question in the altered circumstances brought about by the general election, ho sees in the financial outlook reason for tho utmost I'orbenranie and co-operatnn between the pnr:No one will suspect him of being a pessimist: indeed he is popularly counted among the must cheery of optimists; hut he sees trouble before all the large borrowing countries in the not tar distant future. Money, he believes, i> not going to he simply dear: it is going to he unavailable, and Ni v; Zealand has built all its plans for •he future on the assumption that money is going to lie abundant and cheap. With a serious crisis looming ahead the Dominion is committing itself to a development policy of enormous dimensions and counting upon its products remaining at the present high prices. Nothing, .Sir Joseph thinks, is more certain than an all round drop in prices ill the near future, which will place the Dominion's balance of trade on the wrong side. The country Inis been living on high prices ever since the inflation occasioned by the war and has made no adequate provision against the rainy day in the shape of increased production. '• This is no time." Sir Joseph said as he passed on to an engagement. “ for idle party squabbling.”