Evening Post. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1911. SHIRKING THE SITUATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 150, 22 December 1911, Page 6

Evening Post. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1911. SHIRKING THE SITUATION.

Sir Joseph Ward's keenly-awaited statement of the Government's line of action in tliß present perplexing crisis is cryptic ; it is as ambiguous as some of the utterances of the ancient -Delphian oracle. The Prime Minister, with a brevity in strange contrast with the normal lengthiness *of his political discourse, has declared that Parliament has been, prorogued till 10th January, and he "has no further statement to make at present." Many a tim© Sir Joseph, when criticised in the House of Representatives, has been apt to take cover under a host of WoTds, but to-day he has reversed his tactics, and he hopes to make a holiday peace with a single sentence. Practically ho invites the parties to observe an armistice till the 1 Christmas season is- over, -but we believe that the purposes of peace and goodwill would have been better served by a more definite revelation of the Prime. Ministerial mind. The people, keyed up for words to relieve the, present suspense, will be flatly disappointed withSir Joseph's indecision, and they may be disposed to resent Ms evasion of a : duty which seemed plaiu enough to friends and foes of the -Government and neutrals as well. j The statement that Parliament has j been prorogued tUi 10th , January do,e» J

not, of course, imply that Parliament will meet on that day. That is a time when many people are making holiday, 3tid it is not a desirable time for the convening of Parliament except for urgent business. It is true that the public interest demands an . early meeting, but that interest does not call for a meeting so soon as 10th January. We do not think that the Prime' Minister liae any with to see members of Parliament in Wellington on that day. When the period of ' the present prorogation ■expires another one will probably be proclaimed. In the meantime Sir Joseph ha* taken the precaution to get a breathing space for himself,' leisure for thought, an opportunity for planning, but we are compelled to expr«s an opinion that he gains this personal and party advantage by evading his obligation to th« public. He gave the people to understand that wh«n the complete returns of the elections were before him he would Drake his intentions clear. The returns have come, and Sir Joseph has uttered words which mean anything or nothing, the only excuse for the Leader of the Ministerial Party is that he has lately been much overwrought, much distraught. On the ground of political ethics the Prime Minister doea not ap pe&v to have any excuse acceptable to the public. He has made a statement, and it is " voices— otherwise nothing."