THE NEW MINISTRY

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1431, 4 May 1912, Page 5

THE NEW MINISTRY

ITS PRECARIOUS POSITION. REPLY TO PREMIER'S ATTACKS THE TWO LEADERS CONTRAST^',-• (By Telegraph—Special Correspondent.) '. Auckland, May 3. : The Leader of tho Opposition is quietly watching the antics of the Ministers, Who ' aro on. electioneering tours of tho country, and ho is smiling his usual happy smile . ': apparently content to let the present Cabinet mako tho most of its little life. He is not talking to interviewers very much, and he was very busy when I approached him this afternoon for a reply to recent speech.es by Ministers, lie turned to Mr. Lang, M.P. for Maiwkau, and a prominent member of tho lie-form party, and asked him to reply for tho Opposition. Mr, Lang, without hesitation, made a vigorous and forceful reply, lie said the Prime Minister was touring the country carefully cultivating tho idea tint the' present Cabinet in general, and lie- (tho 'Prime Minister) in particular were devoted to the interests of tiio farmer. Mr, Mackenzie omitted to correct the im. pression that ho himself was a inrmer. As a matter of fact, Mr. Mackenzie was ' not a farmer, and never was a Uiuiur, If tho Prime Minister was so iolioitmis lor tho welfare of tho farmer and Use interests of the freeholders, why was it that when he had the opportunity of terming a Cabinet ho excluded farmers lrom tho Cabinet r The only member of tho Cabinet who by any stretch of tho imagination, could bo called a farmer was Mr. M'Dnuald. • , Then, if the Government was in favour of the freehold, why was it. that the Cabinet consisted of three Ministers who favoured the freehold, ono whose opinion en Iho point had never definitely been shown, and six others wiio were well* known leaseholders? Hoy/ tho "Liberals" Were Saved. The Government attempted to lead the public' to think that the voto nf v aut-of-contidence moved by Mr. Massey van lost by the- reading of a letter by Mr. Massey. It was nothing of tho kind. That did not alter the situation one j.ita, lor,, the way the voting was going was appait-nt long ere that. Tho only thing that saved tho Government at the moment was tho promise of ,Sir Joseph Ward 1c lcsign because the member for Olaki, who would otherwise have voted for tiio r.)oliou, voted against it, on Iho understanding that the then Prime Minister vould liyiul in his resignation. Ji' Sir Jus.iph Ward had not definitely promised to resign tho Government would have been defeated. What an extraordinary position was now revealed! A Ministry to govern the country was elected by a caucus of a party only saved front defeat by the casting vote of the Speaker, and the promise of a Prime Minister to resign. That Ministry did not face Parliament, sud has not yet met cither Parliament, of tho country. Yet it puts off the session fill the latest possible moment, and sets off round tho country on an electioneering tour at tho country's expense, drawing full travelling expenses, and scattering profuse promises right and left that it cannot hope to ever fulfil. It took upon itself to make contracts andmako appointments without knowing whether it possessed the confidence of Parliament, and with the fairly euro idea that it does not possess that confidence. While tho Cabinet was on this electioneering tour, how was the work in Wellington getting on? It was easy to .go round tho'country making promises they would never bo called upon to keep. Ths Mackenzie Policy. Mr, Lang was asked to speak on the present Cabinefs policy,.and ho at onto asked: "What is it? I- certainly ■ don t know it. The caucus decided in electing the Cabinet, that the policy of tho last Speech from the Throne was to be the' policy of tho Government, but tho Ministry has evidently cast that overboard now. At anyrato it is like a. por relation. It-is never mentioned by tho Ministers. Tho Opposition said tho last Ministry was not fitted to control, the . affairs.j>t tho country, Tho Government caucus decided that only ono member, of that Ministry was fit to retain office. Was that not carrying a voto of want of confidence r Somo remarks made by Ministers rccciic ly, to the effect that Mr. Massey. was th-9 advocate of tho large landowners, wero brought under Mr. Lang's notice. - "What nonsense,"'replied Mr. Lung. I have heard Mr. Massey over ami over again express himself most emphatically in favour of tho sub-division oi the largo estates and of the imposition of whatever tax was necessary to encourage or compel the breaking up of largo estates, but M., Massey is also in favour of somo discrimination being shown between., the landowner who makes full use ot his land and tho owner who is simply holding tor speculation purposes.' . Mr Lang went on to say that the o-ttaelt made- upon Mr. Massey by the Prime Minister" in which tho Prime Minister presumed to aceuso tho Leader of tho Opposition of political unfair play an declining a par for Mr. Wilford, who was not sworn in, and who had refrained from asking for a pair, was particularly «n----cXf for, in view of the wire-pulling indulged in to defeat the no-comidencc motion, and in view of the lace that e Government elected to take office by \i.tuo of the support of two men vlw hart promised to vote for the motion. 'l-ho Government only secured tie defeat -of the motion on the- understanding that the then Prime Minister resigned, .and that the policy of Ui-3 last «-peech Iron, tho Throne was carried on, but thai policy tod annarcntl.v been abandoned 'm favour of'a" section of the poney the Kolorm party placed before the country at tho last'election. It ill became the present Cabinet -to talk of political unfair ploy. The Two Leaders. The Prime Minister in Chrk-lchurcll tried to tell the nublie that the present Cabinet had the support of the country. The present Cabinet had not tnc support of tho country, and never had. It had not oven yet met Psriinmont. Tht Prima Minister took unon himself to intcriero with the affairs of the Reform party, and 'was gradually-becoming more nndtuoro abusive of Mr. Massey. He (Mr. Lam:) could assure the Prime Minister that tho Reform narty rennired v-onrv ot his novice, and"that as far is Mr. Massey s followers were concerned there never was a moro ioval sot of men, uc-v a party that had a more thorough apnrrcuui'ui ol its leader. It would be well toi i.lr. -Moo. U'ir.io if his partv believed in him as the Reform party believed in Mr. Massey. There could not be a comparison more to Mr. Miisscv's advantnue than a comparison between his and Mr. Mackenzie's political record?. Mr. Mnekon?,."' presumed to snv that Mr. Massov bad biimiled the campaign- Any schoolboy knew tivat Mr. Massey gained eleven seats nt the last election, and ho gained exactly the same number nt the tirevious election, and ai far as Mr. Massey's leadership was eoneornodVthe Government majority of forty was reduced by Mr. Massey .until llrt Government was saved from defeat only by tho easting vote of *Tie Sneaker. ;"-irt bv the definite trnimisp of then Primo Minister to resign from the Government nf the country. Mr. Mn.wy took up tho loadcrshirj at a time when the party was in very low water, and he brought it in to the best position it has occupied in. twenty-one years. "T am not surprised nt Mr. Mackenzie," added Mr. L-nng. "tryiinr. (aether with' mm& others, to injure Mr. Massey in (he estimation of the pe-onlo n.nd to injur? our partv at tho same time. becfUM" Mr, M.ickenzio and his friends fear Mr. Mas?oy and fear tho Beform party. Hut wn know Mr. Masse? and trust him, and we air/) know Mr. Mackenzie." Mr. Lan>? added in conclusion Hint Mr. Mackenzie'talked about a dis'ilulion. hjit Mr. Mackenzie knew very '-ell iVit o. dißwluHnn would not follow (lie rlefe,,* of ihft Ministry. Before n dissolution w«s granted the possibilities of tho Tlonsf muet bo exhausted.