THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1506, 10 April 1919, Page 6

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

SIR JAMES ALLEN’S VIEW. Speaking at Havvera, Sir James Allen said that whatever Parliament was elected in tho future it would have'groat problems to deal with, such as education, production, and economic affairs, and these questions would be faced with the added knowledge secured during' tlio .past four years. He presumed the present political compact ■would last uritil the return of tho two leaders, Mr Masscv and Sir Joseph Ward. Tho party to which ho belonged—the Reform Party—was prepared' to join hands with the Liberals and so form n strong Government for- the' next few years. He ventured to Say that tho problems to bo faced within tlio next few years would bo us great as they wore in war time. It was their duty to consider what was best for ■ New Zealand during the next few years; thoro would -bo troublous times, and thcao could only bo - faced squarely by having a strong Government.; Ho hoped . the hulk of tho two parties would remain together, not for any personal interest—ho did not caro whether he was* a Minister of the Crown again hr not—but because ho know the country needed a strong Government. There would bo an election this year, and it was for tho people to say what they wanted. Parliament would meet, but bo did not know whether it would meet quite / us curly as usual, although they hoped the two loaders would bo back soon. I torn 30 years’ experience as a member of I arlmnient. ho would say that if they wanted the country U. bo run thoroughly and honestly th“y must bo careful in tlio selection o members; not only must t icy e mtn o character, but men prepared to make g oa sacrifices—strong, determined men of g principles, who will stick to those hign principles no matter what P-essia-o was brought to bear upon them. t - atandinff the pressure that hail been brm U to boar upon him, ho had at tunes to c.o things which might have made him unpopular with many people, but those .mgs were never done because lie w«» J iiul I,carted, but because ho considered them, after full judgment, to bo right. He could assure* them that iffoicw TO anyumstaUi made by Dio National Government, the Government had endeavoured to do its boJ. Mr Astbury had hinted that possibly vutl 1 to tor wills ol llie MU** 1 might have been dissension. Bit h< ? ' v . a ? a position to say that, while theyj had bad differences, there had boon n . Members of both parties hud pi t aside D personal differences, and he cen’ed by Dio country Intel boon farthf sides tho Ministers from tho two difleruit side of piolitics.