The Ensign. MONDAY, JUNE 2l, 1915. NEW ZEALAND POLITICS.

Mataura Ensign, 21 June 1915, Page 4

The Ensign. MONDAY, JUNE 21, 1915. NEW ZEALAND POLITICS.

After six months of uncertainty the state ot political parties lias been <1 ellnitely settled., The .Massey Gorern- ■ inrat has come out ot the turmoil with a majority of two votes. .Some doubt i , lias beeu cast upon the allegiance of "ili’ Tan Henare, the Maori member for .the NArthern district. • There is,, however, no -question as to ■where, he aili l>o found in the event of a 110-c-onlidt nee motion / being moved in the House of Itepreseht-atives by, the Leader of the Opposition or teat of the : Labor Party. Air-Henere- has definitely informed , the Prime Minister that lie ivill support Inin, and-has taken a seat on the ©Government side of the House. After Mr Lang has been reelected' Speaker,, the Government will ■ have one '-of-a, majority, and when Air Ahaleolm has-.keen':, elected of Committees it -will be necessary for Air Lang’ to i>o present in the House 10 'I save”the Government from a tie. Mr i Alalcolm could, of course, always gi- e }us easting vote in favor of the Government and, thus save the- situation; hut it would he more satisfactory for Mr Lang to take his place in _thc House when it is in committee, so that the necessity for a casting vote would not be dangeornsly near nnrin every question in dispute. The New South Wales Government . earned through a. whole Parliament, with a -majority ol one, ami the New Zealand Government at present in office can do the '-.•■une The conditions obtaining , in New ’ South Wales were very much more difficult than they are in Now Zealand. There ,n member ol the Opposition took the' Speaker.smn, and thus entailed the hostility-of . his colleagues in the Opposition -Party, this resulted in interminable mckeyin-vs which at various linns led to a deadlock. There will he ‘nothing of this in the New Zealand Parliament, as the Government Party is very solid. Probably Mr Massey has- as loyal a party behind him as ever sat in a Dominion Parliament. If lie takes them 'consistently into fits, confidence before any important proposal is placed I'pon tin* order paper he -will have no dillicnlty in eaiTvmg on until the .expiry ol the life of' the 1014 Parliament. There Urns been a persistent rumor for some I rime that attempts at forming a Conlition Government wore being made ••ind'this has again arisen. _ Who is »•<?- spons'i.ble for these rumors is not stated hut's it is almost certain that-there I is'truth ip them. After the Tanmarnnni election' the Leader of the House i j'v reported to have said that if a dis- | solution took dfnee it would have to ho forced hv Sir" Joseph Vuml. No doubt this is comxd to _a certain extent. But neither AM' Alassey nor s>.ir ooseph Ward could force a dissohu>on if am* other member were prepare, to form‘a Cabinet which could obtain t he confidence of a majority -■ ju tie House. We have before poinlfld out l.lip difficulties which lie in the _pa.ti of auvoim endeavoring { 0 for nia f it’ion dr National) Government. Pn-si, there is the party loyalty to be considered, .and their the almost insuperable divisions that exist between such ill on as Mr Allen and Sir Joseph 'Ward, a uxl Air Herdman and Air Bussell Whvdher ii would he possible to heal there animosities, and, as it were, make" the lion and the lamb lie down ot opiuioii. But those whoknow the gentlemen named .

believe that iy would b'e limprac.ficable fa fornr a Cabinet in- which lthey'>gettogether, unless’ the Elective Exeent ire system • were in. -operation. Where the Prime. Minister alone is responsible to Parliament it , would be, impossible for these loaders to agree. Of course it is upon the cards that they might be talked into acquiescence by his Excellency ' the Governor. In the interests of the State he might induce them to work together until after the wav. But it is.quite.clear that,they would not willingly come together of _ their own accord. The coming session is not likely to be a bust 7 one. There will he very little general .legislation brought down. Almost everything that will occupy- the attention of Parliahrient will be more or. less connected with the war. There may be a few Bills of Dominion importance but none of a controversial character.’ This is as it should be. With the knowledge that tlie Imperial authorities do not expect' the Avar Id terminate, for at least 12 months, it -would be preposterous for the Government, to attempt to carry out its programme of general legislation. Every nerve must be .strained ro accomplish the defeat -of the enemy and restore the complete safety of the Empire before anything else is seriously attacked. There will be a : war tax, and pensions, and other benefits wilkbe provided for wounded soldiers and the dependents of the nion who ha\T fallbn in battle di; died on,account, of. sickncss.- These pensions and allowances will "he made adequate, andmuch larger than those provided under the law at present. It may be that something m the nature of a national scheme for providing employment for the crippled soldiers will he considered. This will he a . much more satisfactory means of dealing with the problem than merely providing a weekly sum for the men. and others interested. Parliament, n ill he opened on Thursday, the country will await anxiously to see what it proposes lb do —whether a coalition is formed and what shape the Avar legislature will take.