NO DOUBT OF RESULT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 513, 16 November 1928, Page 1

NO DOUBT OF RESULT

“GOVERNMENT OUT,” SAYS SIR JOSEPH SHOULD BE NO DELAY Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH. To-day. “There is no doubt as to the result of the General Election. The Government is out.” So said Sir Joseph Ward in an interview this morning. “The next move rests with the Prime Minister. He either may resign without calling Parliament together, or he may call Parliament together almost immediately. The question of Labour or the United Party, speaking broadly, doesn’t arise at present. “The whole question is that the Government is in a minority,” he added, “and constitutionally it could not advise the representative of the King as to appointments. There was an interesting case some years ago. The Conservative Government of the day had to notify the Governor, iu writing, that it had a majority, ami it had many appointments made. Then when the House of Representatives met it was seen that it did not have a majority.” Sir Joseph did not think that that position would arise again unless the Reform Government adopted any other course but the right one. He added that the final results must wait until the absent votes have been counted. A number of seats would be changed and the final decision of the people would have to be awaited before the position would be clear. Sir Joseph goes North this evening.

UNITEDS OR FUSION? ONLY ALTERNATIVE MR. RANSOM’S OPINION Press Association DANNEVIRKE, To-day. Commenting upon the result of the elections, Mr. E. A. Ransom, member for Pahiatua and DeputyLeader of the United Party, said there were, according to his view, only two alternatives on the present situation. | One was that the Reform Party should support the United Party in carrying on the government of the country, or that there should be a conference of the* two parties with a view to fusion, doing away with the threeparty system. If amalgamation were to take place the most difficult question would be to determine who should be Prime Minister. In view of the fact that the United Party was the dominant party, and the country had given a very clear indication in that direction, it would probably hold that the position of Prime Minister should be held by Sir Joseph Ward. However, these were questions which have to be discussed by a conference of his party, which would, no doubt, be held shortiy. As men of outstanding ability had been returned to Parliament, the affairs of the country could be safely entrusted to their hands and they could be relied upon to do what was best.