WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 18 July 1917, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

INDICTMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT. AT THE HANDS 'OF A FRIEND. (Special Correspondent.) i ', WELLINGTON, July 15. In a letter "appearing in the "Dominion" this morning, Mr. H. F. von Haast says things concerning the National Government which during the last few months have been in the minds and on the lips of thousands iDf people who heartily welcomed the anerging of the two principal political parties in the State and fondly hoped it would realise their ideals of national efficiency and achievement. Mr. von Haast was a zealous and very effective worker in the interests of the Heform Party in the bad old days' of division and strife, and doubtless when the country returns to normal conditions ITe will be found on the same side of politics; but in the meantime he reviews the • position with the utmost candour and impartiality. Taking as his text Sir Francis Bell's admission in the Legislative Council that the Government has "not organised yet" he frames a scathing indictment against the men whom he holds to be responsible for the try's unreadiness.

AFTER THREE YEARS. Mr. von Haast takes Sir Francis Bell at his word. He accepts the .Minister's confession that, the Government has not organised yet and puts a series of pertinent questions to ithe. world at large. "For what purpose then," he asks, "have the members of the Government been elected fcy the people? Fof what purpose I iave they been appointed to the high "and responsible offices of trustees for the country? For what do they draw their salaries as Ministers of the Crown, if not to organise the country , in this great war in which the freedom, nay, the very existence, or* the British Empire is involved?" Of «ourse, he goes on to answer his own questions and to allot the blame for the deplorable state of affffairs they imply. It is not the fault of the civilians, who have offered to help the Crovernment, he protests, nor the fault of the patriotic bodies who have clone splendid work, nor of Labour, "whose response has been whole-heart-ed, nor of the yeoman farmer, nor of the doctors and lawyers, nor of the -women. "It is "the fault of Cabinet itself, which has drifted along, never looking ahead, never showing any foresight, and whose policy has been "wait and see."

ON BOTH SIDES. That very real dissatisfaction with the failure of the National Government to grapple with many of the problems created by the war is not confined to representative men on one Bide of politics alone may be judged from the speech delivered in the House by the new member for Hawke's Bay last week. Sir John Pindlay, having been elected only a few weeks ago as a supporter of the Government, with the fullest freedom jto criticise and suggest, may fairly «laim to be the bearer of the latest message from the constituencies .He is in the House, as he puts it himself, meither to bury Ceasar nor to praise •£iini; not" to gratify personal ambition, *ut to do something if he can to help the country of his birth. If the Government wished to have the support of the House, he said, after making a frank and generous acknowledgment of the work done by individual Ministers, it should take the House into its confidence. It had not done this. It had appointed a National Efficiency Board and then ignored its recommendations; it had shown a deplorable lack of initiative and couragSJ it lad flouted the principle of equality of sacrifice and Tt had Tolerated blundering ineptitude on the part of some ©f its departmentar'officers.

THE NEW POSITION. So far neither ,of the party leaders ias dealt in any way exhaustively -with the criticism they found awaiting them when they returned tsr'the Dominion. They seem, indeed, scarcely to realise that the attitude of the House, as well as the attitude of the country, towards the National Government has undergone a marked change during their absence. Parliament is no longer to be awed into silence or into reluctant acquiescence by the appeals that were effective enough a year ago. Members are going to speak their minds, without any lessening of their loyalty and without any desire to embarass the National Government, and if Mr. Masse - and Sir Joseph Ward are wise thf- will adapt themselves to the alterei circumstances. Mr. G. W. Russell':; attempt on Friday to brush asid? Sir John Findlay's criticism of the Go"vernment rather enhanced than otherwise the effect of the new member's

brilliant speech. The Minister of Internal Affairs wandered far afield for the material on which he based his attack and finally brought fr.cm Sir John the pointed retort that when he framed his opinion of a certain kind of political humbug he had in mind a gentleman who once represented the constituency of Riccarton!