WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3450, 1 April 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE LIBERAL LEADER.

POLITICS AND PARTIES.

(Special Correspondent-.)_

VVELLINGTON, I-\l:lrch 31

The Hon. VV. D. S. .'vL¢.lC.|/Uliald h; s been Suffering a good deal Ir-om his .11jured arm since 1-lx I'Btlll'llcd. to nel-I lington three weeks ago, and in not even yet able to give ‘ any pi-monged attention to his duties as leader of the Liberal Party. An hour or two a day in his room in Parliament buildings receiving visitors and dealing with his more urgent correspondence is as muchtas he can manage at present without absolutely flouting the orders of his medical adviser. But resting this afternoon, having completed his taley or work for the day, he chatted interestingly with a representative of the “Times,” on the political situationand the party prospects. While he does not admit that the present Government represents the deliberate choice of a majority, of the electors, Mr MacDonald frankly re~ cognises that Mr Masey. and his colleagues are the men _in possession and entitled to the legitimate fruits of their victory. “Mr Massey and his friends must bear the blame for the existence of a system that permits of minority rule,” he said. “Sir Joseph Ward’s second ballot, perhaps, was not an ideal system, but it at. least secured the representation of majorities. When the R-eforme'rs came into office and abolished this system, Mr Massey promised on their behalf to provide something better. The ‘reversion to the old system certainly has proved‘ very much better for his own party. but I should not like to imply this was what he had in his mind at the time. We shall not mend matters by imputing improper motives to our opponents, but weought to“have their assistance in bringing about reform.-” This is a commonsense View of the position, quite characteristic of the man. I

Mr MacDonald does not accept without very considerable modification the popular-view that. the _first dutyhof an Opposition is to oppose. He ‘would rather put it that the first duty of an Opposition is to criticise, and its last resource to oppose. Opposition merely for opposition’s= sake he regards as futile, even politically immoral. Ninetenths of the politicians i_n this country, he thinks, are more honest than people believe them to be. Differences of opinion, are not necessarily dilfcrences in sincerity, or ’in zeal for the public welfare, but differences in judgment and points of view. While holding this charitable opinion of his fellows, however, Mr MacDonald does not discount‘ the value of a strong vigilant Opposition. P ' “This conntizy glias a very critical time before it,” he went on to say. “I am no pessimist, and I am no prophet of evil, butlrealise, as every observant thinking man must, that the Parliament just elected has bigger tasks before it than any other New Zealand Parliament ever faced. Finance, land settlement, production, industrial reorganisation, all are tremendous problems, involving scores of other problems, scarcely less important, and they have to be tackled now, not ten or twenty years hence, and upon the courage and ‘prudence with which they are handled will depend in a great measure the happiness and prosperity, not. only of this generation, but also of generations to come. Reconstruction must mean, -not merely getting back to old conditions, but the

making of a new World, a better world than the one that went into the melting pot with the war.” With the grave responsibilities resting upon the present Parliament Mr MacDonald hopes to see all party bitterness and all fa”ct.ious opposition laid aside. Difl°.erlenc.es of opinion there must be, and for his part he stands for the great Liberal principles as sturdily as ever he did, but/the eternal struggle between the “ins” and the “outs” over matters that may be of little or no consequence to gm country should cease. He does not wish his attitude to be misunderstood. There will be an Opposition in the new Parliament, he hopes a very strong and effective Opposition, and it will fight. to the very last ditch against anything in the Way of legislation or administration it eonsiders inimical to the best--"interests of the country and its people. But it will not fight. simply for the purpose of em-bzu-rassing the Government nor for its own personal aggrandisement.' That is, at any rate,— his own view of what progressive electors will expect from the Liberal and Labour Opposition in the new Parliament.

“The great need of the country,” Mr MacDonald said, in conclusion, “is .a united effort towards increased and more economic production. To secure this we must widen the opportunities of the mass of the people. pu_t.them .in a position to.bezu'..their share. of “the countr_v’s burdens, make the rural life more attra.ctive;"d‘aro 11$ 'be"really progrcssivo in land settlement_and\puhAlic_work_‘s, and encourage the spirit of

pan-iot.ism “that expresses itself in hard work and personal and national achievement. Given these things there will be no fear either for ‘the present or for the future.”