DRAMATIC CHANGES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 276, 21 November 1928, Page 8

DRAMATIC CHANGES.

THE POLITICAL PENDULUM.

SIR J. G. "WARD'S SELFSACRIFICE. WHAT HAPPENED IN 1911. "BACK TO THE RANK AND FILE." (By Telegraph—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON, thia day. There has never been anything quite so dramatic in New Zealand electioneering as the turning of the Coates Government majority into so serious a minority. When the late Mr. Massey went to the elections in 1911, hoping to turn out the Ward Government, he had to dispose of a 22 majority, but the polling was somewhat indecisive. Mr. Massey's supporters claimed that they could win by ten, but a test made in the session in February, 1912, produced even voting—39 on each side. Sir Arthur Guinness, the Speaker, followed the constitutional practice in giving hie vote for "no change." However, there were troubles in the Government ranks over the land question, and the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, knew that the party was in difficulties. It was subsequently known in Parliamentary circles that almost immediately after the elections Sir Joseph Ward came to the conclusion that if he resigned from the leadership there might be a good chance of reconciling disaffected elements. The first name which came up for consideration as possible Prime Minister was that of the late Sir James Carroll, who had been Acting-Prime Minister during Sir Joseph's absence at the Imperial Conference. However, this never came to public knowledge at that time. Sir Joseph Ward's eelf-eacrifieing decision to eliminate himself for the sake of the Liberal party was announced to the House prior to the fateful division, which was only won on Mr. Speaker's casting vote. In doing this just before the division bells rang, Sir Joseph referred to a critical discussion as having been mainly a personal attack upon himself rather than against Liberalism, and he went on to declare: "As far as I am concerned, if we win thia division, as I honestly believe we will, I do not propose to continue in the position I hold now, after that division has taken place; in other words, I am not going to be put in a position into which the other side, through its friends in the country, seek to force me, and I am not going to be used as a butt to injure the Liberal and Labour party of this country. (Loud applause from Liberal members.) What I say to the Liberals and the workers of this country is this: 1 am prepared to go into the rank and file of the Liberal-Labour party to help them to the best of my ability; but I will undertake to say that, as a free man, I will be a much more dangerous man than I am with my present responsibilities.' "

A second division that session raised the Ward Government majority to a narrow margin of two, but Sir Joseph promptly carried out his effacement, resigning from the Ministry, and Sir Thomas Mackenzie succeeded to the position of Prime Minister. It is familiar history that reorganisation failed to convince freeholders in the party that the Government was suitable to them, and a no-confidence motion in the session of June, 1912, gave a decisive win to Mr. Massey by 41 votes to 33, giving the Reform party a tenure of office lasting just over sixteen years.