POLITICAL SITUATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 20, 6 January 1912, Page 6

POLITICAL SITUATION.

The Auckland “Star” considers that Parliament will not meet until April and that Sir Joseph Ward finding himself hacked hy a bare majority, will proceed to reconstruct Cabinet. In referring to the probable retirement of Sir James Carroll, the Hon. Roderick M’Kenzie, the Hon. I). Buddo and to the possible retirement of the Speaker (Sir Arthur Guinness) in order to enter the Ministry, the “Star” says that all the Ministers named would readily place themselves unreservedly in the hands of the Prime .Minister and the Government party, and the same may lie said of the Hon. Mr. Millar and Mr. Ngata, although the retirment of Mr. Millar is quite inconceivable and may be left out of count, in any political forecast. Sir Joseph Ward believes and was able to convince bis supporters, that he has an assurance of a bare majority in the new Parliament. Acting upon this belief lie would prefer to defer the meeting until the end of April when ho will be able to submit the financial results of the year and Ids policy proposals upon which he is prepared to stand or fall in any appeal to the country that may arise out of the existing crisis. The members of the Government party were unanimously of opinion that the desire to submit these results, which arc of a favourable character, is a reasonable one and that the answer given from the polls is not of such a decisively adverse character that it is inconsistent with the constitutional precedent or likely to prove detrimental to the interests of the country to delay the meeting of Parliament until after the financial year closes on March 31. An earlier meeting could only result in a struggle for office without members and the country having before them any clearly-defined issues. After hearing the Prime Minister’s summary of the position both caucuses unanimously adopted resolutions leaving the matter unreservedly in Sir Joseph Ward’s hands, and it is probable that ho will make a definite public announcement of bis intentions within tho next fortnight.