WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 March 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

ANOTHER PARTY. THE WELFARE LEAGUE. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, March 12. The New Zealand Welfare League, which announced itself to the world at lai'tre last week as another saviour or this politically distraught country from the wicked machinations of the Kolshc.viks, at least has succeeded in arousing a good deal of curiosity concerning its constitution and purpose. The statement of its ''principles" and "objects" is sadlv unsatisfying. "-Stable Government,' 1 "sane progress,'' 'legitimate rights," "moderate opinion," ''constructive ability" and a score of stock phrases of the same kind appear her* as they have appeared in every other manifesto of the same character .since the very beginning of controversial politics, 'lint Mr 0. P. Nkerrett's acceptance of the presidency of the League must mean that this new organisation is taking itself seriously and wishes to lie taken seriously by the public.

ITS SPONSOR. The eminent King's Counsel more than once lias been approached by leaders of the Liberal Party with a view to In. during him to enter Parliament. Long ago ho might have been a legislative councillor had his inelination or his ambition lain that way. So recently as the Wellington North by-election last year he was mentioned as a candidate likely to he acceptable to both sides. But whilo taking a keen interest in the public life of the Dominion, lie steadfastly declined to he drawn into the arena himself. ' May be. he hesitated to commit himself to the endorsement of a. party in whose counsels he had had no place- That would be the wav of Ihe man with the judicial mind. But now he has found a partr with a clean slate on which be may hope to write much that may shape its course and determine its fortune.

THE APPROACHING DISSOLUTION.

But whether the Welfare League In destined to play an important part in moulding the political destiny of the country or not, it seems tolerably certain that the National .'Government Is rapidly approaching its dissolution. l->en (he Post, which was the last ot the local newspapers to discover the widespread revolt against the political expediencies of the war, is now telling its readers that the Coalition "is nearin? the end of its term" and that "a general election will h,> upon ns before (he end of the year." As a matter of fief, the party truce will automatically terminate on the signing of the treaty of ware and its spirit will survive onlv so long as the parlv leaders are away from the count-.-v. Then the old warfare will be resumed, with much of its bitterness sorie, -but with no les) earnestness than before.

THE PARTIES. People who talk of all the differences hetvoen the Reformers and the Liberals having disappeared under the beneficent influences of the "truce" and of the two old parties joining forces in opposition to Labor have strangrlv misread t),.> signs of the times. Nothing would nlease the extreme section of Labor better than a development of thw hind: but happily there is little probability of it coming about The personal relations between the old parties have vastly improved during the last four year?, but their honest political convictions are a= far apart, as ever ther were. Neither one nartv nor the other is going to allow fear of a mere handful of noisy irrcsnousib'cs to .inflict another Parliament of silence and impotence upon the country at a. time when it "needs more than ever before sane and courageous service.