WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 January 1933, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DIFFERENCES OF OPINION

IN CABINET

(Special to “Guardian.”)

WELLINGTON, January 19

It was not surprising in political circles yesterday when the newspaper came out with ,gtai J t;ing h-eacrnnes announcing a serious crisis in the Cabinet and implying that the retirement of the -Minister of Finance was not unlikely. “Uneasiness to-day.” said this authority “became alarm when the reports were supported by widespread statement.?, that the high -ratp policy had already been approved and that tbHon. W. Dowr.ie Stewart, afte,. strongly opposing this decision, had tendered his resignation as a member o.f the Gov. crnment. The .profound impression th ; - stntement made fa,- sui’pcigsed the effect of any recent political crisis. And wel] it might. If Mr St,-wait should. l'\v down the portfolio of Finance jn the present crisis it would be extreme’v difficult to find, either in Parliament or elsewhere. anyon ( > capable of carrying -on satisfactorily the burden ho lies borne under unparalleled difficulties.

APPEAL FOR UNITY. The morning paper, at the tjme oi writing, has no inr.r e to say ■concerning the party relations between Mr -Stewart and his colleagues than had its evening contemporary. “Although the polit,i.a; leaders will neither confirm or deny, n says, “there can be little dount that M r Downie Stewart has tendered hi* resignation as a i.ttnber o* th e (joveinment. possibly th- temporary lack ni definition is due to a la.st effort to induce -Mr Stewart to reconsider his deletion ,co that the Govornm.mt may have the benefit of his valuable experience and counsel, and so, also that the na--jonal front may be preserved unbroken.” This is -all very well so fa r as it goes. Mr Stewart, whether in the Cabinet or ■not, would do his bev.t to promote, the welfare of the Dominion at kn'g e _ and his -colleagues in office, hut ho.ding the most important portfolios in t-n-” Cabinet -he scarcely could renounce his convictions in order to meet the opinions of hits personal friendfi.

THE MAJORITY. The morning paper, however, U vowing the .situation in some detail, maintains that unity is a first essential m tha economic war just a. 3it was -in the Great War. “Sa c rific e and effort,” it .says, '“are worth making in order to preserve this ideal, one of practical as well as of sentimental value. In Great Britain in .simi far circumstance,3 . laM year, 'traditional and constitutional practice w»,s strained to the utmost to retain unity. The famous ‘agreement to differ’ was devised to cover the cleavage on tariff policy.’ lhi fi is all very well so far as it gi>e« also, but the “Dominion” itself admits that the pa c t -served only for a time when in the end the -Samuelito Liberals a » a forrl Snowden left the Government. This Isurely goo.s no way towards showin- that Mr -Stewart, as Minister of Finance, should east aside his financial convictions and espouse those of hus dissenting col leagues.

POLITICAL DISSENSION. [ln the concluding passage °f ,ts editorial the morning paper strikes just the right note. “At the present moment nothing could be more unfortunate than political dimension," * sksts. “The ranks should be closed. Aml of immediate concern is tho mosphere of political uncertainty.. The t e , K ler growth of confidence i,s a U am repulsed. Politics outer -so intimately ;,-to economics that alarms and excursions in one camp immediately ‘spread to the other, with disturbance and damage to all burdimm. Tb c Government and Mr Stewart should clear up the situation as soon as it can be determined and should inform the country, thus Hknelling blighting doubts and uncertainties.” To all this there can be no objection. But Mr Stewart having borne a great part of the Ottawa negotiations and the whole part of the nbseouent financial discussion, in London he'cannot be regarded as a mere unit in the final adjustment of the financial affairs of the Dominion.