THE H.B. TRIBUNE. SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 1912. FEBRUARY AND JUNE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 167, 29 June 1912, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE. SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 1912. FEBRUARY AND JUNE.

Ever since the day when Sir Joseph Ward bowed his head to the mandate of the member for Grey Lynn, and'a new Ministry was put at the disposal of ;the country, there has been an insistent demand for a definite explanation of the new policy. This can no longer be held up as just cause for complaint. Mr. Mackenzie has disclosed policy enough to keep half a dozen Ministers working at tdp pressure for a few decades. He has even gone outside the realm of practical politics to find material for his legislative programme. Policy I Why it has been dealt out with a prodigality that eclipses anything in. the history' of' ‘‘Liberalism.” There is a significant feature, however, about this feast of policy provided by Mr. Mackenzie. - It is not at all the identical policy which the “Liberals” in caucus agreed to accept. It is not the hall-marked caucus manufactured policy which we were told the party had unanimously pledged itself to support. It will be remembered that when Sir Joseph Ward’s hours were dark with humiliation and the dictator from Grey Lynn obtained a clean sweep of the Ministerial board, one crumb of comfort was held out to the deposed leader. Though under the painful necessity of asking him to vacate the position of leader, the party is said to have given the unanimous assurance that the policy of the great manifesto would be adhered to. Sir Joseph was given the doubtful comfort of knowing that the party had had enough of him, but would’ keep his policy green. In a slight degree it saved Sir Joseph’s face, but clearly the “unanimous resolution” had no very binding effect upon the new leader. The policy which the “Liberals” were sworn to support in February is by no means the policy of June. In February by “unanimous resolution” the caucus swore to change the constitution of the Upper House ; in June the party forgets its oath and we hear nothing of a reconstruction of the Chamber. In February there was to be a State note issue ; a Bureau cf Justice where the poor and lowly could procure good, cheap, legal help ; a State coal mine for Auckland district; a Commission of Industrial Investigation; pensions for widows at 55; profitsharing and a shower of other benefits for the trustful electors. These are missing from the policy of June. Probably the people will never know the rights of the matter-—whether Mr. Mackenzie really did pledge himself to the Ward policy of February. But it is plain enough he has departed from it. in a way which shows his disregard for the agreement which was said to have been’entered into. He has dropped as much as possible

of the spectacular Radicalism of February and made an effort to strike something nearer a middle course, the trail being covered by the volume and variety of the new programme. It will be interesting to hear what Sir Joseph Ward will have to say on the matter. He has either got to prove that Mr. Mackenzie has broken, his pledge, or that he, himself, was guilty of misleading the public on the conclusion of the February caucus. In any case it is safe to say the change of front will come in for some lively comment, and the expediency-mongering tactics of the Government will be well exposed. The more carefully the Speech is read, the more glaring become its majority-mongering artifices. It win be strange, indeed, if the people are taken in by its transparent humbug. The Speech, however, will serve one good purpose. It will provide discontented members of the party just cause for severing the bonds of a galling allegiance. The common sense moderates on the '‘Liberal” side will now assuredly perceive that the best interests of the country can only be served in one way, and that is by the defeat of the Government and the establishment in offi.ce of a party with a coherent, simple and moderate policy—a policy which will assure the country a rest and time to recover from the deluge of ill-consid-ered legislation which has been its portion for many a long year. As we admitted yesterday the policy of the Mackenzie Government has some very admirable features, but the way they are sandwiched in between transparent attempts at humbugging the people shows jilainly enough that the Government proposes to live by expedients. The country has had too much of that sort of thing al-’ ready. In the latter days of Mr. Seddon the expedient became very much the weapon of the hour; Sir Joseph Ward’s administration was one long succession of expedients. Mr. Mackenzie is now forced to try and retain political life by the same means. The time has arrived for a change to healthy politics.