The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1915. A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 24, 28 May 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1915. A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

There is much reason in the advocacy of a National Government for New Zealand for at least the period of the war. It is utterly impossible to say how lone the conflict will yet last, and in difficult questions of national —and even Empire—importance, the country wants the unhampered aid and advice of its best men. It is certainly in no temper to take part in, or extend sympathy to, mere Party wrangling for Party’s sake. Wo have before us the example of the Motherland, which, with all her greatness and wisdom, has now decided upon a National Government in which Party, for tin* tilin' being at least, disappears. The Wellington Post expresses the hope that the last word regarding the General Election of 1914 has been said by the Courts, hut also reminds us that finality will not have been reached until the two by-elec-tions which their decisions have necessitated have been determined. !5y that time we shall be on the very eve of the session, and the politicians will bo given, at the most, a very few days in which to grapple with a situation of extraordinary difficulty. The Wellington paper, however, rightly concludes that difficult as the situation will be, it will not differ materially from what has appeared at any time during the last five months to be probable. The possible margin of variation can now be accurately fixed, j If (In' Government wins both the byelections, it will have a majority of four. If it wins one and loses the other, it will have a majority of two. If it loses both, the result will he a tit'. In the last ease there would, of course, he a deadlock, which would make it impossible for either party to carry on the government of the country. In tin' other two eases, it must be remembered that the nominal majority would be reduced by one on the election of a Speaker, so that the actual majority would he either three or fine. A majority of one would plainly bo insufficient to carry on by, and even a majority of three would not provide a comfortable tenure. Still less would it guarantee the security which the supreme gravity of the principal work to he done and the unanimity of the country with regard to it demand. The maximum majority that the Government can possibly obtain will thus bo too small to enable it to proceed with any highly controversial programme of domestic legislation, and too small to enable it to cope with all the grave problems of tin* war except with the active <oopcralion, and at least the patriotic forbearance, of (he Opposition. The Post also concludes that “the country is satisfied that, whatever the outcome oi the by-elections, its interests and those of the Empire would bo best served by the temporary sinking of party and personal differences in order that tin* best men on both sides may combine to lotto a National Government for 1 lie period ol the war.”