"LEFT IN THE LURCH."

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 200, 23 August 1919, Page 6

"LEFT IN THE LURCH."

It is suggested that in suddenly resigning from the National Cabinet, Sir Joseph Ward has not acted fairly to Mr. Maasey. "Left in the Lurch" is a heading placed over a statement by the Prime Minister on the subject, and an attempt is being made to depict Mr. Massey as a poor lone widow surrounded by what might be described in Ireland as a "long weak family." This will hardly do. To begin with, as we have already pointed out, the decision to make the break was taken by the Liberal caucus months ago, and to go on with, sudden developments of this nature are quite common in politics. Not only do the sudden and the unexpected occur as often in politics as in war, but they are part of the rules and customs of the game. Everybody knows that a Ministry can be turned out without a moment's notice, and that when a Ministry resigns, other men are expected to take over the reins at once. The political history of our own and other countries is full of examples of these sudden turns of fortune; glance at the list of Ministries in New Zealand in the sixties, sevonties, and eighties, and see how often the "ins -, gave way to the "outs." When one Prime Minister succeeds another he is given a certain amount of time to choose his colleagues and prepare a policy, but he is generally expected to do these things quickty, and no matter how inexperienced his Ministers may be, he must meet the House with them after an interval which in the case of new men is not long enough to give them any great knowledge of their departments. Parliament will meet a week after the break, and if Mr. Massey wants a further adjournment for necessary work of reconstruction, we are sure Sir Joseph Ward will show him the consideration that is his due. Mr. Massey himself took three weeks after he formed his Ministry in 1012, but he was then about to meet Parliament with Ministers none of whom had had any experience of office. The circumstances are very different to-day. He still has six Reform colleagues, five of ivhom have been in the Ministry since 1912. Since thjj Finance Minister has not only left the Ministry but taken ]the Acting-Minister of Finance with him, finance is likely to cr.use Mr. Massey more trouble than any of the other subjects involved in the change. But Mr. Massey has in Sir James Allen a former Minister of Finance, and if Sir James feels unable to take over the portfolio, no doubt he will assist Mr. Massey with hi 3 advice. There is really nothing in the suggestion that Sir Joseph Ward has done anything improper or even irregular. His resignation w the kind of thing that may happen at any moment in politics, and such an old campaigner as Mr. Maseey muet know this as well as i anybody.