POLITICAL NOTES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 121, 20 May 1909, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

[from our correspondent.]

WELLINGTON^ Wednesday. Sir Joseph. Ward's somewhat uncorifmittal delivera'rice as to the probabilities of a trip to London has given "ramour-mqn|ering" a fresh start. "The latest yarn is that Sir Joseph will go to London about a fortnight after the. session has begun —and after a- substantial amount of '•Supply has been .voted, and during those two weeks he will ask his party to be content with Mr Millar as acting-Premier; nothing but absolutely necessary business to be introduced, the party,' agreeing to be thoroughly loyal. . This is a very different. story to that of a ishort session, followed .by an adjournment, , knd a second session in November and December, Mr Millar may be able %o carry #ri the business, indeed there are those who declare; Isat he may do better, than Sir Joseph—which I. don't believe--but it must be remembered that there are four new Ministers in the Cabinet who have had rio'.previous Ministerial experience, and that the absence of the head of the Government must necessarily proye very awkward', and give the Opposition some fine chances of scoring ~", Mr Millar: may possess the knowledge and special'ability required for dealing with big questions of finance, but finance is a subject in: which "Tie has had rib experience, : and where else in the■ Cabirie^;is a .financial expert ? Howe-irar:, >we shall know all about it by this time next month. Meanwhile, .the•.::political hquidmuncs have a new theory.;every day as' to what is to happen. .: Mr ' Massey practically ''Shan't agree" to the proposal of a short session and an adjournment in order that Sir, Joseph may, attend the Imperial Defence Conference..' But ;if Sir Joseph wants , to> go," and; makes up his mind to go, he«will despite, all Mr M!assey's disfavour .of such a course.. The real point, to my mind, is not so much whether the Prime Minister will or will not go to.London, but as to whether, if he? does, there -will be a short session and. an adjournment until his /return, or .'that the session shall prpceed, withy,- say, Mr Millar'actirtg as >Deputy-Prelnler. If Sir Joseph makes up his mind &> go, nobody; can prevent his going; but whether even his own party—to say nothing of the Opposition—would agree to a. sh'ojft session is quite another matter. There is much to do, and it is quite on tile-cards that the Government party may say, "We'll go on under Mr Millar." This would be alt right, save for the fact that with the exception o£ Messrs Carroll and Fowlds, neither of. whom would, I have no doubt, claim to be well up in finance, Mr Milla,r p.would have no one to help him t0,., encounter the storm of Opposition and "Independent" criticism. With men like Messrs James Allen; Wm. Fraser, Herries, reinforced now 'by the veteran Mr Buchanan, arid aided by Independents like Mr T. E. Taylor, firing their daily volleys of criticism into the Ministerial, ship, jthe absence of the Prime Minister; would be felt most severely., ;•, . :;:;*• ■

Mr T. Mackenzie, will [.make a "first-class fightin' man' \- ,when once he gets the full grasp of 'affairs, but even a clever man like "Clutha" would be terribly handicapped in defensive debate were the Financial Treasurer to be away. Dr; Findlay, too, is a very able man y but 3 - then, he is in the wrong chamber. The more one reviews the situation the more difficult does it appear would be the position of the Ministry with Sir Josaph absent, and yet, despite this, some of the shrewdest stiidents of politics, are .■ openly predicting that, happen what may, tnei-Prime Minis'ter'lwill be in London, by the middle of August. ■;■••:'•■'■