POLITICAL TURMOIL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 299, 16 December 1911, Page 8

POLITICAL TURMOIL.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN 7 TAH TEES -ITVENXy BALANCED. Maori elections next week. \ ntr that the first flush of excitement i .-urpri.-e T■ •!iowinjn upon the second ■ .'tor tinnoiinreniejilo U giving place to ■! confront appreciation of the ■ n a! ■:]! ijc ,-ac which appears to ti c ;:ic country for the moment, specui i\c minds arc attempting to analyse i he possibilitir..' of the situation, and ine l.'enrajly to tlnd a solution of the puzzle "tvli presents itself to all save, the extreme optiniists of either party. Meanwhile a, good deal oepends on the Me. ri elections. The final counting !n i " , i,,. of Thursday’s second ballots ’■ ■ I not he completed till early next "■•k. hut even supposing no change to ■ the election of three Maori mennext Tuesday is a matter of conrahlc import to both sides, though cv or it goes the Labour vote trill til pra<it.’cai!y flominate the situation. ' ■ 'be four native seats, one is already fill.-d, the Hon. .Mr. A. T. Ngata having in • n returned for the Eastern Maori e ’eei orate unopposed. For the Northern Maori em eleven candidates arc in the Pr. Te Rangihiroa .being considered ■ fie most likely winner. Five, including ■ lean re Ivaihau, are contesting the We.-tern Maori seat, which will probably re.-ied front Kaihau by Pepene Eke- : one. And there are five candidates for .. Southern Maori, the .-on of Tame i’.irata, the late member, being one of ; .em. Must of the whole i: 1 candidates .-fit lifting are .supporters oi the Liberal >. jvitnment. The election will take :ila. e on Tuesday nest, the Northern dls- ■ net having 02 polling places, the Western 13S, and the Southern 38. THE CHANGED POSITION AJS'i> THE INEVITABLE RESULT. mv bihrbssive forecast. “[ f j Q „ee for the next few years a r .jh of difficulty, turmoil, and, I believe, j , rial to the enduring interests of New y, Wind.’’ declared hir John Findlay', in , ;,iresting his joint committees at Pari I 1 la.-t night. The two extremes—- - it extreme which would 'put the , d.e on the. wheel of progress with .: ; lie power they can, and that other , . 1 reine which would drive the htate ii’i.ug at a rale utterly unsafe —these ; ' I extremes stand apparently combin- # i ii as false a union as was ever : ;• ■ 1 in the. politics of any county. i l.iuse.) 1 do nut say which is the ! i ,iud which the lamb, but we have r before us the singular spectacle of ; e ji,. n arid the lamb lying down to- . :. Mb lies inside the lion. (Laughter I applause.) The union of such two • : can have no lasting stability, i • e present Government are either e 1.-, from want of a majority or of ,i ..pi ient majority, with proper self- -. ■. '. to rnrry on the Government :fi - . otintry much longer, it will t i become clearly the purpose and t ■ lira of the Leader of the Opposi- ■ i to form some kind of combination cue kind of political party. Now, ii "ill look at the figures to-day, whatever source, it must force I ■’ ..n sour minds that the Consert ■ party ram never carry on at the v I without the consent of at least 1 men—four men who are as op- : .■! to their fundamental principles d.iy IS to night. (Loud applause.) 1 -.her. then, the great Conservative Tv.rry is going to be dragged at the 1- e i 0 ; what 1 may call the almost r ■ Mationary social party, or it in t .ra must drag that party to its own V !.-. But I contend that, cannot cm my logical, consistent policy ‘from party which has got to live by leave a 1 consent of another party diametrirMr opposed to it. (Loud applause.) ’ ,• fil enneede *o you that the present 1 il ,rnil Gow-rtiment would, find itself ■ i film same plight were it to attempt 1 i e.irrv on for any length of time a ri.isecuf.ive logical policy. What, then, ! to ba.ppftn? Obviously then, if that I -r refuge of the opportunist is not r. sorted to, and Borne amalgamation like place, which God forbid—(loud applause)—there must be again a ref to the .’ourttry. Voire: Gome up here, and you will Win next time. (Applause and cheers.)

THE SURE AWAKENING. "Now a reference to tee country ll'orn <'f a, great many of the bitter- .-. -r.- of the last contest will never re-b-'i! in the return of a combination of ti > whose clear and avowed purpose is ; j.iii their hand on the clock of prog,< s.> ami stop it* advance. (Applause^ _\ v Zealand as a -whole, would, 1 believe, in .l further reference awake to the i., i that while we have led the van of pricf-s for years .past we are not likely tn >irld our prowl -position bj committing t!i- leadership of the country to hands which woald undoubtedly spell Bt.-nrmitiou and depression. (Loud ap-j-la.u.-c) ) have said it before, and I jvju'.a it now—the .progress of a-people. 5.- ,m indication of the intelligence of a. j i i-plc. (Hear, hear.) You cannot in u country risk State experi-m'-nt.s, but in n. -country such as this—en f the liest.edircated and most demo- . rat if in the world, with British people. nviiisc blood ibx* ibeen drawn from thei vi ry 'best the Old Land had to jpi ogress must, and "will be,oucwatch->-.ini."' (loaid apphvnseO THE ONLY TiCIIE 35EKT1NY. Continuing, Sir John Findlny pointed out that a young native iNew Zealand party was growing "up—over 70 per cent of the-w'lole populmfcion was now natrveiborn, aid in the coarse of years the future sclfare of Uew Zealand would depend <upon them. "If our young men of to-day look hjghErand mot lower, and k<*rp their eyes on tiie eternal stars of justice, morality, and trauA, then all is nw.lj. Bat if by placing their growing, manhood to the temptations of the titarks, the and all that class of the fraternity, then the erU of our future possesses ns with, alarm. 't applaaiee.) Believe me, advexis one of the greatest blessings of roankind —like the toad it bears a j/radotts jewi-1 in its head. Affluence and prosperity in the home are followed almost jifYitably by parental laxity, and unless thiire is some kind of domestic discipUdo the result in the majority of cases an not as happy as one would desire. [Let tis, therefore, try and ineokate that domestic discipline for the yonng New which is in snch danger of being relaxed. What I wonH lay stress on here is this; We are heazing a great I ideal about. liberty. kam-aßgrmb «»J

admirer of liberty as any man, but ihers lies a. well-defined line ibetAreen. liberty and license, and between liberty and vice. (Loud applanseO And any country which, in the sacred name of ! liberty will allow its young people to ! make their way steadfastly to the devil is neither civilised nor Christian. (Applause and cheers). The Liberal party has beyond doubt suffered a serious reverse, but that should not dishearten any man who believes that New Zealand is to be the home of human progress. No party which stands mainly to protect large interests can long survive in New Zealand, and only that Government which beats in time with that -deep instinct of righteousness and true liberalism, which 1 am satisfied lies deep in the great heart of our people. will ultimately jruide the destinies of New ZealanJ. Human sentiment is an! ocean current, -which, like a Hood, carries all a:ong with it. The eddies come here and there, apparently deflecting the great stream, but the flood will move on, and its name in New Zealand will be Literalism. (Tumultuous applause.) HIS POLITICAL POSITION.

"Now idetjrc to say a few words regarding my present and future political position," he went on. "I left a lucrative practice at the bar five years ago I in order to devote myself entirely to the public service of my country, and since priming- to Auckland 1 have been accused of making desperate efforts to secure a fat billet. Well, this fat billet I am entitled to means less than probably three-fourths of the lawyers of New Zealand are earning to-day. A memo, sent to me the other day by my accountant shows that my loss in those -five years has been £15,400. That is my reply to those who talk about the fat billet (Loud applause.) I have devoted myself honestly and earnestly to the service of the country in which I was born during those five years, and for the last three years I have put my best energies towards making our prison system the leading prison system in the world. (Applause.) I have put a great deal of hard work into the movement, and would very much like, to have continued that work of pri=oii reform—to have continued it until a stage had been reached at which no other hand could impair it. But unless it falls into broad humanitarian hands I have no hope for that system. Nearly 6000 men and 'women, girls and boys, find their way every year into our prisons and reformatories, of which a great volume of fallen humanity (no less than 53 per cent.) drifts back to sink lower and lower. Now, if that recidivism could be reduced from 50 to 25 per cent, no fewer than 3000 souls would be saved to the country yearly, nnd I claim such a work alone is worthy of a man's whole attention and energy. (Loud applause.) Yet I have had to encounter a great deal ol criticism—the. "Auckland Herald" referred to me as 'Dr. Findlay fussing with the criminals.' Yet how much better to be employed in such fussing with criminals than in levelling contempt and abuse at the mail who is engaged in the work. (Applause.) The easiest thing in the world is to charge the earnest man with being insincere and a humbug. Yet T claim to be possessed of every bit as much patriotism as my critics. Had it not been for the educational and other advantages this, my native country, has afforded me. I mipht to-day have, been toilins a nlaner ordrivingthe quill of an invoice clerk, and I therefore have excellent reason for gratitude and for attemptins to return in some little way the benefits she ha 9 given me." (Loud applause. 1

WAS HE A GOOD RIDDANCE? "I am now told In the 'Dominion* newspaper that I am a good riddance to Parnell, and this district is congratulated upon having rejected me. (Loud cries of derision.) Because, forsooth, I am the most dangerous man in the Cabinet." Voice: That is just what's the:matter. "I am dangerous because of the policy I have been trying to sulrmit to the audiences of Parnell: I am dangerous, as I stand opposed to land and all other monopoly. They say the devil steals the livery of Heaven for his purpose, and a gTeat many of the journalistic tories cf this co-untry have been stealing the gaTb of Liberalism for their own purpose. (Applause.) So lam dangerous. Yes. it true. And now that I have mv freedom and ant no longer under obligation to any Cabinet I promise my opponents that T shall prow not less dinperous, but more dangerous.™ (Applause and cheers.l COME BACK TO PARNELL.

After stating that his first thought now ■would have to be devoted to his impaired fortunes, he said that he yet hoped to see the day when he might again enter the fight. (Loud applause.) The present fight had been lost, ‘but no labour was lost in a good cause, and whether or not ho were privileged to hold it, he yet looked forward to the time when the Liberal flag would again be flying over 'Parnell. (Applause and cheers.) Again, tendering his deep appreciation of the loyalty and friendship that had been extended to him he wished them for the present farewell, as on Sunday be had to attend an important meeting of State in Wellington. He, intended to return, however, to spend a day in some pleasant fashion with the friends who had done so much for him. (Enthusiastic cheers.) ■Mr. Prank Lawny, to whom Sir John also referred in heartfelt terms, addressed the gathering 'briefly, the large gathering -breaking up with round after round of cheering, and the singing of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow ” and “Anld Lang Sync." Several hundreds of his well-wishers also congregated on the station platform, and gave another remarkable, demonstra-tion-of loyalty to the departing Minister, the- cry going np in a roar as the train moved off, ‘"Corne back, and we will put yon in next time. - ’ PREMATURE DECLARATIONS. ant. -MASSEY’S- OPINION. iir. Massey, when approached yesterday afternoon, and asked for an expression as the leader of the Opposition party, stated that he considered it premature -to say anything further at this stage, as the country bad. to quieten down, and the ballot figures be finally revised and corrected before the true position of the respective parties could be accurately gauged. “Whatever happens it is clear that I shall be under a very heavy responsibilities in the immediate future,” said leader of the party, \ Mr. W, F. Massey baa been flooded •with congratulatory messages from party sympathisers, no fewer than 500 telegraphic and cable messages being of the number, one of which, comes from sympathisers da Loudon.