"WAIT AND SEE."

Taranaki Daily News, 26 June 1915, Page 8

"WAIT AND SEE."

THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK. (By wire—Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Last Night. A clmt with half a dozen of members v of Parliament rather confirmed the iin- I jiression previously indicated in this letter, that the session will bo brief and, comparatively sneaking, uneventful. Men 011 both sides of the House are openly averse to anything ill tho nature of party fighting at the present juncture, and if Mr. Massey can secure a majority, even of one vote, at an early division, lie is likely to be left free to develop his legislation without much in- \ terferencc from tho Opposition. But there is 110 certainty on the point. Anything might happen during the first fewdays of tho session. Though the Ministers will not admit it, the fact remains that their majority will not be definitely , established until Mr Tail Henare has indicated his intentions in a public way. The Native member is generally expected to vote with the Oovernment, but expectation is n shaky foundation for a political party to build upon. Your correspondent has an impression that the situation will be cleared up to some extent before the end of the week by statements from the two part}' leaders, but no definite information is available regarding the intentions of Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward in that respect. Both tho Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition refuse to bo drawn by the newspaper men, and content themselves with rather vague assurances that all is well with their respective parties. ''Surely the two leaders have met an.l talked the situation over?" said one of. tho new members in the course of conversation to-day. It would bo interesting to be able to answer that question, but if there have been any discussions they have not been carried on under the eyes of the reporters. Earlier in the year, as your correspondent indicated in a previous letter, some persons out-'* side the political arena did make an attempt to bring the party leaders together, or, at least, to discover a basis of consultation, with the object of averting the danger of political Strife during the war period. The attempt failed, and one does not hear of its having been renewed. A friendly talk between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition is not quite the simple matter that some laymen might think it to be. Each leader is the servant as well as the head of his party, and there are many interests to be considered and many issues to be weighed. It has to be remembered, 100, that the driving force of national necessity is not bcliiul the demand for the suspension of party warfare in this country, since New Zealand is well outside the war area and is bearing its share of the Empire's burdon in accordance with a definite plan that is not likely to bo disturbed by anything that may happen in Parliament. All that one can say with certainty is that the first move towards a conference would have to come from the man at tho head of affairs, that is, Mr Massey, and that anything done, by tho party leaders would have to be reported to and ratified by the party caucuses which are to meet within tho next day or two. Meantime the newspaper men at any rate have resigned themselves to "wait and see."