THE PAHIATUA SEAT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17250, 18 August 1916, Page 6

THE PAHIATUA SEAT.

The anticipations of political prophets have been fulfilled by tho result of the Pahiatua by-election. Air G. H. Smith, the new member for the district, entered the contest with the endorsement of both Air Alassev and Sir Joseph Ward, and his return, in the circumstances, looked assured from the outset. Tho polling was very small, the smallest, in fact, in the last seventeen years, only 3200 votes being cast, as against 6129 in 1914 and 62.36 in 1911, and it is evident that the compact entered into by the Reform and Liberal Party leaders on the formation of the National Cabinet led many of the electors to take Air Smith’s return for granted. Air R. B. Ross, who represented the constituency in the Liberal interest from 1905 to 1911, entered the lists on this occasion without any endorsement from his party, and stood as an “independent” supporter of the Government Tlie strongth of the support which ho received must, no doubt, be very largely attributed to his personal popularity in the district, but it may perhaps also bo taken to indicate a measure of dissatisfaction on the part of the Pahiatua folk with the policy and practice of the National Government. That such dissatisfaction should exist, in greater or lesser degreo, is inevitable, not by reason of any faults of commission or omission on the part ot the Government, but by reason of tho peculiar conditions under which it exercises its Functions. Such a coalition, circumscribed at even' turti by its inability to formulate any policy which may be a Subject of controversy on party lines, must perforce walk within narrow limits. It is compelled to be conservative and timid, for tho bonds of party discipline have been removed and mombers are bound, in consideration of the non-party measures which constitute the bulk of Parliamentary business to-day, by no considerations Putside their duty to their constituents and the dictates of their own consciences. Cabinet, which is ordinarily supposed to lead Parliament, has to follow Parliament, and curtail and trim its policy whenever symptoms of opposition make their appearance. The average citizen, however, is not disposed to make allowances for the conditions under which tho members ot the National Cabinet have to carry out their duties, and Pahiatua probably numbers among its electors a good many people who can see tho effect but not the cause of Alinisterinl shortcomings. As it stands, the result of the by-election has very little political significance, unless significance can bo fonnd in the very emphatic manner m which the Labour candidate, was rejected.