THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16700, 8 December 1919, Page 8

THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

SIR JOSEPH WARD AND "THE PRESS." PARTY POSSIBILITIES. On Saturday Sir Jo>eph Ward m:uU a statement to a ivpros.-ntativo of "The Press"' concerning tho following paragraph in a leading articlo on that morning:— "What Sir Joseph not Slid and his omission to say it, it' net ;m oversight, is of cardinal importance —is tluu he «i!l not move again>: the (Jo\ eminent- unless 110 iiusmoie direct followers, members of h> own Liberal Patty, than all oth>-t parties combined. 11 his omis.-ioc to pledge himself to this (and thereby to give the only r« :i5 surjmco respecting his relation to tho Reds—is only an oversight, he will 110 doubt he glad to havo Inattention thus called to it.''

"Does 'The Press' mean to say," *»j|Joseph remarked, "in putting such .1 question as that to me. or (iocs it suggest. that Mr Massoy should depend upon his existence as I'ritno Minister of ihis country on the support of extremists to enable him to keep in power, nnd that the Liberals (who. it, all probability from what I know, will bo a stronger force than his own will be) are to take r.o action after tho appeal to the polls unless they have got a majority over all parties in the House? Surely that implies that Mi Mnssey. if ho is in a minority, and ha* not a majority over all patties in the House, is going to depend on tho support of the Ned Fe.ls to keep him 111 and to give him a majority. "When I spoke at Leeston last night I assumed that tho paragraph I quoted was a 'local,' I accept the statement that it was an advertisement. Ilut 1 have found that in the leading columns of 'The Press' of Thursday that the tamo tiling is suggested in connexion with the Christ church South seat. Does 'The Press' mean to suggest that Koformeis are to support an extremist a.against an Independent'. Progressive Lilteral like Mr Holland, and that the extremist, if returned, is to bo looked upon as a proper ncr*'>n to keep Mr Mnssey in power by vin.ng with him: I want to know whether this basis is tc bo regarded as the right one." Tho report ei' asked if S;r Joseph did not think that what was meant. wa« that the Liberal-, in the new Parliament should number at least fortv-one.

"51y r.nswer i.s,"' Sir Joseph replied, '"that tho poopio of this country at tli<' present moment am being appealed to. If they give tho Liberals a majoriti over tho I'oformers. mv duty as Lender of tlu' Liberal I'nrtv. will ho to trsi tlio fooling of the House; if they givi. a majority of Reformers over tho Liberals tho Loader of the Reform Party will ho in exactly the same position. If tho Liberals succeed in turning tb« Reform I'nrtv out of offied —ovorvbody in tho House voting a; tliev think* proper, and all sections— tlicn tho duty would devolve on tlic Loader of tho party which moved tlu motion to form a strong Government, if he could; and if lie could not sm> coed in doing sn, except at the dictation of extremists, with whoso policy, or methods, or notions, ho did not agreo, then, in the ordinary course of tilings, lie would have to go out and give way to someone else. Rut for tho editor of any partv paper to he stupid enough —because that is the only way in which sensible men oan deacrihe his nttitude in talking nhout a majority of all pnrties in the llouso heing won hy nnv party at the present juncture to control the decision of any other party in tho Mouse—l think it is about na senseless a ns I liavo ever hoard in connexion with public life. In my opinion, if such ideas are intended to ho a guide to sensible men and women in this portion of the country, then 1 don't wonder nt the electors resenting it and returning men to Pnrliamont opposed to suoh ill-considered and stimid advice. You ask mo whnt wo will do if wo haven't got 41 Liberals? What is Mr Mnssey going to do if he hasn't 41 Reformers— which lie hasn't n ghost of a hopo. ho hasn't got, Buckley's chance of getting. Tho situation is to bo faced from the standpoint of commonsenso men: It isn't going to ho settled bv deliberate misrepresentation in the leading columns of any journal in this country, and ono that scarcely ever succeeded in wirnint politicians to its side." Further pursuit of the subject was nreventcd by Sir Joseph's necessity to board a taxi in order to catch tho ferry steamer train.