WELLINGTON NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 299, 27 May 1915, Page 2

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(Fromi Our Own Correspondent). _MOKIO COALITION TALK. Wellington, .May A little additional light is ihiown up- ! on lite coalition rumors tv an article published in til is momingr .Yew Zealand ■ Times. The, art'ude nd'.aites that, as-1 " vour correspondent staled .soiae days J ;igo, certain <lir-< ussions woe initiated i earlier in the year by ',)'Ts.m.s outside ; active, politics willi the oV,«-;t. of Uiiift- : ing the jiarty lead.-ra together in an j arrangement calculated to prevent ) avty |, strife dining the period of Hie. war. " lie | discussions were entirely inforueu and j non-committal, and it appears that they did not progress very far. 'A he party leaders were not brought together, and it would seem that the whole matter was dropped in view of the uncertainty (Tented by the election petitions. Iho prevailing opinion here, in Ministerial as well as Opposition circles, is that the (lovernment will not he ready to talk about coalition or even party truce as lone- as there remains a possibility of the 'Reform party winning liotli the seats still vacant. Jf the government succeeded in holding the Hay of Islands and winning Tauniarunni, it would have a nominal majority of four in the llonse of Representatives, including the vote of the member for the Northern Maori district. vrobably it could carry on J over the pre-ent year with such a ma- J jisrit.v, especially as the Opposition would lie unwilling to force a struggle unnecessarily while tin: war was in progress. If the (iovernment wins one r.nly of the scats, or loses them both, more may lie heard of an arrangement between the parties. This supposition infers that the .Ministers are not taking i vevv ground in considering tin* party problem, hrt it appears to .be supported 'by available evidence. The |.\v<> jitrly lenders themselves are still dumlj on the -subject, and as lav as the b ader of the Opposition is concerned the sileiu-e is easily explained. The man who !•- not in otlioe cannot tell {Tie man in <j[i : .,e how in arrange the bti-d'!e<s of Parliament without receiving ;i srt«il>, mid Sir .li.-eiih Ward always plavs the political game with a nice regard for its proprieties.

ITALY'S KXTI!A\TK. I'ntil late this afternoon the Prime Minister had received no official conlirniatiini of the <lec!ninn of war by Italy Austria, luit lie stated in nnswer to a question upon tile subject Unit the information al'eadf in liis possession assured him that the announcement made i>y the Press Association was correct. Diplomatically speakinir, the British Empire is not, directly concerned with Italy's action, though Ttaly will Fend a formal notification on the suliject to the Powers in due course. Put in practice tlie decision of tlie Italian ( ioyernment, means that Italy becomes the ally of (lie Powers of the Triple Kntente. and tlie initial declaration of war #K:iinst Austria is reriain to produce a crop of other declarations in the near future. Italy will want to opunite against, tlie Turks, in order to provide a basis for claims site will have to make when tlie fate of the Ottoman Kmpire is boinj: decided at tlie conclusion of tlie War. Germany will require to declare war aeainst Ttaly in order to clear tlie way for active co-operation with the Austria lis in t he new theatre of war. and then the smaller Palknn States will have to make up their minds quickly what they are frointr to do in order to assert themselves 'before the final day of reckoning approaches. A minor result of ail this mav be a. flood of (Jazetto notices from the office of the "Minister of Internal Affairs, but the 'points raised require the consideration of an expert in international law.

TIIR TAnrAßUxur SEAT. Oik- of tin' filets that emerged during ("o bciirinrr of the election petitions was Hint the returning officer for tlie Tnulnaruniii electorate had made a good many mistakes of one sort ami another. The evidence heard by the Court, moreover, contained suggestion that the ollieer had been an active partisan politicullv. Tinier these circumstances the Liberal candidate thought it necessary In ask that another i-ctinning officer sliould be appointed to conduct the byelection. A letter to this effect was sent to the Prime Minister, and Mr. Mnssey. in acknowledging its receipt, said in effect that the matter was beyond his jurisdiction, and that he had referred tin- rcipiest to the Public Service Commissioner. Hut since then the Cnnnnisioner lias written to the candidate statin;.' that the Public Service Hoard cannot deal with the matter un'less the officer in (picslion is Ifr-t sm< pomled by the Electoral Department, or in other wolds, by the responsible Minister. The Minister in charge of the Electoral Department is Mr. M'asscy. so the circle is complete. The latest announcement 011 the subject is that the returning oliicer is to remain where he is, but a high-placed official from til© head office of tin- Electoral Department ,is to stay in the electorate d living the course 01 the election campaign in order lo ."co thai everything runs smoothly. 'I lie situation has its amusing aspect. There is in Taumaruiuii a man who was licensed in court, during the hearing of the electoral petition, 'of having voted twice at the general election. This individual h now the proud possessor of a complete acquittal, in the form of a notice fr the returning oliicer to the effect that his name has been removed from the roll in consequence of his haying failed to record his vote at the last election.