THE H.B. TRIBUNE. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1922. IN THE AIR.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 302, 9 December 1922, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1922. IN THE AIR.

The decision as to what may be the final position of parties as the re-sult-of last Thursday’s election is still in the lap of the gods. In the first place, we have to explain that in dealing with it in this column yesterday there was a manifest discrepancy between our comments and the returns as ultimately presented to our readers. In the case of both Kaiapoi and Oamaru the figures available at. the time pf our then writing gave the Jleform candidates a slight lead, and it was on this footing that our comparison of the strength of the parties was made. Later on in the day, however, amended returns were sent us which gave the advantage for the time being to the Liberal-Labour candidate in each of these electorates. This, of course, left Air. Massey with only thjrty-nine instead of forty-one declared adherents of his own party. This is a position which, if maintained, will obviously alter the whole aspect of affairs, for it would leave him, even with the aid of Independents prepared to support him as against a Liberal-La-bour and Official Labour combination, without the definite majority which everyone must recognise is essential for any Government claiming to conduct permanently the business of the country, particularly under present conditions.

As was pointed out yesterday, however, there are several seats in which, as the result of the counting of absentee votes, the position of candidates may be altered, and possibly with the effect of giving the Prime Minister a majority which would warrant him in carrying on, at any rate until the ordinary time for the assembly of Parliament. The ■chances of this happening may be gauged from the list which we publish to-day of the respective numbers of uncounted votes outstanding in the various electorates. The possibilities involved may be understood when it is mentioned that reports were current yesterday that, as a consequence of a partial apportionment of absentees’ and seamen’s votes in Wellington North, Mr. ( ombs, the Labour candidate, had been placed ahead of Sir John Luke, the Reform nominee, although the latter had a lead of 379 on the count of the ordinary ballot papers. This report is, however, at the time of writing quite unconfirmed, but the fact that there are just on 800 outstanding votes to be. distributed makes it quite possib'.' of being correct. The instance is quoted here merely to show the chances that are still being ruii in the way of ascertaining the ultimate strength of the lespective parties w’here so many already published majorities are so small. It is very evident that speculation pn the eventual outcome is at present of little practical value, excepting to provide material for street-corner discussion.

Should it be that when the official declaration of the poll comes to be made Mr. Massey will find himself without a majority desirous of keeping him in office, then the constitutional course would seem to ne for him to have the new Parliament summoned for an early date and, after formal preliminaries are gone through, tender his resignation. But this would not seem likely to forward things very much, for it would leave the only possibility of constructing the Cabinet to one or other, or to a combination, of the Liberal-Labour and Official Labour parties, and such a Ministry would have but little prospect of long existence. Nor is it likely that it could carry out the suggestion for passing an amendment of the electoral system, so as to secure something in the nature of proportional representation and again asking the verdict of the people. Then, going a step further, even assuming ability to get such a measure placed upon the statute-book, an election held under it would offer little hope of bringing us a Parliament in which any of the fliree partie? would have the decisive majority necessary to enable it to carry on. The only exception to this proposition would be that perhaps the electors would begin to realise the dead-end into which they were bringing the government of the country, and that, having had their fling at him and so relieved their pent-up feelings, they would declare emphatically for according to Mr. Massey an opportunity to make good during the better times that are coming.

Finally, there may be a good deal of meaning in the Nelson message in which Mr. Atmore, the successful Liberal-Labour candidate for that electorate, hints at his own views of the way out. This is manifestly directed towards an entente, if not a fusion, between Reformers and Liberals. Mr. Atmore, it will be remembered, stood at this election as •an Independent Liberal-Labour candidate, but has throughout made if) pretty clear that his prime anxiety was to see government by constitutional methods maintained. For (his end he has indicated that he is prepared to sink party interests for those of the country. There arc two or three other of the. successful Liberal Labour candidates who have expressed themselves much in the same way, though perhaps not quite so definitely as Mr. Atmore, while there are still others who have disclaimed anything like thick-and-thin support for Mr. Wlilford as leader. The possibilities of these conditions in the Liberal-Labour ranks are patent, and the leader of that party may yet see that, his best chance of securing any real Influence in the government of the country will be in accepting Mr. Massey’s longstanding invitation to “come over.” In the alternative, ho may find enough of his nominal following making good individually their professions a.s to placing the interests of the country first.