THE Kaipara Advertiser, AND WAITEMATA CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20, 1911. THE SITUATION.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 20 December 1911, Page 2

THE Kaipara Advertiser, AND WAITEMATA CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20, 1911. THE SITUATION.

We have something like a repetition of the situation of 1890. At this time of that year the Conservative Party received a defeat at the hands of the Liberals. This time the boot is on the other foot. There is one important differenco--the majoritj' against the best side was then decisive whereas now it is indicisivo. The similarity of the situation requires that the Parliament should be called together next month, as happened in JB9O. The diffeience entitles the Government to retain office until Parliament meets and can decide on a no-confidence motion. So far for the immediate futures. The Government need not resign, because it is not in a minority, but the sceptic of power has fallen from its hands. It is xiseless for one side o'i the situation to lament as it is for the other to sing joyfully. The thing to find out is how the disaster occurcd which has caused the country to be rather hopelessly between two stools at the present juncture. The second bnilots were relied on to change the position which out of every hundred votes cast, credited 36 to tho Opposition, splitting tho rest up amongst the other parties. But the second ballots have come, and the situation still credits tho Opposition with 30, tho balance boing Liberal 48.22 ; Labour and Socialistsu:, 12,73 ; Independent, 2.02 ; and Prohibitionist, 6,12. The last of these figures is on tho face of the Prohibition Poll which gave a majority of over 55 per cent to Prohibition, absurd, and must stand aside as unaccountable. But the respective Opposition and Liberal proportions remain as before. Tho whole however, is unsatisfactory, inasmuch as there is no clear working majority on either side. The first thing will be to decide which lias the absolute majority in Parliament; the second to form the new government accordingly; the third to ascertaiu if tho now government has a chance of usefnl work. Should the last prove to be a negative quantity, then tho thing to do will be to appeal again to the electors for their decision, Id other words another general election is almost in sight. It is an unsatisfactory thing to say of the situation, but seeing that the truth must be told about it, there is nothing else that can be said. The sooner the better. And until the electors take steps to make the representation coincide with the percentages of votes cast at the polls, there will be neither peace nor progress in the political iield. LOSSES OF BATTLE. The Opposition have to mourn the loss of oiie champion-in th?. person of Mr Hardy. For him both sidßs arp sorry. A man of nice honour, genuine heart, courtesy, perennial and conspicuous fairness, he is missed from the halls of legislation after his long years of service. On the other side the gravest sympathy is for good old Tom Duncan, as stauch a soldier oi' Parliament as Avas over aeon. Year s of faithful service did 'not prevail to prolong the term, A change had coino and Tom had to go. This he did with becoming dignity. Time was wh n the world prophecied of him great t lings on the plea that as the

friend of John Mackenzie, the mantle of that mighty chief ought to decend upon his shoulders. He took up the burden 'of the Lands port folio accordingly and held it for years well. But the change consequent on the death of Richard Seddon found out his weak point—his age—and he was bowed politely into quiet membership. Another change has bowed him out of that and it only remains to express deep sorrow in which all, we feel sure, join. May the rest' of his days be more peaceful, but more honoured than they are now it is not possible for any days to be : the moral of political adveisity comes out on these occasions which, tells men that after all -politics

are not everything. The loss of Mr Fowlds is another grave casualty of politics. But Mr Fowlds has no one but himself to blame. The man who on the eve of a general election deserts the Government of which he is a prominent member, and goes prating abroad of a " new evengel " which he does not lift up to the light in front of the hustings is commonly held to have committed an act of treason to his party, and such treasons have a way of being avenged swiftly in this exacting political world. Mr Field has fallen victim to a sudden out burst in a country district of the extremist socialistic feeling which, seeing the distiict is a country district, may be called distinctly hard luck. Mr Arnol d jis beaten for Dunedin where he reigned representatively for many. years only because he wobbled rather painfully towards the close, and wobblers need at election expect to hear no good of themselves. THE NEW GOVERNMENT The Opposition Journals have lost do time in formulating a government. Of course Mr Massey is cast for the Premiership and everyone will feel that no one better deserves that benefit of the political change when it somes. Persistence and range of political subjects are good furnishings for premiership, and they are not weakened "by the length of servico up - hill against immense majorities for years. Mr Allen is of course the financial light of the combination as he has always been. It is idle at the present juncture to consider his merits. That is his position the moment his party get the upper hand at a crucial division, and tiinn will decide the reft. Mr Herries as Minister of railways and Native Affairs, will be the right man in the right place. He is, to begin with, the strongest man on his side, and to end with his ideas ol the Native question are more just and sane than those of any other Oppositionist of the present day, and of railways he has talked as much sense as man could wish. Mr Fraser as Minister of Works would reap reward of high character aud sober sense as well as legislation. Herdinau as Education and Justice would on his side reap the reward rather of faithful fighting service than any special talent,- and Mr Buchanan who is " tij)ped " for Agriculture would Ye a towor of strength, but one cannot help thinking would be in the matter of progress either stationary or perhaps retrogressive. For the Council nothing1 has been formulated. There has been in I the air a suggestion that Mr 0, Samuel should be Attorney General and leader. 13ut the old gentleman is rather too pernicious for that. It is more probable that the party would ask Sir William Russell into the Council and arrange so that he should find a pods folio Home Secretary waiting for him. It would be a graceful act to the ola loader.