THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1912. THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10521, 9 January 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1912. THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

It !lias taken the Prime Minister three weeks to discover what every elector in the Dominion knew immediately the numbers went up at tllie second ballot, viz., that he has not a majority in .the now Parliament. In the interim ho has "fulHy inquired into the situation in all its, bearings," anil lie now says he Iras assurances that 011. a want of confidence motion he will have a small majority. As wo stated in our issue of yesterday, the people qf the country will require to have these assurances, if they really have been given, confirmed by an open division in the House. Sir Joseph Ward has recognised the obligation lie owes the peojpte in this respect, a-nd has decided rto convene 'Parliament I'or Thursday, .February loth, which, lie says, Is as "early as is practicable/' Serious abjecti-on cannot 'be taken to tho doJay of live weeks in the summoning of .members, provided that the Government, in the meantime, does not 'cominiit the Dominion from an administrative point of view. The middle of 11 exit month would be a much inore convenient time for members to assemble than the present. Sir Joseph Ward, in Iris message to the leecturs, employs somewhat contradictory terms. He states, in tli'e first place, that he lias assurances of a small majority, but later 011 110 says tliat "the two main parties are practically even, • and a small independent section of mewlbers has tlwis the balance of power." Most people will accept the latter as a true explanation of the situation. There .is at ?ery C iff<yeuce ? however, in

tJjQ relative positions cf Sir Joseph \Vi\i'd nnd Mr Maesey. The defeat of the former on a no-confidence motion would,, a.t the most, mean r , change of Government. Tlie sub'se- ( queut defeat of Mr Massey wttuM in- ; volve a<n appeal to the country. It (is reasonable to Diippcsso that mem- I hers \\iio i\u .i:r a change in administration. vou-i ho averse to ; going to the cc.\-iiitxy so soon after ani election. It will thus be seen, that the advantage is alii otoj tuie side of Mt Jfrassey. This notwithstanding, •the fact remains that neither of the dominating parties has a majority in <&>-> House, and whichever holds the ails of office must do so on suffer- j The rational r-otofcim of the I IT;3i> will, wo venture to tliink, b.e I ifcurid ultimately an a coalition. In I this connection. we observe that the | Wanganui Herald urges the formation of a separate body by the progressive democrats, or of the House. This -ns at once an indication of a desire to separate the (moderate Liberals from the ultraradicals, and to associate the latter with the Labour party. Nobody who (has studi'ed the position can see any (other feasible outcome of tlx© deadlock which has arisen. If the moderate 'section.-of the Liberal Party were to throw in their lot with the Reform, Party, vthere would be a security of (tenaure ffor at least three years, and rbhe position at the next election, would be more clearly defined. Unless sfime such arrangement is made, tlie country wdl-1 be in the impossible position of being dominated for a term by a hopeless minority of Labourites and Independents. No true friend of the Dominion could wish for sudli. a calamity.