Government Win.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 207, 29 February 1912, Page 5

Government Win.

ON CASTIXG VOTE OF THE SPEAKER THE XO-CONFIDENCE MOTION. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. After the result of the division (39 all) was known, Mr. Speaker (Sir Arthur uumness) announced -that in accordance with the invariable practice, when the House was equally divided, it became his duty to cast his vote in favor of the Government on the benches.

> LEADERS' AMENITIES. " I DON'T GRUDGE THE WIN." "I take opportunity," said Mr. Massey before the House adjourned, "of congratulating the Prime Minister on his win. (Applause.) I do not grudge it to him m the slightest., I think he Will admit we have (put up a good fight. Unfortunately we were not able to stand up against the influences brought to bear. (Dissent and laughter.), I venture to predict next time a want of confidence motion comes before the House it will not be decided on the casting vote of the Speaker." 6

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S ACKNOWLEDGMENT. ' ,

"A GOOD FIGHT."

Sir Joseph Ward was warmly applauded on rising. He said: -I thank the Leader of the Opposition sincerely for hjs kmd congratulations, which he has been good enough to 'extend to me and I can assure him that I recognise his side put up a good fight, concerning Which I can express no imputations of any sort or kind. On this side we have put up l< good fight. (Hear, hear.) OPENING THE EYES OF LABOR. I want to'take the opportunity of savin" that I recognise that the win upon' the casting vote of Mr. Speaker has been due to the opening of the eyes of the Labor party throughout this country. (Hear, hear.) I want to point out,to.my friends on this side of the House, while thanking every section of'the party for their assistance in a very trying time under many difficulties, for the honorable way in which they have stood by the Government. I thank them very heartily indfeed, and I wish also to say I realise to the full the import of the decision arrived at by the House. It is not the mere fact that the Government party and those who voted with them are in a majority on the casting vote of the Speaker. It is the fact that throughout the country large numbers of people for various reasons thought it desirable to lessen their support to Government candidates, and a split which existed did immense harm. THE NEXT OCCASION. / I also venture to predict that on the next occasion when we have, a divisioif it will not be on the casting vote of the Speaker, but it will be by the masses of the people recognising the narrow escape they had from the arms of the vultures.

Mr. Massey: The arms of the vultures? (Laughter.) Sir Joseph: I should have eaid their claws. It is the recognition by all those sections of the community outside Parliament that they will in the future, as in the past, irrespective of the personnel of the men at the head, that they will not make the mistake of having such a narrow escape from the time of the old Tory rule/ The hon. gentlemen opposite says he has seen the.writing on the wall, and on the next occasion it will be a substantial majority Mr. Payne: Of Labor members. Sir Joseph: I hope this will be the forerunner of much valuable work for every .section of the, community. (Loud applause,)

At 12.15 a.m. tlie House rose until 2.30 p.m. on Thursday.

THE; CLOSING SCENE. A THRILL IN THE HOUSE, (By Telegraph.—Special to News.) \ Wellington, Wednesday. Mr Hanan took up,: the running with great vigor. He quoted returns to show that the Fisher quotation was wrong, th® right reading was not .100,000 acres but £IOO,OOO unimproved value and read the particulars of the taxation raised. He addressed an impassioned appeal to Labor to stand by the Liberal party. A few words from Mr Buddo, and then came the division at 11.25. There was a dead silence, and a thrill as members filed out. Presently came the verdict—39 to 39, a tie. Veitch went with the Opposition and Atmore with the Government. Mr Speaker rose up, and explained the position, declared what was the customary duty, and did it by giving his casting vote for the Government. There was not a murmur anywhere or a cheer. Tile: address was passed, and the Privilege Committee was given an extension of time for its work. ' The Premier moved the adjournment t'ill Thursday. Mr Massey followed with sincere congratulations to the Government on their win. , Sir Joseph Ward reciprocated and at 12.5 the House rose. Thus ended thei most important political chapter in the past 21 years.

HOW IT WAS WON. OPPOSITION'S INEFFECTIVE TACTICS. AWAKENING OF LABOR. Wellington, Last Night. Quiet talk is the order of the day today. The Opposition admit their disappointment, and it is hard to be beaten at the post after a race of twenty years. Everybody admits that Mr. Massey put up a good fight during the past week, and that he also put up a good fight for the whole period of cold shade during which lie commanded the party. 'He sees this morning no outlet except by a dissolution, but is quite aware that no one wants such a thing, and everyone will do his level best to avoid it. '

The division, of course, does not represent the real state of parties, for "with Mr. Veitch free from his pledge the Government majority becomes two, and with Mr. Wilford back in June the party has the rigljt to expect to face the enemy with a majority of three. Some there are who expect more. They have it that several of the Opposition are discontented with the leadership of Sir. Massey, which they blame for the defeat. There are men who went to the Opposition side in the hope of finding refuge from political chaos in a coalition. They are said to begin to see that the coalition they can< bring about by joining the Libel ais 011 the land taxing question which divides the Opposition is their best course. I should not, for one, be surprised to see the Government party next June greatly strengthened from this source..

This brings me to the policy t)f the Government party. A reconstruction is more than in the air. It is a matter of definite announcement, and there is further talk of more retirements from Cabinet rank. Who is to lead, and who are to be.Ministers? That is a question of the same meaning as "To be or not to be " It is said with growing force that*

the caucus will make an effort to femßH mously ask Sir J. G. Ward to rafflfSj sider his decision, and undoubtedly*smH§jn is a strong force of the hold that to be the only possible t tion. It will certainly avoid ■ exposiHlfaSll flank to the enemy by under untried ben. " v On the other handj it will lay the"ffi||ll vernment open to many .ctiticVrai painful kind. The safest come, if' I Prime Minister refuses to recotisMiM™ ■ and 1 think it certain that he ' refuse—is, iii the opinion bf many, fM ' the caucus to elect the leader 1 mously, and then elect his witt|l| • as great a majority as possible, 1 eo 3 to send the party along with a) structed Cabinet and policy to which tragi whole party is committed. ' ', £S|jß In th.e case of the policy, that will'SpjH course be rather more Radical,, but h6wj|| it can be more so it is diffl-;i| cut, in the light of the Labor xaeqJijjH speeches, during the ( debate, to unij^||g The victory is attributed to t}fe|3 awakening of Labor outside and to discovery of the error it made in 'tt&aM garding the Opposition as the ark refuge and the Government as the-ibeMS trayer which so many Labor men caile<|jff| it during the course of the campaign; M The speaking also was a factor, as 1 Opposition lost by their tactics of replying to the challenges, s o£ which debate was mainly composed, 'i The new|B| men spoke' also ' remarkably. welly anfliSH contributed to the result in that wayaffl as. well as by their votes, but the victo%||B as a whole is put down to the awakes-l§B ing of Labor, and that means thatJLabofcsS will return ty the old alliance with eralism which endured so long and such good results. The caucus, it hoped, will consolidate the posiiioij the way suggested above. By thaji timejt|| the House will have been prorogued say about Saturday, and the recess bo spent in preparing to face the "battle'i||