THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10104, 11 October 1917, Page 4

THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

In the present temper of the House and of the country, it is extremely unlikely that there will be any appeal to the constituencies this year. The members who have been trying to engineer such an appeal arc now divided in their * opinions, and the attempt to precipitate s a political crisis, such as would force ; the National Government to go to the i country may be safely written down as j a failure. It has failed largely by rea- ‘ son of the crisis that is now apparent 1 in our national finances, and that more s than over necessitates joint and firm j action in the administration of our J State affairs. Sixty-two members of the House have loyally recognised the position, and were present at the joint caucus of the Reform and Liberal parties held on Wednesday. Other members who may be regarded as in agreement with the National Government in : its military and financial policy, upon ‘ which the attempt to force an election was based, arc the Speaker (Sir Frederic Lang) and Captains Gordon Coates and J. B. Kino and Lieutenants Hcddon and Do wide Stewart. The first-named gentleman, by virtue of his official position, is der barred from taking any part in politics 5 of a controversial character, during the life of the Parliament over which he 1 presides. Captains Coates and Hine . and Lieut. Seddon arc in France, ' and Lieutenant Stewart, whose health ' has been badly broken by the war, is in a private hospital in Sydney, undergoing special treatment. Sixty-seven members of the House arc thus accounted for. Eight of the others, namely, Messrs Vigor Brown and J. T. M. Hornsby and the six Labourites —Messrs A. H. Hindmarsh, J. McCombs, John Payne, W. A. Veitcli, A. Walker and P. 'C. Webb are in practical opposition to the Government. The attitude adopted by this 'ittlc group of disgruntled politicians is one of unjustifiable hostility to the Government, and should be remembered against them. With a distinct call to “close up the ranks,” those men are not above “playing to the gallery” in the hope of sowing the seeds of dissension amongst the community. But the signs all go to prove that the country is solidly with the Government and the majority in Parliament.