The Daily News. SATURDAY JULY 1, 1905. UNITY OF POLICY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7861, 1 July 1905, Page 2

The Daily News. SATURDAY JULY 1, 1905. UNITY OF POLICY.

The preliminary skirmish which usually forms the prelude to the work of each session of Parliament was this year conspicuous by its absence. After the short speeches of the mover and seconder of the Address-in-Reply, and some very feeble utterances by the U-ader of the Opposition, the debate collapsed, leaving the House in the desirable position of being at once able to go on with its more serious business. There was certaintainly do excuse for prolonging the debate, as the Governor's Speech contained nothing of a controversial nature, being singularly free from jetirielements. The general opinion is that the Governor's Speech was a mere lertel of the pie-sessional utterance* of Ministers, but it was reserved for Mr Massey to discover that Ministers had been reading his speeches and had adopted his plat- j hum, "for the Governor's Speech contained the ideas he had put forward." If we are to take Mr Massey ! seriously for once in a way, then the conclusion to he drawn from his remarks is obvious. There is no longer an Opposition. The lion is peacefully iii-Uning in the fold with the lamb, and an eia of political peace has dawned. Was this, we wonder, the reason for that strict secrecy with which the proceedings at the Opposition caucus arc enveloped ? Did they meet to shed tears of anguish over iheir Inst vocation, or to chide their leader fnr his indiscretion We cannot say ; the veil of silence fortunately covers the caucus and hides Horn the world the pleasures or horrors of the meeting as completely as can be desired. Meanwhile, the colony is afforded the unusual spectacle , of a Government in such complete arcord with the Opposition that the latter blazon forth to the country that the policy of the foimer is actually boirowed, stolen or appropriated frou their political antagonists, i This should certainly presage a prolonged tenure of office for the present, ■ Government, as they may now he i considered to have on their side the s whole of the electors whose views are worth considering One would have hardly thought, on comparing the prc- . srssnmal speeches of the leaders ol bulh parties, that there was so close a resemblance of policy that one should have been mistaken for tin other ; nor to ordinary minds is it conceivable that the leaders of each side should have thought it necessary to expend so much labour anil energy in enlightening the electors as to the merits and demerits of their ■espectivc policies if there was such identity of views. Whatever the cause may be that has accomplished such a mctamorphis, wr cannot but congratulate Mr Masse) on his skill as a lighteuiug change artist, but we ■ (ear he has not sufficient stamina to sustain his present role, and that ere r long, like the giant in the fable, he ' will have changed from the cat into the lion. The situation is unique and intensely flattering to the Premier. If, however, there is a cunning device in this dove-like move, the Government are noi at all likely to I be caught do/.ing in faUc security. The neal approach of the general election is of iUeli a sufficient factor in keeping them on the alert against surprises, however ingeniously they . may I*- masked. At the s. lle time there is a certain amount of grim humour in the situation, which, from , an Opposition point of view, must have quite a burlesque element in it. We can afford 10 smilf at the cuiious 'Bin which cu nts have fdki n, anil further developments should be most . tntere»lijjg. Logically the Opposition his t-east-i I a exist It has been in .1 mole or lest jiioiibumi stale for souie years, but jl was hardly expected that the merit sp.irfc animation which has been in eiiihace was only the last flicker pleading dissolution. If, phocrux-like>*ffTiSSul(l rise from its ashes, we trust it will have been purgrd of .-*uic of its hlafant errors V and methods, so that it aiay than retard the progress ; it may |Loiisrr'c^^^^^|B ; *rt-<litU , g the and policy do