THE ITINERATING CABINET.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 119, 4 May 1912, Page 5

THE ITINERATING CABINET.

ON ITS ELECTIONEERING

TOUR.

THE MINISTRY SUMMED UP

Auckland, May 3.

The political situation is increasing in interest every day as the opening of next session draws near, and the leaders of both sides ate hard at work hardening up that mysterious quantity known as “The Country.” The Leader of the Opposition is not talking to intervewers very much at present, and when a “Herald” representatve sought a reply from him to recent utterances of Ministers, Mr. Massey, who was very busy, asked Mr. F. W. Lang, M.P., to reply for the Opposition. Mr. Lang, without hesitation, made a vigorous and forceful reply. He said the Prime Minister was touring the country, carefully cultivating the idea that the present Cabinet in general and he (the Prime Minister) in particular were devoted to the interests of the farmer. Mr. Mackenzie omitted to correct the impression that he himself was a farmer. As a matter of fact Mr. Mackenzie was not a farmer and never was a farmer. If the Prime Minister was so solicitous for the welfare of the farmers and the interests of the freeholders why was it that, when he had an opportunity of forming a Cabinet, he excluded farmers from it. The only member of the Cabinet who, by any stretch of imagination, could be called a farmer was the Hon. Mr. MacDonald. Then, if the Government was in favour of the freehold, why was it that the Cabinet consisted of three Ministers who favoured freehold, one whose opinion on the point had never been definitely shown, and six others who were well-known leaseholders. The Government atempted to lead the public to think that the vote of confidence moved by Mr. Massey was lost by the reading of a letter by Mr. Massey. It . was nothing of the kind. That did not alter the situation one iota, for the way the voting was going was apparent long ere that. The only thing that saved the Government at the moment was the promise of Sir Josephh Ward to resign, because the member for Otaki, who would otherwise have voted for the motion, voted against it on the understanding that the then Prime Minister would hand in his resignation. If Sir Joseph Ward had not definitely promised to resign the Government would have been defeated. What an extraordinary position was now revealed! The Ministry to govern the country was elected by a caucus of a party only saved from defeat by the casting vote of the Speaker and the promise of a Prime Minister to resign. That Ministry did not face Parliament, and has *not yet met either Parliament or the country. Yet it had put off the session till the last possible moment, and set off round the country on an electioneering tour at the country’s expense, drawing full travelling allowances and scattering profuse promises right and left that it cannot hope to ever fulfil. It took upon itself to make contracts and make appointments without knowing whether it possessed the confidence of Parliament, and with a fairly sure idea that it does not possess that confidence. While the Cabinet was on this electioneering tour how was the work in Wellington getting on? It was easy for the Ministers to go round the country making promises they would never be called upon to keep. Mr. Lang went on to say that the attack made upon Mr. Massey by the Prime Minister, in which the Prime Minister presumed to accuse the Leader of the Opposition of political unfair play in declining a pair for Mr. Wilford, who was not ::worn in, and who had refrained from asking for a pair, was particularly uncalled for in view of the fact hat the Government elected to ake office by virtue of the support of two men who had promised to ote for the motion. The Government only secured the defeat of the motion on the understanding that the Prime Minister resigned and hat the policy of the last Speech from the Throne was carried on. But that policy had apparently been abandoned in favour of a section of rhe policy that the Reform party placed before the country last election. It ill became the present Cabinet to talk of political unfair play. The Prime Minister, in Christchurch. tried to tell the public T hai the present Cabinet had the support of the country. The present Cabinet had not the support of 'he country, and never had it ; had not even yet met Parliament. The Prime Minister took upon himself to interfere with the affairs of the Reform party, and was gradually becoming more and more abusive of Mr. Massey. He (Mr. Lang) could assure the Prime Minister that the Reform party required none of his advice, and that, as far as Mr. Massey’s followers were concerned, there never was a more loyal set of men nor a party that had a more thorough appreciation of its ieadei. “I am surprised at Mr. Mackenzie.' added Mr. Imm.'. iiiimr. together with some others, to injure

Mr. Massey in the estimation of the people, and to injure our party at the same time, because Mr. Mackenzie and his friends fear Mr. Massey and fear the Reform party. But we know Mr. Massey, and trust him, and we also know Mr. Mackenzie.”

Mr. Lang added, in conclusion, that Mr. Mackenzie knew very well that a dissolution would not follow the defeat of the Ministry. Before a dissolution was granted the possibilities of the House must be exhausted.

WHAT IS SIR JOSEPH'S PROGRAMME.

[by telegraph—special.]

(Own Correspondent.)

April Ma; t

The “Dominion” calls for a clear statement from the Prime Minister as to Sir J. Ward’s programme. It is not a question of curiosity, the paper says, the country really wants to know what the position actually is. If the member for Awarua—as the case would seem to be —is going ahead with his Commissionership, when does he intend to permit the Prime Minister to know the situation in respect to the Awarua seat I