WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 December 1928, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

the POLITICAL SITUATION. AN OPTIMISTIC LEADER. (Special to “Guardian”.) WELLINGTON, December (i. The passage of the years has in no "u\ dulled the splendid optimism which J ,,,s buoyed up Sir Joseph Ward throughout his long political career. W hen ho accepted the leadership <if Lh<* l Kited Party only a lew weeks ago, h< confidently that he would emerge from the general election at tin head of the largest party in the House IDs temporary eye trouble, which kepihim Irnm the. platform for a fortnight nr so and prevented him making the (our of the Dominion lie had eoiilcmplated, neither damped 1 1 is ardour noi shook his faith in himself and his parly. His optimism brought him its,, own reward. Instead of returning to the House ol Bepresental ives with r following ol fourteen or fifteen members, which was the highest expectation I ‘l the most, sanguine of his well-in lormed political Iriends. he came back with a party well ahead of either of the other sections of the new Parlia menl. It looks at the moment as fairU certain that In* will lie-..entrusted with the lorinafion of a new ministry. A NEW GOVERNMENT. I hat Sir Joseph, has he the opportunity, will succeed in gathering a strong team around him need not ir doubted. It has been menlbmed among the difficulties which will hesel; him that Mr I’. ,M. W illord, cl selected. wiM he the only one ol his colleagues with previous Cabinet experience. Mr Balbuiee, however, ;| there is any great virtue in Cabinet experience, was in a worse plight than this when lie succeeded Sir Harry Atkinson in the le id ersliip in IHOI. The whole of his colleagues, including Sir .Joseph Ward liimsell, were without such cxncrieir e am! yet with the guidance of I heir chief' and the heads of their department,. they quickly mastered the intricacies ol adminislration. Sir Joseph just now is displaying an amount of menial and rlivsierl activity which v*rv materially discounts the innuendoes that have been circdaied concern 'tig his weight of years since he reappeared in the capacity of a party leader. Even his personal friends who urged him against re-entering the vortex of political life are bog'nning to doubt the soundness of their advii e. tup: contkndivg parties. The “ Evening Post ” pays a compliment to ' the retiring Government and to the l.ahmir Party in the House of Representative. l -; by assuming that neither of them will attempt to embarrass Sir Joseph Ward in his attemots in establish a stable ministry. “The time is not opportune,” it says, “In demand from the irw Prime Minister a 'lull statement of his policy. He is entitled to ask for reasonable time to prepare Lis plans. There are no Dig issues of public policy of such urgency that they must he debated immediately. When Sir Joseph Ward has formed his Cabinet In* will he able to say whether there is any matter demanding immediate attention which calls for greater authority than Parliament has given him.” As a matter ol tact Sir j Joseph is displaying no eon ■ern in regard to the. attitude of the parties j opposed to him. lie appears, indeed, to he even anxious to submit his policy to Parliament well in advance nl the customary June meeting, and quite probably he will gel his way. GOOD FEELING. The “Dominion” having realised tho ifaels of the position is accepting them with the good grace appropriate to the occasion. “ The Government,” it says, “ naturally will desire to place its position before the count ry and record I lie condition'of affairs in the various Departments of State on the eve ol its retirement from olliee. Necessarily, too, Sir Joseph Ward and Mr Holland will require to give t.lieir views ol tho situation and wliafc led up to it.

Should Sir Joseph Ward, as is expected, be called on to form a Ministry there need lie no great delay, lor tho Leader of the United Party no doubt has already made up his mind as to the selection of his Cabinet. He is entitled to a reasonable period of grace, however, before he is called on to meei the House and announce his policy and plans for the future.” It may he said of the party leaders that so far they have borne themselves with exemplary propriety. For so much the country in the circumstances may be grateful.