WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

"AN INEVITABLE UNION." THE RESULT OP INDEPENDENCE. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Nov. 24. The Dominion, which has resumed with easy grace and admirable zeal its old role of mouthpiece to the Eeform Partv, clings persistently to the comforting belief that a union between the Reformers and the Liberals ia inevitable. "In spite of efforts in certain quarters to obscure national issues to bolster up party ends," it says, "there are promising indications that so far as the two main parties arc concerned artificial divisions are collapsing and giving way." It regards the declared "independence" of Mr Downie Stewart, of Dr. Newman, of Mr Statham, of Mr. Parr and of half-a-dozen other former whole-hearted supporters of Mr. Massev, not as a revolt against itheir party leader, but as a chivalrous attempt to bring about another coalition between the best elements in the new Parliament. Mr Craigie, Mr. Witty and Mr. Isitt, on the other hand, according to this authority are independent" because they "are conscious of shortcomings in the political organisation to which thev have hitherto been tied." It is scarcely a broad view to take of the situation, differentiating between the quality of the independence of the two parties, but it is significant in a measure of the political thought that is abroad in the capital city just now. THE IMPELLING FORCE.

A fear is possessing the members of both the old parties that in the new Parliament the Reformers and tho Liberals will be so evenly balanced that the Labor Party will hold the balance of power and be able to dictate terms to one side or the other, or, in the less desirable eventuality, to put itself up to auction, as it wore, for sale to the higher bidder. This is complimentary to neither Mr. Massey nor Sir Joseph Ward. The two leaders have stated their respective policies in unusual detail and with commendable frankness. The Labor Party knows exactly what it has to expect from 'them. The Holland party is given no hopes of concessions. The extremists regard Mr. Massey as the leaser of two evils, apparently because they think he would give them more excuse than Sir Joseph Ward would for continuing their agitation for realising the workers' millenium in a week, but beyond this they hate no hope of making terms with either of the old party leaders. Both the leaders nave gone out of their way to make this perfectly plain and one of the certain resuits of their candour is the final extinction of the Bolshevik element at the polls. \ THE OUTCOME. If the outcome of the approaching election should be similar to that of the election of 1914, neither of the old parties having a working majority, the only alternative to a fresh election within twelve months or less would be some arrangement between the Reformers and the Liberals to ensure stability. Mr. Massey so far expressed no view of sucli (in arrangement—though some of his supporters have credited him with a desire to get the best elements in the House together at any cost—but Sir Joseph Ward addressing hk constituents the other day declared he had an open mind on the matter and was prepared to deal with the circumstances as they arose. Independent Labor, which jjrobably will come back to the new Parliament stronger than ever before, and which both the old parties should welcome, is more likely than any other minority section to decide the occupancy of the Treasury Benches. Meanwhile the party organs here, the Dominion and the Post on one side and the Times on the other, are fighting tooth and nail for their accepted leaders, lcaying no word unwritten that might discredit their opponents or one would think increase the difficulty of a rapproachment between the partiti.