THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27, 1911. POLITICAL SUSPENSE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10511, 27 December 1911, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27, 1911. POLITICAL SUSPENSE.

Sir Joseph Ward may have strong political reasons for withholding his decision in regard to tine politica>l situation until after the holidays 1 . •TJlie hist for office which possesses tihe of the 1 deetttlenit Ministry is bo pronounced that he is naturally reluctaiufc to do the right thing uavtal' every-avenue of estiapc has been prospected. Nobody- who has anaTy&ed tlie position' cau sce any possibility of, &gcape in the ciixiMn stances, The Ward Administration has been condemned iby the country. A clear majority of the mienvber,s' elected arc pledged) to oust the Ministry on tine first 110-cor.lftde.llce motion. Sir Joseph, Wfrd and' his colleagues know this to be a fact. Every moment they hold office, therefore, is ort suffrance, and every administrative act tihey pettform .iin, 'the interim will be open, to pathlic ehallciiige. A section of fhe newspaper press is endeavouring to vindicate Hie position of the Ministry by assorting that if Sir Joseph.' Ward is unable'to carry on, the affairs of the counti-y, Mr Massey is at a similar disadvantage. This hlas yet) to be demonstrated. The position. 1 held by tlie rival leaders is by no mean* ittentiral. The majority of the Labour aaid Independent members have goue to the House pledged to vote againsti the Government ora a no-confidence motion. No saich pledge has, however, been given in regard to the Reform. Party. A noconfidence motion carried against the Governlmeauti would, at the most, mean, the formation' of a Ministry by Mr Massey. No appeal to the country- would be necessary. With the Reform Party in power, the position would be entirely different. A moconfidence motion; against! Mr Massey would mean, an inevitable dissolution, and/ another election,'. It need hardily be said that nearly the whole of tin© Labour Party, and not an inconsiderable section of the Ward Party, would be 1 averse to anofche" lelection at the present juncture. Thi being the case, it is unreasonable t suppose that a majority would b'

disposed fb precipitate an eleation. I In spate of what ha® been said, and ] written to the contrary, there is no good reason/ why munch beneficial legasiatdcoi' should not be placed upon tlbe Statute Book with, the assistance of the Labourites and) Independents. Wlhy, for instance, should not the system of local government be reformed? Why sfliouki not the Legislative Council bo made, more democratic? Wdiy should not the GLvil Service be placed beyond pollLticaJ control? Wlhy, indeed, should not the land question be dealt with.? It is true that on certain defined lines it!he Reform Plarty and the Labour Party hold diverse views on tlbe land qanestion. It must be remembered, (however, that net a few Wardii/tes a«re pledged to land reform as advocated by Mr Massey. The outstanding consicjea'atKMi' in the present crisis is- that no particular party is> anxious fc<r anoit'lier appeal to the country. The Reform Party lias, perhaps, fes to fear in this connection than any othscir of the pojsltiicail) if actions. It is quite certain that government by compramitse cannot be permanent, and for this reason Mr (Massey could mat con'sent to the dictation of terms by a minority in the Hk>uce. He would ibe quite justified;, in withholding legislation whftch might involve serious issues-. Viewing the position as it appears! to-day, there would: appear to be no solutfifcn of the prcibkm other tban for Mr Masisey to be entrusted with I the- formation of a Cabinet, and to be given a reasonable opportumiiity of bringing| forward legislation. Should a, crisis responsibility vM rest with those who have precipitated it. Meanwhile, Shr Joseph Ward, (konwing what is the right thing, I should not hesitate to do it.