Evening Post. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1919. THE VERDICT

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 146, 18 December 1919, Page 4

Evening Post. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1919. THE VERDICT

There has rarely been a General Election about which those who had the best means of knowledge were less disposed to confident prophecy than about that decided yesterday. The long interval since the last General Election—an interval which included four years of tho most terrible fighting and one year of the most troubled peace on record, the supersession of the old party issues by new problems which, despite their unique gravity and complexity, provided practically no material for a new alignment, and the emergence of a new and sinister force in the shape of revolutionary Labour which had been inspired by some notable successes during the last year of hostilities to hope that popular discontent and the division of the constitutional forces might at least give it the balance of power in the new House—tlfese were the outstanding features of the struggle which baffled conscientious prophecy. It was a deplorable sight for a patrioticepeople to see the lesson of unity which had been taught by the war so completely lost upon the old parties that in nearly half the constituencies their resumption of hostilities on tho old lines was giving an opportunity to a new party which, even under the most insistent pressure, could not make so much as a perfunctory expression of its loyalty. The possibility that in these three-cornered fights the patriotism and good sense of the overwhelming majority might be so grossly misrepresented' as to give to such a party the balance of political power in the new House was to most level-headed citizens a matter of far deeper moment than the issues between' Liberalism.and Reform, which were recognised to be for the most part artificial and antiquated, and to derive their chief inspiration from the personal differences of the leaders.

The outstanding feature of the electionSj and one for which every patriot, regardless of party, should be rejoicing to-day, is that this peril haß been averted. Revolutionary Labour has not secured the position to which, as it 3 Parliamentary Chairman frankly avowed, it had aspired. It is not in a position to oust the Reform Government and then to dictate terms to a Liberal Government unable to retain a majority without its support. Even with the aid of the Independents of' every shade—most, if not all, of whom would repudiate such a suggestion as a gross insult—official Labour could not command a casting vote in the new House. This brings us to the second of the striking features of the elections. The Reform Party has swept the board with a thoroughness which probably. few even of its most sanguine members had expected. Including the Maori members and also the four members of the party who declared for a qualified independence—and for this purpose it is reasonable to do so, since their avowed object is not to destroy the Government but to broaden its basis and liberalise its policy—the Reform Party has a strength of 48, representing, in a House of 80, exactly that threa-fifths majority which by its association with the licensing polls for a quarter of a century has been accepted as a sort of standard of overwhelming strength. As the task which awaits the Government is as arduous as that with which any New Zealand Government was ever confronted, it is fitting that, contrary to the general expectation, Mr. Massey should have received a majority which recalls those of Mr. Seddon in his great days. From what we have already said it follows that the result is to a far larger extent than is usual on these occasions an expression of personal confidence in the Prime Minister. But the side of the picture which has made the deeper impression upon the public is tbe fate which has overtaken his rival. While Sir Joseph Ward was doing yeoman's service for the Liberal cause throughout the country, was exciting almost everywhere a personal enthusiasm which seemed lo equal that which greeted Mr. Massey, he was necessarily neglecting hh> own constituency. The result is a defeatwhich the average elector outside the district had never contemplated as possible, and which we believe to be genuinely deplored to-day by a large majority of his political opponents. The present is fortunately not the time for reviewing Sir Joseph Ward's more than thirty years of public life or his great and enduring record of service in many capacities. We refuse to believe that tl* caprice of a single constituency will be allowed to deprive the Dominion permanently of his services. In the manly ,and dignified speech in which he acknowledged his defeat last night, and which ultimately, by winning the plaudits of a, hostile crowd,>did his. audience almost as much honour as it did himself, Sir Joseph. Ward magnanimously referred to the need for a strong and wise Government. But as a good party man ho knows that a necessary correlative under existing conditions is a strong and wisely lea Opposition, and where can the Liberals find such leadership except in. the man whom they were so eager to welcome back after his brief retirement in 1912? To .Mr. Massey we tender our heartiest congratulations. When he was left id the lurch by the Liberal secessions on the eve of the^ session the outlook was black indeed. The chances of his surviving the session, let alone the Genera? Election, with his attenuated Government and his discontented party, did not impress even his own followers favourably.. But by unsuspected resources of strength and skill and patience in Parliamentary management the Premier saw the session through in excellent slyle ana with an amount of important and valuable legislation to the credit of his team of which even the National Government might have been proud. He thus went to the country as the man who had not fereks)? «P tha National Ctavatntnanl, who 'had faced the heavy, odds .with jvtuca

its sudden dissolution confronted him with courage and success, and who despite all difficulties came with the solid fruits of able leadership in his hands. In the absence of a clear dividing line between the parties Hhe Reform Leader was doubtless strengthened, by the patriotic vote which saw in the support of Reform the. best guarantee against the possible domination of a revolutionary minority. Wo believe that Mr. Massey will use his triumph with moderation and wisdom, and will recognise that as the stimulus of the active patriotism inspired by the war and its memories wanes, as it inevitably must, it will be necessary for him to tap new and permanent sources of strength by the. broadening and liberalising process which the Independent Reformers have in view.