The Dominion FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1930. PRIME MINISTER'S RESIGNATION

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 196, 16 May 1930, Page 8

The Dominion FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1930. PRIME MINISTER'S RESIGNATION

Sympathy will be widely felt for Sir Joseph . Ward in that continued ill-health has been the cause of his decision to resign the office of Prime Minister. Nevertheless, both in his personal interests and in those of the nation, resignation is the Tight step and congratulations are due to Sir Joseph for taking what cou not have been an easy decision. . There are those who have said that, on every count, the .1 rime Minister should have retired months ago when it became apparent that his illness was not yielding to treatment. . However that may e, the optimism that mercifully buoys up all invalids to hope tor a return of vigour may be given as one reason for Sir Joseph s reluctance to take the final step. Everyone will join in the wish that le may benefit in health by being relieved of the heavy cares of office. Acknowledgment is freely made of the long service that on Joseph Ward has rendered his country. The record of it extends over two generations; he has been in national politics for 43 years, a member of the Cabinet for almost 25 of them, and Prune Minister on two occasions, his two terms of leadership totalling over seven years. No doubt it was the prestige conferred by this record that accounted in a measure for the support given his Party at the last general election. It was a Ward victory and not a United Party victorv and, naturally, when the Party came to office it proved to be a Ward Government and not a United Government. Sir Joseph was not content to play the empty role of elder statesman but drew the whole Government to himself. As it began, so it went on. Even illness could not divorce Sir Joseph from his duties and, indeed, with so raw a Cabinet, almost totally lacking in administrative experience,, he had to assume, heavy responsibilities. That is what makes the present situation so difficult. ’The Cabinet is left without a head and without a mandate. For, as already stated, the country declared not for the United Party but for Sir Joseph Ward. And, as the defeats of Government candidates at the Hutt and Parnell indicate, the country disappointed with results is ripe to withdraw even the Ward mandate. The position now is that the United Party is preparing to carry on. Deprived of a popular leader and his administrative experience, its Government has been perilously weakened and it is a good thing that not much time can elapse before it will he submitted to the judgment of Parliament. In the present financial and economic circumstances, it should be the business of the House to endeavour to provide that the country has a strong and stable administration. Unless Sir Joseph should retain the portfolio of Finance (which apparently he does not propose), it is difficult to see how the essential financial and administrative experience can be found in the personnel of the United Party, a minority dependent on the goodwill of its political opponents. Nevertheless the government of the country must be carried on. It is for the House to exhaust its own resources first and that inevitably raises the suggestion of' fusion. Sir Joseph Ward’s resignation leaves no insuperable obstacles to a coming together of Reformers and Uniteds between whom there is no fundamental cleavage on policy. Fusion would give the country the stable and directing government it needs. The other choices are the continuance of the present precarious Government or the uncertainties, upset and expense of a general election. Meanwhile the resignation of Sir Joseph Ward will necessitate the formation of a new Administration. It seems likely that Mr. Forbes will be entrusted with this task although Mr. Ransom also aspires to the leadership.