WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1920, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

1 THE LIBERAL LEADER; POLITICS'AND PARTIES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, March 31. ■■ The Eon. W. D. S. Mac Donald has . been suffering a good deal from his injured arm since he returned to Wel- ■ lington three weeks ago, and is not even yet able to give any prolonged attention to his duties as leader of the Liberal Party. An hour or two a day in his room in Parliament Buildings receiving visitors and dealing with his more urgent correspondence is as much I as he can manage at present without absolutely flouting the orders of his medical adviser. But resting this afternoon, having completed his tale of work for the day, he chatted interestingly, , with a representative of the Daily News on the political situation and the party prospects. While ho does not ndmit that the present Government represents the deliberate choice of a. majority of the electors, Mr- Mac Donald frankly recognises that _ Mr. Massey and 'his colleagues are e the men in possession and entitled to the legitimate fruits of their victory. ■ "Mr. Massey and. his friends must bear the blame for the existence of a system that permits of a minority rule," he said. "Sir Joseph Ward's second ballot, perhaps, was not an ideal system, but it at least secured the representation of majorities. When the Reformers came into office and abolished this system Mr. Massey promised on their behalf to provide' something better. The reversion to the old system certainly has proved very much better for his own party, but I should not like to imply this was what he had in his mind at the time. We shall not mend matters by imputing improper motives to our opponents, but we ought to have their assistance in bringing about reform." This is a common-sense view of the position, quite characteristic of the man.

Mr. Mac Donald does not accept without very considerable modification the popular view that the first duty of an Opposition is to oppose. He would rather put it that the first duty of an Opposition is to criticise and its last resource to oppose. Opposition merely for opposition's sake he regards as futile, even politically immoral. Nine-tenths of the politicians in this country, he thinks, are more honest than people believe them to be. Differences of opinion are not necessarily differences in sincerity or in zeal for the public welfare, but differences in judgment and points of view. While holding this charitable opinion of his fellows, however, Mr. Mac Donald does not discount the value of a strong vigilant Opposition.

"This country hag a very critical time before it," he went on to say. "I am no pessimist, and I am no prophet of evil, but I realise, as every observant thinking man must, that the Parliament just elected has bigger tasks before it than any other New Zealand Parliament ever" has faced. Finance, land settlement, production, industrial reorganisation, all are tremendous problems, involving scores of other problems, scarcely less important, and they have to be tackled now, not ten or twenty years hence, and upon the courage and prudence with which they are handled will depend in a great measure the happiness and prosperity, not only of this generation, but also of the generations to come. Reconstruction must mean not merely getting back to the old conditions, but the making of a new world, a better world than the one that went into the melting pot with tbe war." With the grave responsibilities resting upon the present Parliament, Mr. MaeDonald hopes to see all party bitterness and fl.ll factious opposition laid aside. Differences of opinion there must be, and for his part he stands for the great Liberal principles as sturdily as ever he did, but the eternal struggle between the "ins" and the "outs" over matters that may be of little or no consequence to the country should cease; He does not wish his attitude to be misunderstood. There will be an Opposition in the new Parliament, he hopes n. very strong and effective Opposition, and it will fight to the very last ditch against anything in the way of legislation or administration it considers inimical to the best interests of the country and its people. But it will not fight simply for the purpose of embarrassing the Government nor for its own personal aggrandisement. That is, at •any rate, his own view of what pro* gresgive electors will expect from the Liberal and Labor Opposition in the new Parliament.

"The great need of the country," Mr. MaeDonald said in conclusion, "is a united effort towards increased and more economic production. To secure this we must widen the opportunities of the mass of the people, put them in a position to bear their share of the country's make the rural life more attractive, dare to be really progressive in land settlement and public works, and encourage the spirit of patriotism tliat expressed itself in hard work and personal and national achievement. Given these things there will be no fear either for the present or for the future."