THE BONE OF CONTENTION.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 42, 22 December 1911, Page 11

THE BONE OF CONTENTION.

Ward has been a conspicuous failure as a leader. He is no statesman, but a business man .politician, ready to make any move calculated to strengthen his Jaold of office. His calculations how&v&T, were incorrect j he had not the faculty of feeling the pulse of the people that Seddon had, and he lacked the mana of the great Liberal chief. We foresaw his certain defeat and the break-up of the Liberal party early in his career as Prime Minister, but it has come sooner than we expected.

On the whole, it is as well that the ; country should have a change of gov- ! eminent. The long reign of the Liberal; Party undoubtedly allowed abuses to j creep in, and a new broom is likely to sweep away much of the dirt and dust • that has ■ accumulated in the house of State.

i The so-called Reform Party, which lis the party of privilege and eonser- 1 i vat ism, has a majority of two (counting j I the three Maori seats yet to be con- \ ' tested .as Liberal) —too insignificant to [ ! allow it to do much mischief. Unless! 1 Ward can secure the allegiance of the , ! Independent Liberals and Labor Party, ; lie will be in a minority, and the reins ; 'of government will pass to Massey. j 'Th-e position of parties is now as fol- .\ lows :— • Reform Party 37 ; Liberals 32 \ independent Liberals 4 i \ Labor 3 ; Socialist 1 \ Total 77 i i Mr. J• G. Coates, the Independent Lib- :

■ era! returned for Ivaipara, has announced that he will support the Govern; meat if it is returned to power, but ! even then, without the goodwill of the Labor members, the Ward Government i could not carry on.

It is inevitable that whichever party i undertakes the task of administration, '\ an early appeal to the country will b*» necessary. The danger of a "Reform" j Government lies in the avoived inten- i tion of the Masseyites to sell the re- j raainder of the National Estate. Their j weakness on the land question was the rottenness in the bones of the Liberal Government. In the last Parliament there was a majority of mem- I bers pledged to the freehold policy, ; and we believe that in the next Par- ,' liament the same sorry state of af-;

fairs will obtain. But we do not believe

that any political party will be strong or bold enough to attempt to give effect to the freehold policy without an appeal to the country.

The Socialist and Labor parties have, ■ on 'the whole,, good reason to be glad, at the outcome of the elections. The ■ -Socialist Party, has won a signal vie- : tory "t Otaki, where Robertson, a; comparative granger to the district,

Thames—T. W. Rhodes. Christchurch North—*fr'L. M. Isitt,

Independent Opposition (1). Waikato—H. A. Young.

Opposition (36). Ashburton—*tW. Nosworthy. Dunedin North—*fG. M. Thomson. Hawke's Bay—tH. M. Campbell. Master ton —fGr. R. Sykes. Pahiatua —tJ- H. Escotb. Parnell—tJ. S. Dicksoa. Raglan—*tJ. Bollard. Waitaki—tF. Smith. Wiatemata—+A. Harris. Auckland West — J. H. ißradney. Rruoe—*J. Allen. Clutha—*.A. S. Malcolm. Dunedin Central—*C. E. Statham. IMen—R. F. Bollard. Ellesmere—*R. H. Rhodes. Franklin —*W. Mass©y. Mamikau—*F. W. Lang. Marsden —*F. Maiider. Matatira —*Gr. J. Anderson. Oarnaru — ~E. P. Lee Oroua—*D. H. G-nthri*. ■0-tago Central— *R. BctM. Palmerston North —*©. (Buick. Patea — *E. Newman. Stratford—*J. B. Hine. Taranaki—*H. J. H. TauTiiarutrui —C. K. WilsmiTauranga —*W. H. Herries. Wauarapa —*W. C. Buchanan. Waipawa —G. Hunter. Wafeatipu—*W. Fraser. W-elliiigtoii East—tßr. A. K. Newman. Wellington Central— *t¥. M. B. Fisher Wellington Suburbs—tH. ©. Bell.

Liberals (32). Auckland East— * A. M. Myers. Auckland Central—*tA. E. Glover. Avon—*tG. W. RusseM. Awarua —*J. G. Ward. Bay of Islands—*V. H. Heed. Bay of Plenty—-*W. ©. S. Macdonald Buller—*J. Colvin.

Chalmers—*E. H. Clark. Christ-church East—*tT. H. Davey. Christchurch South—*H. G. Ell. Dunedin West—*tJ. A. Millar. Dunedin South —*T. 1C Sidey. ]i](/mont —*T. Mackenzie. Eastern Maori—*A. T. Ngata. Gisborne —*J. Carroll. Grey—*A. Guinness. Hurunui—*G. W. Forbes. Hutt—*T. M. Wilford. luvercargill —*tJ. A. Hanaa, ,Kaiapoi—*tD. Buddo. Motueka —*R. McKenzie. Lyfctelton —*G. Laurens-on. Napier —*J. V. Brown.. Ohinemuri —*tH. Poland. Kiccarton—*fG. Witty. 'Sslwyn —W. J. ©iokie. Tenraka—*T. Buxton. Timaru — : *tJ. Craigie. Waimarino —*R. W. BmiUh. Wairau — ¥R. McCallum. Wallace —*J. O. U'henisow. Westiaud—*T. Y. Sod Sou.