WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3550, 12 August 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

PARTIES IN PARLIAM EN T‘

WHERE THEY STAND.

(Special Correspondent")

WELLINGTON, Aug. 1;

The new House of Reps. having been in session for seven weeks it is fairly obvious thelparties of which tilt is composed whether for good or for ill, are on the verge of the melting pot. The system ofvelection which gave Mr Massey his large majority, also gave his opponents a considerable measure of independence. Deprived of their leader by the ‘electors of Awarua the Liberals find thenfielves heldtogether onlly. lby somewhat loosely defined principles, to which they do not all subscribe withoutcertain reservations. The position so far as they are concerned is complicated by thefact that Mr Massey -has con‘ceded’ many of the reforms for which they were contending at the election of 1914 and to this extent has effectually spiked some of the heavy guns with which they were assailing the G-overnnienifs position. I A THE MISSING MAN. Another factor in the creéition of Ithe present unique position is the lack ‘of a. bold constructive mind on the Opposition side of the House. In this lrespect, of course, the Government is little better .:off than the Opposition, ‘but it happens to have possession of the Treasury Benches and the ser’vices of a leader ready in debate,‘ skilled in tactics and capable of adjusting ‘himself to the exigencies of the party game. He may not hold «ofiice by the will of a majority of the electors, but no leader has shown greater ability in conserving a_ majority in Parliament. The,Opposition has no such asset. Mr W .D_ S. MacDonald is ‘convinced and honest, but he has not ‘the subtle arts of the politician and at the moment there is no other pos!si‘hle leader in sight. I THE LABOUR PARTY.

i In these circumstances the hopes of 'the Liberal Party must be deferred at least till another appeal to the electors. Its mission for thepresent Will be to exercise a. constitutional check on a. Government whose greatest strengthiies in its big battalions. Of|ficial Labour ,is in no better case, {though it would have a-. credulous pubHie believe it is the one progressive ifnrce in the House and already the ;sole custodian of all the democratic traditions. That may be the ultimate‘ destiny of a genuine Labour Party, but before the present tiny group oan reach the goal to which it is aspiring it must purge itself from the affecta—tinn and pretence that discount all its powers for usefulness. Its leader, designated its cliairman. is “the person"ification of all its politi.cal'*cieWs. Mr ellolland‘ is intolerant. self-centred, tactless and on most subjects that really matter. poorly‘ informed. At‘ the moment he serves as one of lithMasseyrfs greatest assets. ‘ V mm NEW LIGHT.

Since the opening of the seissisoqf a. new light has appeared‘ on the political horizon_ The Independents of all ‘p:n't_V colours have been drawn iogefher and”: have i-‘mined tlvem-.=,:e'Jves into the nucleus of a comhinafion which before the nroi-ogatioii 2332:.‘ he fhe ‘mosf effecfive check imposed myon the Governinent. Independence of the kind thaf is f:llked‘at eleciion time has fallen info some disi-epufe in recent years. but independence of the kind fhaf dares ‘co asserf itself in the House is becoming increasinsrlv popular. The parfy is not formed of mere visionaries who demand the impossible and obtain nothing at all: bin of sane pracfical men like DlflNeWm:»n and other old carnpaignei-:-: who ‘mew what they want and how to go about getting it It is 3» protest against the po»li’ric-.al evils of the lime which is bound to awaken a sympathefic echo in the counh'y.. _\_