VARYING PARTY FORTUNES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 12 November 1928, Page 6

VARYING PARTY FORTUNES

IN an article published last Friday we : recalled some of the varying party for-: tunes of recent years. We did not purport to present a complete record. A correspondent to-day asks for some further information. He enquires as to the Jate of Sir Joseph Ward's personal defeat. We have already referred to the resignation from leadership of the Liberal Government by Sir Joseph Ward in 1912, owing to his lacking a majority after the election of 1911. The 1914 election held during the early days ihe Great War, resulted in the Reform government securing the return of 40 numbers, Liberal 31, Labour 8, Independent 1. The Party with the largest following was not strong enough to carry through the great national tasks which Jie titanic struggle for world-power demanded. A National Government was jroposed, a Reform-Liberal coalition vas formed, and it, remained in office intil 1919, with Mr Massey as Prime Minister and Sir Joseph Ward as Minister of Finance. That Government's great record in a time of Empire stress will go Jown in history as one of our finest ichievements. That united organisation vould probably have been in existence .o-day, and we should have seen two parties instead of three, but for the pre.ipitate resignation of Sir Joseph Ward, vvhich broke-up the war-time coalition, for the other Liberal members of the Cabinet could dc little else but follow his jxample. Sir Joseph had his reasons which have been set forth in Parliament and during die present election. Whether they justified his withdrawal at a critical time from a Ministry that had met an unprecedented emergency so well, posterity will judge. The judgment of the electors of the day, however, was against the Liberal Leader. The 1919 election saw Mr Massey returned with a secure majority of 11. The Reformers returned numbered 46, the Liberals 20, Labour 11, Independents 3. The Liberals were re Juced from 31 to 20. It was in 1919 that Sir Joseph Ward suffered personal defeat, and it is a discreditable fact that his temporary dismissal from politics was largely due to sectarian influence. Howover, he abandoned his old constituency >if Awarua in 1925, and tried Invercargill which accepted the opportunity, and Sir Joseph sat in the last Parliament as tin inly member claiming the old and honoured title of Liberal. To-day there are no Liberals, although the United Party. Mr Coates, and Mr Holland and their re ipective parties have all claimed to be .he successors to the title. Of them all. the Reform Party, by its actions, has iemonstrated that it has the greatest jlaim. We have heard it stated that Mr Goates obtained a record majority in 1925. That is incorrect. In 1905 Mr Sedlon was returned with the Liberal Party totalling 65, and the Opposition 15. As a matter of fact the Opposition had fared little better in the three previous elections, for it won 26, 20 and 21 seats respectively. But during all tllat time it had been gaining valuable experience from which the country has derived benefit since it ultimately came into power in 1911 as the Reform Government. Its successors can justly claim ;redit for sound, if not brilliant achievement.