The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1928. IS UNITED LEADER’S OPTIMISM JUSTIFIED?

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10753, 26 November 1928, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1928. IS UNITED LEADER’S OPTIMISM JUSTIFIED?

It is amazing to find that the leader of the United Party is affecting just as cheerful an attitude as would have been justified if his side had been sent to the new Parliament with a majority. With the aid of a few independents and of the Labor Party, it would be in his power to have the Reform Party ejected- from the Treasury Benches. Can it be that

tjffo United Leader-reckons he will obtain sufficient Reform support to enable him to do without Labor’* help? That ia what # liis optimism is, apparently, intended to convey! After the Reform caucus on Wednesday, the truth will be revealed. Seemingly, it

lias not yet dawned on Sir Joseph Ward that a United Government could not expect Reform as a whole’ or the Labor Party to assist it to carry out its extravagant election programme! What is more—and this also is being overlooked by tiw TJniteds’ leader—the cold, hard fact is that the Unitcds have no mandate from the country to persevere with such an ill-con-sidered policy. It is well-known, of course, that only, about 230,154 electors out of 688,921 voter's supported

United Party candidates at the polls. When Sir Joseph Ward returned to Wellington, he made a big song over the fact that the Reform Party had never polled a majority of votes at a General Election. No country, be said, should be governed by a Government in power on a minority vote. From, all accounts, however, he would Ixi quite prepared to assume office, even although his party gained but a third of the votes cast at the General Elections and numbers but 27 members! It has, of course, been suggested in some quarters that Sir Joseph Ward deserves to be. placed in a position in. which he would be forced to attempt to enact his election policy. But that is merely a crude method of rubbing it in that he would not have a ghost of a chance of making good, for the neu House could not be expected to entertain the more spectacular items on his programme. An important factor hearing on. the results of the General Election—and one that has not yet obtruded into the limelight—

is, too, what attitude the Upper House would be likely to adopt to wards any fantastic measure which the Uni teds might succeed in getting through the Popular Chamber. If one may judge from the position taken up by the Upper House on, say, the Licensing question last year, indications are not lacking that that Chamber may prove not a little troublesome! Unquestionably, a large majority of the members of the Upper House are strongly pro-Rcform and quite a lot of political excitement

may be expected from that quarter in the near future. What real ground there is for such a grand display of confidence and optimism oil Sir Joseph Ward’s part is, therefore, difficult to locate, unless, of course, ho has proof that sufficient Reform members intend to “rat” to hia side to give him a working major-