WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3578, 14 September 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE PAETIES.

SOME STORIES

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 13

A number ux more or loss hypeiOoAc .stories are in circulation suggesting grave dissensions vvitaiu the ranks of me Liberal Party. One of them aJ-

ivges, with a wealth of detail, that *>xi\ v\ ilforci was elected leader on a eaten' vote, not more than half the members of the party being present at the caucus or having had an opportunity to attend. Some colour is given to this story by what happened in the Louse of Representatives on Friday night, when Mr. George Witty on being reminded that his party I‘eader

had agreed to an arrangement/ of which he was disaproving retorted that Air. Wilford was not his leader. It seems probable now, however, that

the member fo!r Eiccarton intended merely to protest against any leader being allowed to abrogate the right of a private member to discuss the Estimates in any way he pleased, not to renounce his allegiance to the Liberal Party. THE NEWT LEADER. But whether Mr. Witty is satisfied or not with the new Liberal Leader, there appears to be no easy alternative to Mr. Wilford. To begin with, the member for Hutt has the great advantage of having been nominated acting leader of the party during the late Air. W. D S MacDonald’s temporary absence from Wellington Air. Air. AlacDonald’s judgment, everyone recognises, is entitled to respect. Then Air. Forbes and Air. Sidey, whose whose claims to promotion were at least as 4 strong as those of Mr. Wil-' ford, made it known they were not candidates for the position. On his own account, the member for Hutt f is recognised as one of the readiest and most capable debaters in the House, and with comparative youth he has more than twenty years’ experience of the inside of Parliament. These are assets of no mean order. THE REFORMERS.

In view of what has happened, since it is interesting to recall that, when Mr. Wilford was suggested as a member of the National Cabint Mr. Massey objected to his inclusion among the nominees of Sir Joseph Ward. Just what objection the Prime Minister urged against this vigorous young man, the public was not permitted to know, but apparently it had disappeared three years later when a vacancy in the Ministry occurred and his name again was' submitted to ,the head of the Government. Perhaps Mr. Massey had coine to recognise in the interval that the hustling %vays and vigorous speech of Mr. Wilford were typical of the new conditions createcTby the war and that they were compelling recognition from those in authority. In this connection the difference between Mr. Massey’s, old colleagues and' his new has a very striking significance. LABOUR. Though Mr. Wilford all through his political career has been well disposed towards Labour, and never more so than at the present time, Mr. Holland and his colleagues of the Official Labour Party are not yet showing any disposition to draw nearer to the Liberal Party under its new leader than it did under its old. As a matter of fact the late Mr. MacDonald commanded respect and regard from all sections of the Labour Party‘and Mr. Wilford will be fortunate should he continue to stand as well with them as did his predecessor. Meanwhile the Official Labour Party remains one of Mr. Massey’s greatest assets, in that it hoops alive the haunting fea,r of extreme socialism, direct action and the rest, and commends Reform as the only safe refuse in the country’s hour of peril. And Mr. Massey, it must be admitted, is handling the position extraordinarily well.