WELLINGTON TOPICS.
THE IiIiTOENING MINISTERS. TROUBLES AWAITING THEM. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, May 25. The authoritative announcement that Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward are now on tlieir way homo has set tho tongues of the political gm-.-dps wncging with redoubled energy, iu::! niiin.v and strange are th£ storie. l - t;r impending events flying about the ;ty. Perhaps the strangest of them a' ! repeated' with quite an impressive i> r f of circumstantial detail, tells o\ ' arrangement made between Mr. M'.t 6i ' #nd Sir Joseph. by which the former 4 to return to London almost iramediiU'' as a sort of glorified High Commissi" with a seat in the War Council and 1 latter is to remain in the Dominioi 'o unite the progressiva forces in a) '-'-u political parties under the safe ana eminently respectable banner of Moderate Liberalism. Of coutse, all this is the flimsiest invention of the gossips. There are a hundreds reasons why Mr. Massey should not wish to take up his permanent residence in London, and at least as many why Sir Joseph should not eare to ta'ke a hand in mobilising the forces of the conflicting political parties. PRESSING PftjOBLE&S.'
w ben the party leaders reach the Dominion they will find a number of very knotty problems demanding their serious attention. The loyalty and patriotism and military spirit of the country, in the best sense have remained unimpaired during their absence. . They have, indeed, been strengthened and proved. But as the people have grown accustomed f:o war conditions they have' become more confident of themselves and less disposed to accept the National Government as the embodiment of all the administrative wisdom and virtue existing in the community. AH this is sure to be reflected in the attitude of members when Parliament meets next month. They will want to know a great deal more about the administration of the Defence Department, for instance, than the Minister in charge has told them during and they will not be put off by the diplomatic phrases which served the purpose of the Government well enough last session.
THE HOME PRECEDENT. In insisting upon their rights and privileges in this respect memberß will be encouraged and justified by what has happened at Home. Mr. Lloyd George and his colleagues have not pleaded reasons of policy for withholding information to which the Mother of Parliaments and the people it represents are fairly entitled. They have not resented reasonable criticism, and they have not suppressed constitutional protests. There can bo no sane objection to the exercise of the same measure of toleranee in New Zealand, where the Germans cannot be encouraged by a conscientious effort to make the assistance' the Dominion is giving to the Allies more effective and tho local conditions more satisfactory. That, at any rate, is the view of many members of the House of Representatives who remained silent last session and who are determined to have their say this year.
: THE LABOR POSITION. The good news from the West Coast of the South Island concerning tho better temper of the miners there will not be without its effect upon Parliament. The wild utterances of the extreme section of the Labor Party, consisting of only two or three members who made up in noise what they lacked in discretion, really were of the greatest assistance to the Government last session in saving its legislation and administration from pointed criticism, members on both sides of the House, if sides still remain, refrained from making more than the mildest protests against measures of which they disapproved simply because they feared being identified with tactics that would discredit them with their constituents and the country. Their attitude may not have 'been very heroic, but in the circumstances it was very natural. The improved bearing of the men who are said to give the extremists their inspiration ought to change all this and gain much active support in the House for their legitimate aspirations.
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Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1917, Page 2
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662WELLINGTON TOPICS. Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1917, Page 2
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