MAJORITY OF ONE.

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

MAJORITY OF ONE.

LIBERAL, PARTY IN 1911. SIR JOSEPH RECALLS POSITION". WELLINGTON, Tuesday. 'The attempt to convey an impression that I was in a similar position in 1911 as head of the Government to what the Reform Government is in now is quite contrary to fact—the positions are not in any way analogous," said the Leader of the United party, Sir Joseph Ward, in a statement to the Press. "The plain fact is that after the general election in 1911 I had a majority of two over my then opponents. One was absent in England and the other was in the Speaker's chair. When a motion of want of confidence was moved by Mr. Massey it was rejected by the casting vote of Mr. Speaker, which still left me in a majority of one—the member absent at Home. The Opposition had declined -to give a pair. "Able to Advise Governor." "Quite irrespective of the fact that we were in office on the casting vote of the Speaker and without the vote of the absent member of our party being recorded, I was in the position of being able to advise' his Excellency the Governor, aa representing the majority of the House, and at that crisis the Governor took my advice without in the least dissenting from it. I bad the undoubted right to advise him. Otherwise it would have been within his power and his right to dissent. The date of convening the reassembling of the House was fixed not by the head of a Government representing a minority, but by the head of the Government representing a majority, although a email one.

"By the eame token, although I had the undoubted power, being in a small majority, of making appointments to the Legislative Council or otherwise, the fact remains that I made none, and this was done by me of my own volition. When I tendered my resignation I did so entirely on the ground that I would not be in the position, as head of the Government, of being squeezed because I considered that the country ought not to be governed by so email a majority."