POLITICAL SITUATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 180, 25 April 1908, Page 5

POLITICAL SITUATION.

COALITION,, RUMOURS, : . MR MASSEY INTERVIEWED. A FLAT DENIAL ... 'N'''. • ■ ' - • (BT TELEOBAPp.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT). ' ' ' ~ <>■■■'■ -: -• Dunedln, April 24. • A;rather romarkablo telogram is publisl)! • in tho "Star" to-night, sent by its Oamai , eo'rrospondent. . It is to ; this effect , "I bavo it on what appears to bo relia- , bio authority 'that . Mr, Massey's mnin ,v i. mission to the Sotit)} is to feel tho pulso in referonco to an alliance with tho moro soction of tho .'-Ministerial. , . party, and the ultimate formation of a , ,i. coalitjon Ministry for - tho puj-ppso of' , • . the socialistic tondencies of . the; Radicals and ciirbmg , -tho Labour ' ■\. party; -. It is stated here that Mr. Massey .■■■■• will, to-day drscuss v tho projcct with a -large meeting .of influential citizons in to be followed by similar meet-' . . : ings elsewhere. ■ It is further stated. ! : that' Sir Joseph Ward, though'not com- ■, to the scheme, is inclined to view- ,") :it-;with favourable eye, and that/an- ' -x';.other^.prominent;--Minister has definitqlj\ ■ v - expressed himself as agreepble.;: I- give - ':,'y6u thO'Btatomentvfor. what it-is worth. ■ ■ hovyover,ibe particularly interest-- . 1 ing >to - watel) -developments during tho •-><• coming sesjipn, and iin conneotion ivith ,-' : tlie "geqeral .'election which - will follow. -■ , If .the-alliance should: bo seriously .-enter-'-' " , tained an agreement will bo arrived at - ■ .. not to jeopardise tlie seats of candidates acceptable to tho coalition by splitting ' i votes, and.the-olection will be succeeded' -,by a reconstruction-of the Ministry with . : Mr. Massoy. and one or two of his . friends-included m 1 place of some of the/ %i present , . - -v. ; . i Then follows an> interview which one of the • '.'Star's?'' staff • had- with the Leader -of the Opposition. • ■' .. ■ , \, - there anything,m.it?" Mr.--Massey was asked > "No," he replied.' "I am here on the busmess'of the party." / "Is, that' all ypu have) to say. about the ' Tumour or statement >" ' ! - "Tyhatido you iwant-me to say?'"Can you give it a flat denial? Is it altogether wrong?" -"I quito prepared to give it a flat I ; denial,said Mr. :' Massoy unhesitatingly. -• I am not 'giving any, interviews about, my business hero. •: When l oomo hero | again I shall probably havo something to say from the public platform " 1 "When viU you be hero again?" tho Leader,of.tho Opposition was.asked. -. , "I, can't .say,sl- ho replied. : have a good many, engagements. at tho present moment > and: a good deal ofiibusmess >to do, so it is guito impossible to beyond that I pro- .. 'pose to be bacjc '.hero .before the general election anyhow. That is al] I can say in ..- the meantime. I ; have • ■ -just > about' -got :': through .my -business here, and I am going -. away-.to-morrow-morning."-' >.„f----■p "Could you say. anything about ".what-'you dono in Otngo ? " i ' V "There. is notjnng. to , tell. * I have seen • the peoplo I wanted to . see, and I have been fairly-i sUcccs^ul T business'- hero. 11 4, ; a day , ; . or . two in, Canterbury; and. then I 1 will, cross .Wollmrton." Dunedin, April 24 ' : •. ■ Jlr. 'W. F. Jlaspsoy,' Leader*of'the Opposii ;infilrmally this afternoon, several ■ supporters of his party,' and'it'was decidtxl . that: it was wisep-to .wait .for; a-, little; whilo before addressing. -a 1 ..-meeting-: on " current ~ '.-politics in Otago,' especially as tho Government. ' absolutely no indication .-as i to: its ,i policy -pr the ;-.business', to' bo -under- , taken during, the forthcoming-, session"' :'.^f a . ss ?y• goes. Jforth by tlie:first express to-morrow. \ \