Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, JULY 27, 1915. STILL NO DECISION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8202, 27 July 1915, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, JULY 27, 1915. STILL NO DECISION.

Another week has passed, and still the negotiations for the formation of a National Cabinet have not reached finality. Caucus meetings of the two parties have been held, but the public is not allowed to learn what decision, if any, was arrived at. The censorship oh political information of the utmost'importance is infinitely greater than that on war news. Both parties show an utter disregard of, or contempt for, the right,: of the people to ,t?e ,told what their representatives intend to do. If Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward cannot agree on the terms of the merger, why not say so, or delegate their powers to other members of the parties.; Almost any solution of the difficulty would be better than the present uncertainty. If the Hawke's Bay Liberals represent the sense of that party as a whole, any satisfactory settlement appears to be hopeless, though there is some warrant for optimism in Dr McNab's statement that the parties are "drifting towards a coalition." Sir Joseph Ward has been urged by the Liberals in Hawke's Bay "not to endanger the fortune of the' Liberal-Labour Party and its great democratic principles by accepting office in a Conservative Cabinet." . The individuals responsible for this; amazing proposition appear to consider that the "danger" to a political party's principles' is of more consequence than tl:;j danger to the nation. This is a i)ar(icularly obnoxious form of the megalomania affected by.v certain class of politicians, but we are sure it will not be endorsed,by the leader of. the Opposition. It is understood that the latest proposal of the Government is four seats for the Opposition in a Cabinet of nine, which is the utmost that can be regarded as reasonable. We have previously pointed out that the number of seats that the Opposition is entitled to has really nothing to do with the matter. If there was any real desire on the part of the Liberal Party (as there is no doubt a desire on the part of its leaders) for unity in this great' crisis, it would have accepted the Premier's first offer. Mr Bonar Law and the other leaders of the Unionists in Great Britain did not haggle about the terms upon which they were to take a share in the government of the country at a time when the responsibilities of office were of the most serious nature. Neither,did they complain about the quota of seats, though they had an infinitely better case than the Dominion Liberals have. The Unionist members of the House of Commons actually exceed the Liberals by 28, yet in a Cabinet of 21, the Liberals retained 13 seats, giving the Unionists seven and the Labour Party one. There is a growing belief that Sir Joseph Ward is being dominated by unwise advisers outside Parliament and by the Labour Party, but he will belie his great reputation if he allows these factors •to . interfere with his conception of what is best in the interests of the Bominion and the nation. There never was a time in the history of the country when the sinking of personal and party ambitions was so essential as it is to-day. We condemn the Welsh miners for refusing, to work, but politicians who refuse to give their time and talents for the sole purpose of assisting the Empire must 'be placed in the same category as the miners. ,