THE POLITICAL SITUATION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3563, 1 July 1912, Page 5

THE POLITICAL SITUATION

NOTES AND NEWS. THE UNHAPPY LIBERAL PARTY, POLITICAL EFFRONTERY. By Telegraph—Special Correspondent. WELLINGTON, June 30. A favorite resource with some of the politicians who have been assisting to “gull’’ the electors of New Zealand 'with -t 4 Liberal* catch cries and large promises for some years past is to explain that although their party has lost ground the Reform party has* not gained any. When it is pointed out to these sageopolitical doctrinaires that at every election since Sir Joseph Ward became Prime Minister the “Spoils” party has made a giant stride downwards, in the matter of numerical strength, while the Reform party lias made a similar strike uphill, they shake their heads and look unconvinced. A mere arrant piece of political effrontery .it would be difficult to imagine. “FALLEN INTO OBSCURITY.” THE GOVERNOR’S SPEECH.

The Governor's Speech is alreadv lapsing into an obsyuiity from which it is unlikely to be recalled once the Address-in,-Reply debate is disposed of, but a remark which it inspired from one member deserves to be chronicled. “When compiling a Governor’s Speech,” ho said, “you put in something for everybody, and afterwards you drop the things you do not want to do.”

WILL A GOVERNMENT CAUCUS BE HELD?

TROUBLE IN THE LIBERAL RANKS. A caucus of the Ministerial party will be held early this week. Some of the members who were supporters of the Ward Government had already decided that they will not attend the meeting- There are several good reasons calculated to-make the Government think twice about convening a . conference of its supporters at the present juncture, and certainly these reasons have not tended to diminish in importance during the couple of days on which Parliament has been sitting. As a matter of fact, the “Liberal” party is at “sixes and sevens.” Not a few of its members give utterance in private conversation to views which would startle their leaders and other people if they were uttered publicly. To judge from their conversation, these members stand shivering on the brink of resolution, and when their plunge is made it is not at all likely to be made in the interests of the party to' which they own a fading allegiance. A “Liberal” party caucus at the present moment wouid be apt to degenerate into an assemblage of irreconcilable as unsatisfactory to its promoters as the conference' which lately tore the Local Government Bill to shreds.

WILL HE JOIN THE “REFORMERS”?

MR. RHODES OPEN TO CONVICTION.

A members whose veto in the poconfidence division which will decide the fate of the McKenzie Ministry must he marked “uncertain” in tlie meantime is Mr. T. W- Rhodes, who unseated Mr. E- H. Taylor for the Thames electorate at the last general election. Mr. Rhodes told your Parliamentary reporter on Saturday that he was entirely unpledged, save" in regard to the freehold tenure, which he strongly upholds and has promised to support. Til the short session he fulfilled a pledge to support S ; r Joseph Ward, but he now intends, for a time at any rate, to maintain: the attitude of an “independent,” and will not attend the caucus" meeting of any party To use his own expression, the Vote oi the member for Thames in the coming no-confidence division is “an open question.” The question would be determined. ho stated, bv the nature of the amendment which Mr Massey was to move to the Address-in-Reply and by the merits of the case, as demonstrated during the progress of the noconfidence debate. Mr. Rhodes mentioned that he was net oven b v inference to support the McKenzie Ministry, for the reason that lie had not attended. the caucus which elected Mr. McKenzie as leader.

“WHAT THE LIQUOR PARTY WANTS.”

A STARTLING SUGGESTION

It appears that the New Zealand Alliance does not intend to approach Mr. Massey in reference to the bare majority unless the Reform party wins in the pending no-confidence_ division. In that event the new Prime Minister will be considered as Mr. McKenzie was last week. The general opinion of politicians is that no Ministry is likely to pledge itself in the immediate future to support the bare majority in reference to the licensing polls. The threat of the Alliance to form a- new party and to sacrifice parties in the cause ot temperance reform does not seem to be regarded seriously. A probable explanation of some of the stones about dissolution which have been disseminated lately in that political supporters of the liquor party (who figure prominently in the Government ranks) would bo very interesting indeed. It the complexities of the politics necessitated an early appeal to the country the reason is simple, for if a dissolution takes ©lace presently there will be no liquor poll at the subsequent electiom nor until a Parliament remained in existence for a term of two years. Section 12',(sub-section B. of the Licensing Act provides that if at an v time Parliament is dissolved before it has. been two years in existence, then at the taking of the electoral poll for the new Parliament no licensing poll should be taken, but the result of the licensing poll taken at the previous general election shall continue in force until such licensing poll is again; taken simultaneously with the electoral poll next after the

dissolution of such new Parliament. Thus if an appeal to -the country is made at any time in the near future a period of secure possession equivalent tot the life of the present Parliament and conditional to tho ordinary three-year period will be conferred on all those who hold licenses- for the sale of liquor. It is said that with seme Government members who lock with a friendly eye on the liquor interests a desire for a dissolution outweighs and overshadows their desire for'the welfare even of their own party, and this may account for the interest' that has been displayed in possibilities none the less alluring because they are hopelessly remote.