WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, 5 September 1919, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

LIBERAL DEMONSTRATION. AN OPTIMISTIC LEADER. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. The nwcting held in the Town Hall On MOlldBY night, for the purpose, as the advertisement of the promoters 51-at-ell. of giving the public an opportunity oi‘ expressing its appreciation cf the services rendered to the commllllif.V' by Sir Joseph Ward as a member of the National Government ant’. as a delegate to the Pcaee Conference, ‘\\'as one of the most notable gather’ings of the kind seen here since the lgreat Reform demonstration in the 'same place eight years ago. It was not intended to be primarily a. party larlair, the public being admitted withlout lot or hindrance till every seat land standing place in the vast hall ‘was filled, but it inevitably took that leolour and was most cordially disposled towards the Leader of the Opposi%tion from .beginning to end. Sir JO- - was suffering from a severe cold, Shut by compressing his speech in;-.-3 ai t-lmre sixty minutes ‘he niaxnaged ;to {make a happy contribution to the Il.';r—--lmony of the proceeding without askling for any Indulgence from his audiience. L AN UNINVITED GUEST. People who attended the meeti-‘.g in the hope of hearing the ex—l\lini:s':;e:' of Finance “fling off” at his late col~ leagues in the National Government were disappointed, but they were consoled to some extent by a passing hint at the relations which had pro vailed between the party leaders dare ing their visit to London and Paris. The Prime MiniStel',.Sir Joseph said, had not asked him to continue in the National Government and that seemed to him a. pretty good answer to the people ivho were reproaching him for not hanging on to office as an uniuvited guest The arrangement between the parties was for the period of the war and the signing of the peace tl'cn.ty had put an end to it. The subject cropped up in the House again yesptei-day, and Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward appeared for a moment or two to be on the verge of making; ful't.her revelations, but the incident closed with the hope of Curious folk still deferred. STILL UNCONVINCED.

Of course the “New Zealand Times" never has had any doubt that Sir _Joseph Ward an dhis colleagues did the right thing in separating themselvesn from the impotent coalition at that earliest possible moment and it grows jubilant over _'what it regards as the plLbliC’S endorsement of its View. The “Dominion,” having taken a day to think about the matter, is still unsatisfied. “Looked at without. prejuE(liC(‘,” it says this morning, “Sir Joseph >’V\"ar(l’s explanation of his aetiin in relviving party political strife is chiefly inoteworthy as betraying: a petty outlook and a perverted conception of the responsibilities of a political lead~ But the Reform journal takes: *1! dvliitlo, (.~pt'il‘.ni.«:vn. itself and does not despair of the sane Liberals returning to the Coalition fold. “It is hardly in doubt," it. declares at the oonclusior; of its regrets. “that irresistible populnr ’pl-esrsnrfs will before Very llong compel an effective union of worl«:ingé t'c-rees in Parliament.” ‘ _ THE PROSPECT. .\t the moment there is nothing on” ‘l.9e.<Llri’at:e to suggest an early 1-eali¥l ,;:‘-.t.‘=on oi‘ tliis hope. Sir Joseph Warli :-ml his colleagues, it would seem to the a\'el‘zu_ge observer, have cut tClemselves atli-it} irretrievably from the coalition, and Mr Massey on his part. is betraying no particular desire to have them back. But there are whisp--' ers in “the lobbies of armyxqernentsl whicll might make the Prime Ministe,l' indepentlent of Liberal forbearance at least for the present session of Far liament There :~:till.«is a Vae:mt seat in the (latbinet and on former occasions:

Wllvll parties have beexi evenly balanced a spare portfolio has proved extremelj; woeful in securing stability for the party in office. Two of Sir Joscph’s recent colleagues are sitting away from the front oDDoSi’tioll benches and there are one 01' fWO 1058 px-omillc.nt. “Progressives” WllO COHceivably might be induced to assist 111 the temporary I‘eViVJ.l of the Spirit 017 of the party truce.