THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 183, 9 January 1912, Page 4

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Tihe Premier lms. made;* his promised statement.*- It is to the? effect that he is calling j Parliament 1 'together :in the middle of next month. -Sir Joseph Ward has undoubtedly token the right course, and we are glad that he has not heeded the advice of' those misguided- friends who havje 'been urging him to defer eallftig Parliament together until the. ordinaiy ■fjime or after "the close of the financial; year.- With the parties so even, with- the position of the Government so - uncertain, the Premier had no other alternative to the one he has taken. Sir-Joseph says that after fully j inquiring' into the situation in all its bearings, he has-assurances that "on a want of ..confidence motion .the Government will have a small majority. From our reading of ■ the position) he can only have a majority by some of the Laibor and Independent candidates going .back on their election pledges. It may be that these pledges refer only to the party as led by Sir Joseph Ward, and that the! position would be- different were he to drop out for another leader. In this ease, the Government may be able to carry on. But to - our thinking, such a position would be entirely unsatisfactory and could l not last very long. T}ie Wellington- Dominion, the mouthpiece of the Opposition, gives the Opposition a majority of four on a noconfidence motion. But even a majority of four, and these four comprising men out of sympathy with much of the platform of the Opposition party, does not make for stability or permanence of government. The only chance of Mr. Massey succeeding for any length of time is in attracting to his side some of the more independent members of the present Government. That he will have an opportunity of forming a government there seems little doubt; that, however, he will ibe able to occupy the Treasury benches for long is a matter entirely in the hands of Dame Fortune. Sir Joseph vSard is to be congratulated on rising to the occasion and taking a broad—and •wreot—,view of the duty he owes at the present juncture to the country.