SATISFACTORY

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 89, 13 October 1915, Page 7

SATISFACTORY

♦ NATIONAL GOVERNMENT HOW IT HAS WORKED PRIME MINISTER SATISFIED.- " I think those who have watched the business of the session must have come to the conclusion that the National Cabinet has worked very well indeed,'' said the Right Hon. W. F. Massey to ai Post representative to-day, "and I knowj from communications which have reach-, ed me from all over New Zealand that 1 it has given satisfaction to the great majority of the people of the Dominion, When the National Government waa established a number of people looked! upon it as an experiment which might or might not turn out satisfactorily, but even those people who were inclined t<* be doubtful at the first are satisfied now. Personally, I may say that 1 am more; than pleased. There has been a certain, amount of adverse .criticism from a few members who do not exactly approve of what has been done, but, speaking for myself, as head of the Government, I want to say that the new members of the Ministry have done everything that it was possible for them to do,, not only in connection with the business of the session, but also in connection with the administration of the public affairs generally. There has not been the very slightest friction, since the change was made, and, so far as I am' able to judge, the present satisfactory condition of affairs will continue as long as the present arrangement lasts, ''It would, in my opinion, not be pos-i sible for any party, even with a working majority, to have done justice to the circumstances and conditions that have arisen since the war broke out ; but with a National Government, party influence has ceased to operate, aad- all sections of the House have been able to join in working for the Empire in .the most serious crisis that we have ever been called' upon to face." FORMED AT THE RIGHT TIME SIR JOSEPH WARD'S OPINION Pointed and interesting reference to the career of the National Cabinet was made by Sir Joseph Ward in concluding his speech on the Appropriation Bill last night. The National Cabinet, he said, was brought about by a national disturbance of an unprecedented kind. Necessarily, it had had a very difficult task. The result of its formation "was that from end to end of New Zealand there had been created a strong feeling of confidence ; troubles in connection with the war had been met and dealt with in. a manner that had ensured the financial stability of the Dominion and had resulted in the sending away of a large number of men. fully trained, capable ,of doing full service for the Empire. It was not a time for fault-finding. It was a time for co-operation on the p»rt of every member of the community. Noiie of them should allow their as'pirat'fius to carry them off their feet while we arc iv the throes of a tremendous struggle Hearty co-operation on the 'part of svery portion of the Empire was necessary for the bringing about of a victory at the earliest possible moment. Though the National Cabinet might he decried by some people, and though it could not have behind it the concrete forces of party, it existed as the representative ■of all classes of the country, and he believed^ that, on the whole, I when members came before their constituents they would find that the j average man and woman would agree ! that the National Government nad ! aided the Empire to the fullest extent, and had maintained the country in a strong financial position, and kept avenues open for workers and traders and. settlers, and he believed that those who reviewed the history of the period m years to come would say that the National Government came in at a right time in the best interests of the Empire and in the best interests of the people of New Zealand. (Applause.)