POLITICAL CRISIS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXII, Issue 8313, 29 February 1912, Page 5

POLITICAL CRISIS.

.OPINIONS AND ANTICIPAtIONS-

TSTE JOSEPH WARD'S ACTION. XIJIERAk MAJORITY CERTAIN. A :SXia(JESTKI). CABINET. Per Press, Association. WELLINGTON, February 28. To-day one of the most interesting rtooicso! conversation is as to whether lirioseph Ward will resign immedi- ■ •■JSIv or endeavour to hang to office for Immediately prorogued by -the.. Governor, toiitil June. The expectation is that ■Sir Joseph Ward will say: Hl am now . fbing to resign. You must select a new leader." A caucus-, of Libera s, Labourites, and Independents, will be called to carry out the task. >oar. >£tie choice is fairly -narrow in thJ w *tter of a leader. First in members ijjbuths is tUe ,Honl T: Mackenzie, and ■a&er him come the Hon. J. A. Millar, (filr J A. Hanan (Invercargill), and ilr G. Laurenson . (Lyttelton). Profcaßly the choice.will be narrowed down to Mr Mackenzie and Mr Millar. Here k a Ministry sketched out roughly by a southern member":—r Hon. T. Mackenzie (Egmont), 3?rime. Minister, Minister of Lands *nd Agriculture.. ! - ■•- Mr. Myers (Auckland), Minister of Siiiance' and Industries and ComMr Hanan (Invercargill), Minister -of- Education and Justice. , : ; •Mr Laurenson (Lyttelton), Mims- • Ur of Railways, Customs and Labour. Mr Witty (Riccartpn), alternative Minister 'of Lands: : and Internal AMf SMacdonald £Bay of Plenty), Minister of Native Atffire. • Mr Reed (Bay of Islands), Atter-'iiey-GeneraL . ; ■ _ . Mr T. K. Sidey (Punedin), Post-master-General. . Messrs Veitch and Russell, Ministers without portfolios. 1 Canterbury member expressed the •omtMon that a modified form of elective executive might be agreed upon "by fhe 39 members who had voted to keep the Liberal Party in power, but it rai»ht be quite unsuccessful. l»e '(ba!lo.t°might return all leaseholders or 'nil freeholders, or it might be decide-1 . m\ purely personal grounds as against the best interests of the country * -It Was probable that if a member of the present Cabinet was selected to .take the leadership he would in si st _on x'oniiuating his Ministers, The party, with a due appreciation of geographical considerations, must select practical ■mek who could do their work. rsrould" be reserved also for Mr 1. MiWiiford. who was due for Ministerial • *«ak- and would give much-needed representation to the Wellington pro The declaration of the new Cabinet •will not be made before Parliament Tneets in June next:' \'_ ~: . ■■ ■ ;>, ' Liberal members are jubilant, ant •there are indications of a hardening up of the party that will evolve into a working majority. Mr Veitch s vot* may be regarded as a certainty on tne Liberal side, inasmuch as he was reluctantly compelled to vote in a direction that would not only have put bir Joseph Ward out but put Mr Massey in. His vote will give the Liberal •t>arty a majority of two, and Mr \VU'lord's arrival in June will increase the iwimber to three. Certain defections .from the Opposition side of members who like' to be on the winning side may take place also. The attention of Mr Veitch whs drawn to the following statement appearing in the " Evening Post : llic Xabour members will join themselves with it (the Government party), '"criming Mr Veitch, who, having sat>siie:l ' his election pledge, will vote with the Government.!' Mr Voitch thereupon remarked: "I am not oledged to either of the parties in the House. My influence will be used in the direction -d supporting the great reforms that _|he Labour party stands for." Mr \eitca indicated that he could, not say anything more .definite in the present uncertain state of ..affairs. It is under stood that the Labour members will endeavour to act together.