THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1919, Page 5

THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

MEMBERS CONGREGATING. PARTY CAUCUSES TO BE HELD. By Wire.—Own Correspondent. Wellington, Last Night. Members uro gathering in Wellington (rapidly, and there will lie • fairly full muster for to-morrow, when Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward each intend to meet their followers in caucus. The Liberal caucus was to have been held to-day, but the members had not all readied Wellington. The prospects of the session will.be declared after the caucuses have met. Mr Massey has not got a working majority on paper, but lie is better off than Sir Joseph Ward in this respect, and some Liberal members will suggest that their caucus should undertake to give the Government reasonable facilities and refrain from raising a confidence issue. Sir Joseph Ward prob-' ably would be inclined to follow this course, since he would defeat the Government only by accepting the. aid of the Labor Party. The Reform Party in the House, with Sir Frederick Lang in the Speaker's chair, represents 39 votes. Colonel Rhodes is still absent, b*ut presumably culd get away. The Liberal, IndepemU-.a, nnd Labor members number 40, but these figures, it should be understood, are not conclusive. Many things have happened since the last party division was taken in the Houee, and the 40 members composing the groups opposed to Mr. Massey include several members who have indicated that they will not vote to defeat the Manspy Government, if the alternative is a Government dependent upon tho support of the extreme Labor section. Another point is that Labor members are looking at the situation from a tactical point of view, and would rather have Afr. Massey in offloe than Sir Joseph Ward, owing to the election campaign. If the Government should be defeated early in the session, Mr. Massey would resign. The Governor would then send for Sir Joseph, but the liberal leader could not accept office except on condition that a general election took place nt once, since he would have no majority of bis own. Both parties realise that certain business of a pressing nature is to be dealt with by Parliament before the general election. The circumstances suggest that the Liberals will be disposed to give facilities to the Government for the conduct of essential work. It is generally expected that Mr. Massrv will announce the names' of tho new Ministers on Mondav. but it would not be altogether surprising if he deferred the. announcement. His Ministers could carry on during the session if necessary, and it is obvious that Mr. Mnß«oy has r rather embarrassing task in the selection of three or four Reform members for elevation to ministerial rank. The fecli.ng in the party is that the reconstruction of the Ministrv ought to go further than the mere filling of vacancies caused by the retirement of the Liberal Ministers. Some other retirements are going to take place, but thev mav be delayed till after the session, since Ministers at present in office niitmnllv wish to make their own reports fo Parliament. Tf extreme reconstruction of the Ministrv took place immedintelv. an adjournment to enable the few Ministers to take up the reins of office would be almost unavoidable. BREAK UP OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. OPINION IN THE EMPIRE CITY. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Aug. 25. The break-up of the National Government is still the one topic of conversation in political circles. Mr. Masaey's friends are complaining that Sir Joseph Ward has placed the Prime Minister and his Reform colleagues at a graye disadvantage in withdrawing from the Cabinet on the eve of a session of Parliament without giving them longer notice of his intention to do so. They contend that the resolution adopted by the Liberal caucus some months ago, with the concurrence of Sir Joseph, that the Liberals should contest the general election as a separate party with an independent policy did not provide for the course that has been taken, and that it was reasonable to assume the "truce" would be maintained till after the approaching session or, at any rate, till urgent uncontroversial legislation had been passed. MR. MASSEY CARRIES ON. Mr. Massey admits that the withdrawal of the Minister of Finance and his Literal colleagues at the present juncture will place an enormous amount of unexpected work upon the regaining Ministers and occasion them some inconvenience, but he is not whining about the matter, and is not anticipating it will entail any very serious interruption of business. Tho preparation of the Budget is the big additional burden falling upon the shoulders of the Primo Minister himself, and this, of course, can be left largely to the heads of the Departments if the new occupant. of the office is content to (leal with facts alone and to leave the "trimmings." for a later opportunity. Mr. Myers, the- Acting Minister of Finance, has published a wealth of information during the absence' of his chief which in itßclf constitutes a very, admirable review of the country's finances. ■'; "'. <1; THE LIBERAL LEADER'S VIEW. Sir Joseph Ward warmly disavows any wish or intention to embarrass Mr..Massey and lljt colleagues by retiring from the Cabitifi;.; He sincerely hopes the termination of the truce will facilitate the business of the approaching session and hasten the time when the electors will exercise the voice to which they are entitled in the government of the country. The agreement between the parties was to endure till the termination of the war, a much -desired consummation which was readied on the signing of the Peace Treaty. To extend its term over the general election, as his critics seem to wish, would be to flout the constitutional rights of the constituencies. Public opinion appears to be much divided on the whole question. So far as can be judged, a certain number of Reformers who have been expressing themselves as well disposed towards Sir Joseph Ward are now resuming their old party relations with Mr. Massey. On the other hand, progressive people'who were I not over favorable towards Sir Joseph, 1 largely on account of his associitfto&Mth the National Government, are n'owhwlf-' linn his wav, attracted, nu doubt, br the