THE NEW GOVERNMENT.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 20 March 1912, Page 3

THE NEW GOVERNMENT.

Whether the attempt to form a new Government will end in breaking the liberal party to pieces is the question pf the hour. What is ceitain is that the part}' is not the happiest family in the world. It is not surprising to see Mr Yeitch.declaring that the Liberal and Labour Alliance is weak and failed to hold through the elections because the Liberal chief had failed to be a democrat. Whatever may be the truth about that point, it is clear that Mr Yeitch has been of this opinion for the whole of his political career. His enunciation of the same on a public occasion makes it clear that Labour is not too well inclined to the colleagues of Sir-Joseph Ward, or to those who have hitherto followed his lead with fidelity. • Then, what does a prominent friend of the administration, like the Lyttleton Times, mean by hankering for new leaders—men without either " narrowness of ideas " or a " wretched past "? The plain meaning is that all the Cabinet ought to be sent to the right about, for grave iniquities, Why does this journal follow them so long then ? There are meu going up and down the country advising the Liberals to'sink'self, It" is good advice. It is given/in, the face of the enemy's open statement that individual selfishness of the members is about to kill the Liberal Party. The conclusion is both cheap and vulgar, but there is, neverthe less, "a good deal of human nature in politicians. Still there never was a party wrecked by the disap~ pointment of a few office-seekers. We have not much hope so far in what the caucus may bring forth. It •depends on how the caucus is handled. As, however, everybody unites in declaring that there is no leader fit to do the handling, there does not seem to be much comfort in the immediate future. One thing maj* be taken as certain. The general disinclination for a dissolution is so great that some way will be found for escaping from its necessity.