THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14238, 29 December 1911, Page 6

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

It is not surprising perhaps that Sir Joseph Ward, after being in. office in one capacity or another for so many years, finds it difficult to realise that the country is at length desirous of a change. His attitude reminds us of a survivor of an earthquake, who wonders what has happened, and requires time, in his dazed condition, to collect his scattered thoughts. Ah English Prime Minister, of course, docs not cling to office after the country has indicated, that ho no longer retains its confidence. He does not always wait until he finds ho is in a minority,

but it is sufficient for him it he finds lv's majority approaching vanishing point to give back tho seals of office into the hands of tho Crown. In New Zealand, with its small Legislature, conditions are different, and as the King's Government must be carried on, it is sometimes necessary to work with a vory small majority. We do not find fault with Sir Joseph Ward, therefore, for his apparent difficulty in realising what wo believe to be tho inexorable fact, namely, that tho country has at length become tired of 'his administration, and wants a change. At tlie same timo we venture to doubt whether he is adopting either a constitutional or even a politic course in relying on secret caucuses of his followers to guide him as to the course ho should pursue. If he has any doubt at all as to his position, there is only oho dignified and constitutional proceeding open to him to set that doubt at rest, and that is to call Parliament together without delay, so as to ascertain whether he still possesses tho confidence of tho country. The opinion generally expressed at yesterday's caucus of Government members is understood to have been that the Government should carry on, after tho Ministry has been subjected to drastic reconstruction, and that Parliament should bo called together earlier than usual, but not at once. Tho Government, in short, aro to act practically as if they had a majority. These suggestions merely show that under the spell of tlie Prime Minister's optimism, the rank and file of tho party are as reluctant as ho is to acknowledge tho outstanding lesson to be learned from the elections—that tho Ward Administration has lost the confidence of the majority of tho electors. Any decision arrived at by the minority Government that does not indicate their acceptance of this fact win not satisfy the country.