WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3369, 23 December 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE AFTERMATH. " 1- THE LIBERAL LEADER. (Special Correspondent.) ’ V V - WELLINGTON, Dec. 22. "The message distributed by the Press Association from Napier on Saturday to the effect that Sor Joseph Ward did not intend to. re-enter the political arena does not represent. the attitude of the Liberal Leader quite. correctly. It is true that in declin-Q ing the chivalrous cfiers of several of’ his supporters to resign their-’ seats in his fa\'our, he’ said he could not allow; them’-to make any sacrifice 031 his account, and that he was content for the

"pl"e's‘ent to reinlain out of Parliament. )This, of course, is somewhat ditferent ‘from permanently renouncing politics.‘ Meanwhile Sir Joseph‘ is bearing himself very cheerily and looking forward.‘ ‘with keen enjoyment to a Christmas‘ holidaiy without any ofthe public cares‘ ;»he has been hearing for many years ‘past. He will remain in Wellington 'for the present, and probably will go'South‘latel‘ on to spend some weeks among lliS.,'olCl friends. ‘ - THE LIBERAL PARTY. ‘ The other niembers of the Liberal Party are accepting their defeat with the same complacency as their chief is displaying. Nothing will be done towards re-c-asting their organisation till. ..after the holidays, but it is generally expected that the Hon. W. D. S. Mac‘Donald will be invited to take the leadership. Advances with that end in view already have been made “to‘wards the ~membe_r for Bay -of Plenty by some of his colleagues in the Na\tional Government, and there is reason. «to believe he'would be the successor Sir Joseph Ward would prefer. Had he ‘cared to press his claims when Sir Joseph retired in 1912‘ he almost ‘certainly would have been selected by a. majority of the party. -He has had Ministerial experience since then, and has acquitted himself in office extra{."ol'dinarlyy well.

' T THE GOVERNMENT.‘ ' Mr Massey having secured a major-' it§"r,».fsubstlantiagqepnough to ‘carry on,_ even. if t.hel*e,§-'.~T_'Asli‘_‘<§sulcl'be"’an3;. develop. '.ments againsffihirri in‘ the-"reeo_un;ts "Atomorrow ivill not? be re_ifu‘ir'ed Parliament tC;g,e,th'er,earlier . than ‘_ the usual time, b'ut'_,.it unlil:9l\y'.___he. will bl'in§: members t'O>-<":lWellin"g't'oii‘ May, or possibly in April. Naturally, there is nlueh'curiosit.y as to theV.pi;:o='€:' ~mised ‘reconstruction of the Ministr.y_.: ‘sir William Farser will temporarilylrep main in -charge‘ of the Public Works‘ Depart»menf__, andit may be assumed: .t.hatJMr Nosworthy and Mr Oates will he confirnred in their positions. But still‘ Mr Massey will have three .«c_>f.'A fo'ur'l\/I.inisters to appoint in the near future. Some of. the newspapers -are urging him to make use of his_-strong p_osit_ion t'o;_'introduce a non-parity ele-. rnent into’ hi‘si'Cabinet,, -.but- how.’ he" should begin this “delicate experiinozifi no one has yet suggested. ’ ’ z 7 1' it " " LABO'UR JUB'IL_ANT.- ‘ r Labour, ivitlfsorne reason, rig‘ jubilant" over its heavy polling, and its accession of strength in the House. According to the figures published in the Evening» Post on Friday, which differ only in minor particulars from.‘ those given in this column, the Re-‘ fiormers have, obt-ainfldl 'tfi<ffleen more members than the votes entitled them] to, the Liberals five fewer, and the Labourites, of all complexions, ten fewer. If the votes had been equally efl'eeti\'re, the Post. contends, the new Pal'lia.m('-.”lt would lr.we_eonsisted of 29 Retorme:-s. 24. Liberals. 21 Labourites, and 2 independents, without taking hfaori members into 3 -‘ount, and with these figures staring him in the face Mr I\:[assr.-5' is too good a tactician and withal a. too fair-mirpded man to altogether disregard ‘the claims of his political opponents, ‘but how he is going to’ give eifect to them, or any material part of them, Without throwing -away the fruits of his :own victory, woon under the accepted systernof election, it’ would fake a. veritable Solomon to see. - 1