WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3464, 19 April 1920, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE LIBERAL PARTY.

“ITS SUCCESS IN BRUCE.

if (Special Correspondent.)

VVELLINGTON, April 16.

The Hon. W. D. MacDonald, supgplementing this morning an interview ‘to the Pl-e.ss’Associatic: yesterday, said he regarded the success of Mr Edie in the Bruce by-election as a significant indication of the trendof public opinion throughout the country. As ‘far as his previous records extend, the seat had been held by the Conservatives and Reformers continuously since 1890. He thought it had been"‘held by the opponents of Liberalism much longer. At. any rate, :1 Con‘servative. Mr J. W. Thomson, was returned in 1890 and when he resigned in 1892. he was succeeded by Sir James Allen, who at the general election had been ousted from -the Dunedin seat that first gave him a place in Parliament. Sir James had represented the‘ the constituency ever since, and had served it no doubt faithfully and Well, but the political principles he represented had gradually lost their hold upon the electors, and now they had been repudiated altogether. POLITICAL PARTIES. Mr MacDonald did not wish ‘for a‘ moment to suggest that the return of Mr Edie had i’nip‘ail‘-ed Mr Massey’s strength in the ,House or his hold upon the Treasury Benches. But it had to be remembered that seventeen or eighteen of the Prime Ministcr’s supporters were “minority” representani tives, and that Mr Massey held office. against the wish of a, very largbl majority of the electors -in the coum: try. These facts were slowly dawu;-;-Ling upon the public, and long beforen. the next appeal to the constituencies, came r_ol_lnd there would be an insistentdemand for some electoral system that would ensure ’ majority rule.’ liean». while it was only natural the elcqtozgsc should resent. the gel'ry.rnanclering of-r the law that ‘has practically dist‘;-an-V chised more than three-fifths of them. {His own personal preference. was for; proportional reprcsen‘-tation, but pre-3 ferential voting, as set out in the late 1 ‘Dr. M_cNab’s Absolute Majority Bill would be a. vast improt-‘ernent upon the present system. am: would ensure the country against s;-.«:h a shocking e_:;amp_:q cf ::;i;'r(:‘r2rc:‘.f:{.-_tz*.§io.ll as it had to-day. A L I

‘L‘”L"B‘ERA'L COOPERATION. ; The Liberal Leader. smiled when’:shown the suggestion of the Dominion this morning, that he was angling for a position in ‘Ehe Cabinet under the leadel'ship of Mr Massey. “Mr Massey and I,” he §aid, “are very good personal friends, and I would no more-L fthink of making“ any personal refleéi" rlllon upon him Than he would think of ' making any‘pel"solTal reflection up.o,rfs' me; but it would take another vel'yl‘oigi* war to draw me into 3. Cabinet‘§ii‘r'ldé"f' Reform leadership. One ex"fJel'iénc'eU'bf)' that kind has been enough for nle',"a'l'fd7V I ‘doubt if any of my Liberal 'coll'eal gnes would be willing to repeat the: ex?périmenlt. . Coalition on equdlriljerifllfiisfl all very well for 3. party tH'.<l'ti"i\'.‘-Is;lnlT':s to stand still, but for the party'{=Th£l'f'-'7 wishes to progress it is‘ simplyiinh-”dleTfis able.” But while holding t.his'7Cviefio enlphaticzllly and unaltel'ablf,"Z\[i”l\lfa.fis Donald desires it to -be uxlaér'st'éiod-rlhasrto he. is ready to co~operate‘eoriiiziiljvffifxftlf earnestly with Mr Illas”s'ey"":‘{fi?_l “lfli'§> friends in dealing with the :;r,rf°(?llff"fi§o tional problems now calling “al"rfil(l"‘i’3(‘?i7 solution. . NEVVSPAPER CO.;\]:ME’l_\'T."' 4

The Evening Post Vyni'ils tl{é ('}i3'VWr>}i='-‘-ment =agains’c' thinking too‘,-‘.Tig'“‘l"u'E]y"="—‘(')‘f.§',‘ the rebuif it ‘has 'recoiv_e_d in ’r‘h"e"'Bl"li"e'é-’ electorate. “If the defeat (Tcies’“n6o‘ have a tonic effect upon the Cabillet',7”“ it says, “Ministers-will htrw underestimated :the situation. _l_f,,_woll the other hand, itstirs them up, will not have been lost in vain, '._l‘_here certainly is need for Ministei-s t3:<'i'<slll’e"‘i'i_l closer grip with the esselltAi§L‘T°§i'sb?slHs*’ of . reconstruction. _ For t:h;e”"7'[.iCY)’el‘{iié3,v Btruce is 9. distinct eneoufa';;reiiiesr?t.ditV may serve to recall the faliigf. of’E§‘§‘9‘%’~ and the spider.” The Doniini3n9€fi9fl§( with the matter less seriously. “WH995 the country needs;” it says, “is just the new blood to tvhich Ml‘ M:Lr:Donal3 takes exception. Perhtfis§srlle Li~beral Leader will explain how we will ob*té.in_ it if novices in ofl‘ic'é :n'e-’-rf/:i”v'Be ruled out. With his"'suggestion'th:rti' the reconstruction of the Cubinetr should be completed at the ea.l'lies't‘ -‘possible date we fully a'§i'ee.”“-~'--Ml-.-MB.cDonald’s~point was that the Cafb'i-'. net consisted of young men ‘jus"¢--§erri'v-ing, and old men just leaving.. The D_ominion’s retort is quite IV"*lthin‘l':he‘ rules. ‘ 3;‘,