WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1707, 23 December 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE AFTERMATH. THE LIBERAL LEADER. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 22. The message distributed by the Press from Napier on Saturday to the effect that' Sir Joseph Ward did not intend to re-enter the political arena does not represent the attitude of the Liberal leader quite correctly. It is true that in declining the chivalrous offers of several of his supporters to resign their seats in his favour, ho said he could not allow them to make any sacrifice on his account, and that he was content for the present to remain out of Parliament. This, of course, is somewhat different from permanently renouncing politics. Meanwhile Sir Joseph is bearing himself very cheerily, and looking forward with keen enjoyment to a Cl ristmas holiday without any of the pub-

lie cares ho has boon bearing for many yeais past. Ho will remain in Wellington for the present, but probably will go South later on:to spend some weeks among his old friends. THE LIBERAL PARTY. The other members of the Liberal Party ore accepting their defeat with the same complacency as their chief is displaying. Nothing will bo , done towards recasting their organisation till after the holidays, but it is generally expected the Hon. W. D S. Mac Donald will bo invited tp take the loadeiship. Advances with that end in view already have been made towards the member for Bay of Plenty by some of his colleagues in the National Government, and there is reason to behove ho ' wou d bo the successor Sir Joseph Ward would •n-efer Had ho cared to press his claims when Sir Joseph retired in 1912, ho almost certainly would have been selected by a majciity of the party. He has had ministerial expei ienco since then, and has acquitted hmntoif in office extraordinarily Wi ’ U THE GOVERNMENT. Mr Massey having jccurcJ a majority, substantial enough to carry on even if there should bo any developments against him m the recounts to-morrow, will not be required to call Parliament together earlier than the usual time, but it is not unlikely he will bring members to Wellington in May, or possibly in April. Naturally there is much 1 curiosity as to the promised reconstruction 5 of the Ministry. Sir William Fraser will ■ temporarily remain in charge of the Public Works Deportment, and it may bo assumed 1 Mr Nosworthv and Mr Coates will bo coni’ firmed in their positions. But still Mr Mas--3 soy will have throe or four Ministers to ap : I point in the near future. Sonic of the 3 newspapers are urging him to make use of 8 his strong position to introduce a non-party 8 element into his Cabinet, but how ho should t begin this delicate experiment no one has I* vet suggested.