POLITICAL UNREST

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIII, Issue 9749, 14 December 1922, Page 3

POLITICAL UNREST

AN UNCERTAIN SITUATION*

LEADERS MAKE NO STATEMENT,

QUESTION OF DISSOLUTION.

(Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, December 13. It seems as if the election results as now known may not be materially altered, though there is still doubt in regard to Otaki, where Mr Field, the Government candidate, is leading by only 50 votes, with 180 votes still to be counted. It may be taken for granted, however, that recounts will be demanded in some of the electorates where the voting has been close. The result thus leaves the Government with a majority over each of the other parties in the House, but in a minority of four as compared with the total strength of all parties, including the Independents. This minority may or may not disappear on a no-confi-dence division, as there are some Liberals ; pledged to their constituents not to vote in favour of a LiberalLabour combination. If the no-confi-dence motion were defeated, possibly Mr Massey might be able to . carry on the ' government of the country. ; Whether or not he would attempt ites j under such circumstances, and agree to shoulder the load of responsibility and | anxiety that it would entail, remains to bfi 86611. A meeting of the Cabinet was held to-day, but at its conclusion the Prime Minister said he had no statement to make, except that the people of the Dominion could take it for . granted that he would follow the constitutional course. . . All the members of the Ministry, including the Hon. E P. Lee, are at present in Wellington. Probably the whole party will be called together after the holidays and the situation thoroughly discussed. 1 The executive of the Liberal Party, consisting of Messrs Wilford, Sidey, Veitch, Ngata, Forbes, and Masters, are also assembling here to discuss the situation. Mr Wilford has nothing to say for publication in tlie_ meantimo. Later, he also will call his party together. . I Mr McCombs, the member for S Lyttelton, has come up to Wellington, so possibly there will also be. a meeting of'the Labour Party. Meantime interest attaches to a message which Mr Holland, the leader, has sent to the “ Maori! and Worker,” the official organ of the party. Mr Holland urges his party to be ready to again enter the field at short notice. Tile message reads: “ Labour has recorded a magnificent Dominion advance. Hearty congratulations to every elected member, and heartiest congratulations to every defeated candidate who loyally carried the banner of Labour info t,he fray. Let our December 7 victory be an incentive to greater achievements. If Labour’s foes combine in the House, Labour will be the official Opposition. If they fail to combine there must be anothor election. If this occurs Labour should contest every electorate where there is labour organisation. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. We have done splendidly in the fight just ended. We must be determined to do better in the fight that is coming. Therefore let the whole army of Labour be ready to again enter the field at short notice.” So far the political situation does not clear, and there is now looming ahead the possibility of an early dissolution. It may be taken for granted that 1 arliament will be called to assemble early in February, when Mr Wilford will no doubt move a no-confidenco motion. If this motion were carried, Mr Massey I would perforce hand his resignation to f the Governor-General, who would in | due course send for Mr Wilford. The | latter would then bo allotted the task iof forming a Ministry. This Ministry would no doubt include Messrs Sidey, Veitch, Ngata., Forbes, and Masters, his present executive. Other members would possibly be chosen from such as I Messrs Isitt, Horn, Buddo, Atindre, j Edie, Hanan, and Smith, though 'the I last-named two are classed as IndepenI dents. Such a, team could not be rel. garded; as other than weak, and it j would not survive for any length of time in Parliament. In due course another want-of-confidence amendment would be proposed and carried, and then Mr Wilford, as the head of this second Government, could claim a dissolution and the right of going to the j country. Reformers, and indeed a good many Liberals, think that, the result of such an appeal would most certainly bo to reinstato Mr Massey in ! power, with a large enough majority | to form a stable Government. ,

MEETING OF CABINET. WELLINGTON, December 13. A .meeting of Cabinet was held this afternoon, when the position created by the election, it is understood, was discussed.

Mr Massey ..stated that he would have nothing to say for publication until the final results of the election were known. Mr Willard,, Leader of the,LiberalLabour Party, stated to-night that a meeting of -the executive of 'the party had taken place during the week, but until a meeting of the whole party was held, there would not be anything for publication.

THE SPEAKERSHIP.

POSITION OF MR WILFORD

AUCKLAND, December 13. On the question of the Speakership, “Old Gallery Man” in the “Herald” writes: “Had it not been for the fact that his present position as Leader of the Opposition seemed to suggest that he was out of the running, Mr Y\ ilford would have been tli e first name in the minds of all who have been long connected with Par lament as the man for the Speakership. As a matter of fact, he is the only man now in Parliament who has had experience qualifying him for the office I well remember the session of WUJ when, in the Ward Governments term of administration and during Sir Arthur Guinness’s Speakership, Mr Wilford held the office of Chairman of Committees and DeputySpeaker. In no year in my long experience of close observation of the House was the Committee of the Whole bfetter governed. Mr Wiltoicl was prompt and clear in every ruling, firm but fair in bis maintenance of order, just in holding the > scales between contending parties; m fact, m the eyes of even critics politically opposed to him, he came as near the ideal of what a Chairman should be as is humanly possible. Many of us

at that time -regarded Mr Wilford as the coining .-Speaker.”

STATEMENT BY MR HOLLAND.

“ANOTHER ELECTION POSSIBLE BUT NOT PROBABLE.”

WESTPORT, December 13. Speaking this evening at a Labour function to celebrate the Labour victories in Buller and throughout the Dominion, -Mr H. E. Holland, leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party, said that -the outstanding feature of the elections just held was the great advance made by the Labour Party m the constituencies contested, and the fact that no sitting Labour , member suffered defeat. Seventeen candidates endorsed by and pledged to the New Zealand Labour Party had secured election, representing more than 100 per cent increase over Labour's 1919 results. The present position was one of uncertainty, and another election within the next six months was quite within the bounds of possibility, although he personally did not think it probable. He anticipated that sufficient Liberals would go over to Mr Massey to give him a comfortable working majority. This they could .safely do in view of their individual election pledges to support Mr Massey as against the Labour Party. The Leader of the Liberal Party had made j emphatic pronouncements on behalf of his party that they would never I give a vote with the Labour Party to turn 1 the Massey Government out, and, further, never would take office with the support of the Labour Party. Hence, assuming Mr Wilford and his supporters . meant to live up to their election pronouncements, there did not seem anything for it but, on the -one hand, a coalition between either the whole or a section of the Liberals, and the Government party or, on the other hand, a fresh election. In his opinion, & Reform-Liberal coalition would represent the logic of the political development, for there was no real line of demarcation between these two parties, which must coalesce ultimately, and another election under the present electoral system could only result unsatisfactorily. Between the two of them and the Labour movement there was a dividing line recognised by all. The most sensible way of all out of the difficulty would be for Parliament to meet, put through Supply, enact proportional representation, and then dissolve. With the electoral system shorn of its first-past-the-post defects, there would be a certainty that in the new Parliament both the majority and the minority would have adequate representation, and the anomaly of minority would be obviated. He hoped if it should come to another election the Labour Party would recognise the wisdom of placing a candidate in the field in every electorate.

A COUNTRY PARTY. AUCKLAND, December 13. Political matters were briefly discussed by the Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union last evening. The chairman (Mr R. D. Duxfield), referring to questions that had been placed before candidates for Parliament by tho executive, said he had always held the opinion that the practice was useless and farcical. If the farmers desired to conserve their own interests and the interests of the Dominion they would have to take moie direct political action. This could be done only by establishing a country political party.) Farmers in politicsbelonged to both camps. If anything was to he done, action should be taken immediately to establish a new party. The existing parties were both out of touch with farming interests. The executive would have to set to work at once and see that an entirely new party was established. Mr J. Garton said the Farmers’ Union had sadly “missed the ’bus.” It was a great pity that the opportunity presented at ’the recent election had been allowed to slip. He agreed that farmers now allied to the old parties would be glad of an opportunity to have their views represented. . ■ It was decided to maintain a fund with a view to future political action.

THE FARMERS’ VIEWPOINT

STATEMENT BY MR W. J. POLSON

WANGANUI, Dec. 13

Interviewed to-night regarding the political situation, Mr W. J. Poison, (President of the Farmers’ Union, said':—The elections'have created a situation which, failing another general election, must be regarded by all producers with grave concern. When Parliament meets, one of three things will probably occur: —• (1) A working arrangement between the Liberal Party, and the Reform Partv, or between certain members of the Liberal Party and the Reform Party. (2) A three-party House, with Labour holding the balance of power. (3) A Government without an actual majority of its.own, but kept in power by 'the support of one or two from the Independents or the Liberal Party, or both. The effect of,the first of these- alternatives would indubitably be to- make La.bpur the official Opposition, with the consequence that the Liberal Party, which is the proper alternative from the point of view of the producers to the Reform Party, would soon cease- to be a political factor, and so disappear. Labour would then, sooner or later, obtain the- opportunity to apply SomnPsm and -Sovietism to this country. In the second alternative Labour would be able to drive the Government- into legislation along Labour lines, much to the disadvantage of the -fanning community. When we consider the pledges made by the leaders and supporters of. both the other parties, we must refuse to contemplate such an alternative, and this brings ,us to No. 3, viz., that some of the Independents and one or two Liberals will keep the Government in power in order to avoid another election.

It must be at once apparent that none of these’ alternatives can he- contemplated with any satisfaction by the producers generally, and the Fanners’ Union in particular. We have a very definite programme, which wo consider in the interests of the whole of the community and essential for the future prosperity, not only of the producers, but also of the Dominion. We will have little chance of getting legislation along such lines, or, indeed, along any lines if the third of the above alternatives is the expedient adopted for governing the country, and

the objections to Nos. 1 and 2 are self-apparent. It seems probable thatunder these circumstances out organisation will be compelled to tab© a more active interest in party politics than it has hitherto done if we are not going to allow ourselves to be overlooked in the political card-shuff-ling of the next few months. The Farmers’ Union represents a very large and rapidly-growing section of electors. Hitherto and latterly, possibly to our detriment, because I am not going to oretend that the Massey Government has given ns what we want, we have carefully avoided anything that would provide the colour of suspicion that we were taking any part in party politics. It may be necessary, and I wish to point out the possibility, _to seriously consider the question dinilithe next few weeks and make it clear that we are a united body, with very decided views. There is, of course still the further alternative of another election. Such a contest woiild he under a different set of conditions, anti might necessitate very definite actior if our interests are not to he still further sacrificed.