Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1915. THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8270, 15 October 1915, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1915. THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

The country generally will endorse the Prime Minister's eulogy of the work of the Na- 1 tional Government, which has exceeded the most optimistic expectations. Conceived amid doubts and fears, in an atmosphere of political jealousy and suspicion, and necessitating the, casting aside of all political shibboleths that have become : traditions in New Zealand, it was not surprising that people of all shades of thought predicted early disaster for a coalition that seemed as likely,to work r harjdapniously as that oil and water should mixYet the unexpected has happened, and not only have the different members of the Cabinet shown unusual tact and "capacity^ in ad- : ministration, but the Prime Minister, and SirvJoaeph Ward have assured the country that the personal relations between Ministers have-been of the^most cordial chara6terr "Time after time, during the course of the" session, this fact has rbeen apparent, and the loyalty displayed by certain Ministers) who, it was predicted, might be expected to wreck the new Government, was the most pleasing feature of the momentous session. The spasmodic efforts that have been made by two or three members of the House to create dissension invariably ended in their discomfiture, for both the Press and the publicvery clearly indicated that they were not'in the humour to tolerate a recurrence of party strife. With these exceptions, the session just; closed will go down to history as an exemplification of the solidarity of the people in times of crisis. Governments, like individuals, have their faults, and that Government is best off which is burdened with the least. It would-be 1 idle' to deny that the Nationall Government has made mistakes,,.but its sins of omission' and commission are faT outweighed by its really good work for the country's and the Empire's welfare. Its failure to deal effectively with the problem of the cost of living forms the basis of the most serious reproach that can be charged^ against it; but this failure was the direct result of the conflicting interests represented in Parliament, and the almost entire inability of most of the members: to grasp the true inwardness of economic laws in their relation to, the existence of abnormal conditions. The study i of social economy is not a strong point with the average member of Parliament, and this may account for the widely-divergent .views expressed during 1 the- debate. The Government received no help in arriving at a,solution , of the cost of living, and it took i the line of least, resistance by. ap--1 pointing a Board of Trade.' The | principal cause for satisfaction in the constitution of the National Cabinet is its assurance of the suspension of political warfare at a time when the country is anxious that nothing shall detach its interest from ' the supreme duty' of assisting in the war campaign. And the people of New Zealand would be devoutly thankful if, as a result of this coalition, a new order of things arose in our polical life. The National Government has conclusively proved, that there are no real differences of opinion between the parties oti important principles—political and otherwise. The differences

are merely as to methods, and out of the necessarily close association of the leaders of the parties during the next few months there may emerge a mutual agreement, the essence of which should be " no one for the party and all for the State."