"NOT TO BE IGNORED."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1307, 9 December 1911, Page 6

"NOT TO BE IGNORED."

THE EEFOEM PAETT'S GAINS.. Duncdin, December 8. Says the "Star" (Ministerial): We share the Prime Minister's belief that the second ballot will destroy the Opposition's hope of coming into office. A close analysis of the positions that are still ope'n suggest a probability that, from two-thirds to three-fourths of the seats in question will bo captured by candidates prepared to support tho present Ministry on a want of confidence motion. We believe that the Government will have a majority in the new Parliament, but it will bo small— perhaps only .just a "working" majority, and there will be some lively times, perhaps followed by important readjustments. It would bo premature to discuss to-day the causes of tho Opposition gain, but it is an appreciable advance, and cannot be ignored.

THE AUCKLAND "STAR."

MUST WAIT TILL THIS DAY WEEK. Auckland, December 8. Some of the "Star's" editorial comment upon, the result of the first ballot is amusing. The Government organ says, by way of taking comfort unto itself:— "Out of the 75 seats contested yesterday, at least 30 have, still to submit themselves to the ordeal of the second ballot with results that cannot yet be predicted with any accuracy. Any inference drawn from these figures must bo altogether conjectural, but so far as they go they certainJy do not justify any exuberant enthusiasm on the part of the Opposition. Tho returns now actually to hand show that the Liberals havo gained two scats and the Opposition have gained five, but to say that the Opposition is therefore ahead of the Liberals is at this stage of the contest quite meaningless. By this day week we will bo in a positiom to say more about tho relative strength of the two parties- In tho meantime we may content ourselves with observing that we can see no signs in the results so for to hand of the great revulsion of public feeling against Liberalism that tho Opposition so confidently counted upon, and that so far as the evidence now available can help us to form an opinion there is every probability that the Government will command a working'majority in the new Parliament."

"THE PLAYED-OUT PARTY." ITS REIGN AT AN END. Christchurch, December 8. Tho 'Tress" declares that the movement for political reform which has been spreading over the- Dominion: since the elections of 1908 culminated in a great victory yesterday, and there is every reason to believe, that the end of tho Ward Government is in sight. "Even in the thirty constituencies where second ballots are required the' Reform candidates are leading in U and tho Government candi-, dates in 12, and a scrntiny of the returns slows that these figures will probably approximate closely to the final results. It' our anticipations" are borne out, the Government will find itself in a minority, and unless it is supported bv the Independents, the Labourites, and tho Maori members, it will not bo able to. remain in office. Tho striking character of yesterday's victory, therefore, becomes obvious. Tho Tcign of the 'played-out party'' is at an end. The political situation has become transformed and the political future is really very bright. The Ministry has suffered its full share of the misfortune of tho party. The Prime Minister's majority, which ran.into thousands' three years ago, has dropped to a little over (100 before the attack of a political novico. Three Ministers—tho Hon. J. A.Millar, Sir John Findlay, and Mr. Buddo —havo to go through the ordeal of second ballots with little hope of success, while the Chief .Whip just escaped with Lis political life. Tho Opposition's actual losses are trifling, it wo except the unfortunate defeat of tho genial Mr. Hardy, in Selwyn, ond tho party has littlo to fear from the second ballots." Speaking of the defeat of Mr. C. A. C. Hardy, tho "Press" says:—"Out regret at his loss is deep and sincere. He has represented Selwyn well arid ably, and on personal grounds his absence from tho House will bo regretted by numbers of thoso who differed from him in politics, while by tho members of his own party he will bo greatly missed. Ho will doubtless accept defeat with tho philosophical cheerfulness that ho lias hitherto taken success, and he will carry with him into his retirement (he w-irm good wishes of a host of-friends." Reports from Selwyn havo moro than once suggested that Mr. Hardy's seat was in danger, but his friends paid less attention to these rumours than they evidently deserved, confiding in the veteran's acknowledged ability in winning an election that seemed to bo lost as he has done on other occasions.

Regarding the second ballot, the "Press" points out that against the advice of men who had made a study of the question of popular olectkm, tha Gorcnuniml sdooted

the system because they believed it would work lo their advantage, the interval between the lirst and second polls giving them mi opportunity of bringing into play the art of sweetening (lie electorates in which they urn so adopt. "Their pet system did not three years ago have at all the expected result. Indeed it recoiled upon them with such disconcert iu» effect thai: dm people believed that sonic other system would lie adopted fnr tlio present elections. However, llio Government apparently decided to givo it another trial. We trust they aro satisfied. I ho fato of many Government candidate including Sir John I-'indlay, .Mr. .Millar! and Mr. Buddo hangs in tlio balance, anil wo havo no doubt that between lfl-d'»v and next Thursday tlio Government will exert every ell'ort; and practise nil the arts of which they aro masters to savo themselves from serious reverse. In at. least 30 electorates the whole machinery of election must bo set going again on tlio samo scale as was tlio. caso yesterdav Tho only good feature of what is roallv a. triumph, of 6tupidity is that it must moan tho repeal of tho Second Ballot Act. Tho public will not suffer another repetition of the inconvenience and long drawn-out unrost of which it is the cause.""

ELEVENTH-HOUR CATCH CRY. SNARE FOR LABOUR. (£ar TeleeraDh.—Special GornuDondeaU Christchurch, December .8. ..The "Dyttelton Times" ■ of this morning, in concluding an article -on tho elections, says:—''The position of tho Government in the new Parliament will depend, to a very large extent, upon tho efforts which tho progressive party makes in tho constituencies during the next few days. Canterbury can bo trusted to do its part in seeing that the march of progress is continued, but, in some of the other provinces, the relations between tho various sections of the Liberal party are not so cordial as they should be, and the second ballots might very well bo niado tho occasion for healing old differences and divisions. Tho elections havo progressed far enough to show that the need of the Liberal-Labour party, at the present time, is a restoration of tho mutual confidonco and tho enthusiasm which led it on from success to success during the earlier. years of its career. It has not yet finished the great work which it sot out to accomplish. Thero aro still wrongs to be righted, and reforms to bo achieved, and now is the time for- its leaders to show that they are worthy of tho traditions and the opportunities to which they have succeeded. TSARDOM'S OBSESSIONS. ' VERY LIKE THE OLD BOHRBONS. Auckland, December 8. The "Herald" says:—"me pathetic attempts of .Ministerial apologists to . per-suuu-a tne puouc tiiat tno voting of inursdny last had no significance is instructive. . It is eviuenco that the Government and its partisans considered tiieinteives possessed of a perpetual lease of office, in all Ministerial .quarters we find the saino strange infatuation that notmug will happen, or can happen-no matter what tueir sins of omission or commission—which could drive Sir Janies Carroll from the position necessary tt tlio perpetuation of his "taihoa" policy, Mr. Millar from tho mismanagement of the railways, Mr. K. M'lCenzie from the autocracy which ho so genially exercises over public works, Sir Joseph Ward from the Treasury, Sir John Findlay from the At-torney-Generalship, and Mr. Buddo, Mr. Ngata, and Sir.. T. Mackenzie from less noticeable, but very dignified and wellsalaried offices. They remind us of the Bourbons, who learned nothing and forgot nothing, and who wero never more surprised in their lives than when their thrones tottered and fell. In any caso, it is reasonably certain that the Government's position will be so shaken as to make it practically untenable.