The Northern Advocate. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1913. THE CALL FOR A LEADER.

Northern Advocate, 27 August 1913, Page 4

The Northern Advocate. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1913. THE CALL FOR A LEADER.

The topic of principle interest in the political arena just now is the likelihood of Sir Joseph Ward accepting the proferred leadership of the Opposition. Sir Joseph appears to be rather coy about the matter, for though a week has passed since the

momentous caucus, and there has thus been ample time for any consideration that might be necessary, the latest available news on the subject is indefinite, and the newspapers which appear to know something about the matter —or at any rate pretend to —are of opinion that some days will still elapse before any authoritative announcement can be made. There need not, however, be much doubt about what this will be. As the Opposition party stands today Sir Joseph Ward is the only possible man for the position offered to him, and that he desires to again essay the task of leadership can scarcely be questioned. All the carefully prepared " demonstrations " on his return from London point to the fact of his friends appreciating the position in this respect, and it is scarcely probabie that the party caucus would ever have been held had the members of the party not been able to fortell the future with some approximation to accuracy. Leaderless political parties are not in the habit of meeting together and passing resolutions for proclamation to the world respecting their leadership unless they know beforehand what will happen in the event of any given decision. Therefore, it can be taken

with some degree of certainty that if the recent " demonstrations " and the individual attitude of the Opposition have indicated to the former Prime Minister the existence of a fairly unanimous desire among the party supporters to give him the helm once more, we will see the party in opposition again led by the member for Awarua.

It will, of course, be a good thing for the country if the Opposition can satisfactorily so settle its differences and compose its fears as to permit of a leader taking his place with reasonable assurance of the party following him Parliamentary government under the party system hecomes rather a dangerous farce unless the policy of the various parties can be identified. Identification is obviously impossible when one of the parties is without a visible head. Whether Sir Joseph Ward becomes leader of the party or whether the position falls to the lot of someone else is really a matter of secondary importance compared wth the necessity that exists of the constituencies understanding exactly what the programme of the Opposition happens to be—in what respect the Opposition differs from the Government, and on what matters of principle a line of demarcation can be drawn between the Ins and the Outs. Just at present the position is chaotic, for though we know that the Opposition is opposed to the Government there are, perhaps, not a dozen people in the Dominion who would care to attempt the task of denning the Opposition policy. Saying "No" to everything the Government proposes, finding fault with it, and grumbling about it, are not indications of political policy. The present Government when in the wilderness devoted itself almost exclusively to this sort of thing, and with pathetic consequences. It was not until the members on that side forced certain definite issues into the forefront and divided the country on these questions of principle that the constituencies began to take them seriously. So it will be with the Opposition of to-day. At the moment the party is merely beating the air. When it has a leader and a policy that the country can understand the political atmosphere must at once become more healthy for the electors will then see what they have to choose between, and be able to make intelligent choice.