THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1400, 28 March 1912, Page 4

THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

Although the public has grown pretty well accustomed to discount the statements of tho Prime Minister, there will be as much public surprise as displeasure at his neglect to carry out his undertaking to resign on either Monday or Tuesday of this week. He has said, with a queer disregard for the constitutional practice, that it would be unconstitutional to resign before his successor had selected colleagues; and we can only suppose that this absurd statement is his cover for the fact that he intends to pull the strings in the formation of a new Ministry. How far ho is interfering with Mr. Mackenzie we of course cannot know. We do not even know, and he will not say, whether he has resigned; and we are unfortunately unable to draw from the Governor's departure from Wellington the conclusion that in any other British dependency they would in equal circumstances be able to draw, namely, that Sir Joseph Ward has not as yet handed in his resignation. ■ • That Mr. Mackenzie is finding the work of Cabinet-making extremely difficult is of course very clear to everyone. If it were merely a matter of choosing seven or eight men from the party, he would have been able to form a Ministry in thirty seconds. He has to remember, however, that even a brief life as Prime Minister will depend upon his success in managing _ tho conflicting forces within his heterogeneous party. How inconsonant those forces are has been made manifest already by the rejection of Mr. Millar at the instance of Mn. Isitt, of all people, and by the fact that the opposition to Mr. Myers, coming from the same quarter, is a large factor in tho delay in the completion of arrangements. Nobody has any desire to damage beforehand Mr. Mackenzie's chances cither of forming a Ministry or of carrying 011 with the Ministry that lie may be able to form; but lie cannot expect that by making a clean sweep of the old Cabinet he will persuade the nation that lie has made a clean sweep of "Liberalism." Unless lie can make a definite declaration to the contrary, and can deposit clean bonds in support, the nation will regard him as merely the new custodian of Wardism. There is nobody, or hardly anybody, whom lie can rail to his council who is nut branded in years and years of Jlllll--id 111 as a supporter of the abuses of the nominally-expiring Administration.

It is possible, nf course, that Ml! Mai'kkn'x.ik may suddenly decide 1> defy the little factions who are seeking to dictate his selections—possible, but, wo fear, uot very prob

able. That ho is in distress, and has sent out a call for help, is clear enough from the curious statement by the Chrislchtirch organ of the Spoils party reported in a telegram to-day from our Christchurch correspondent. That journal, which has long pursued the shaky path of partisan flirtations with all sorts of negotiable factions, and which found itself led into supporting Prohibition as a justification for supporting the "Independent" Mil. Isitt, has suddenly protested against the Prohibitionist opposition to Mil. Myehs. The' object of its protest is obviously to call Mr. Isitt off.

There is no just reason for complaint by the public concerning the anxiety of Mr. Mackenzie to keep the "Liberal" party afloat. There is very good reason for complaint, however, concerning his subordination of the national interest to the interest of the party .he expects to keep from foundering. He is trifling with the nation, whose interest lies in the qniick establishment of a stable Government or, at anyrntc, of stable political conditions. Every day of delay is a day of gain for the Eoform party, and no doubt Mr. MasSEY is anything but displeased by the turn of events. Our own concern is for the national interest, and it is wholly against the national interest that tho needs of the heterogeneous "Liberal" party should create public unrest and uncertainty. _Mn. Mackenzie is not acting patriotically in allowing the nation's government to become plaster in the hands of the Isitt group and the Payne group. How, when those groups arc embarrassing him now, and helping him into discredit, can he hope that they can, or will, save him from disaster later on'! He is committed to a bad programme; but, in the interests of correct politics, we hope that he will delay no longer in tossing aside the little factions who may use his weak majority to make him dance to their tune. It is far better for him to abandon his Prime Ministerial hopes, or to select his own Cabinet without fear or favour, than to come into office in chains —far better for him, and better, too, for the nation, if we may be pardoned for mentioning the thing again.