THE POLITICAL ISSUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14932, 4 March 1912, Page 8

THE POLITICAL ISSUE.

RUMOUR OF APRIL SESSION.

TO TEST NEW MINISTRY.

CABINET-MAKING TROUBLES.

[BY TELEGRAPHSPEC! CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Saturday. A special session of Parliament will probably be held prior to tho ordinary winter session. A Herald representative was informed on Saturday on reliable authority that Parliament will be assembled again in April. Parliament at present stands prorogued until March 30, and prior to that date the reconstruction of tho Cabinet will be announced. It is stated that the Governor has not been satisfied that the division on the no-confidence motion indicated tho relation of the parties in the altered circumstances that will be created by the formation of a new Ministry from the ranks of the Liberal party. It is suggested that another short session woidd bo the most expeditious means of ascertaining whether the new Administration can command a majority of the House.

Meanwhile members of the Ministerial party and of tho Labour and tho Independent sections understand that thoy will bo invited to assemble in Wellington again about March 13, No date lias yet been fixed for the gathering, but thoy understand that they aro to be invited tcra banquet, and While in Wellington will attend a caucus meeting, at which the constitution of the new Ministry will bo announced.

Tho opinion is strongly held that the Hon. T. Mackenzie will succeed to the Premiership. It is even more certain that a portfolio will bo assigned to Mr. A. M. Myers (Auckland East). Tho forecast telegraphed to Saturday's issue of the Herald associated with these two names those of Messrs. G. Laurenson (Lyttelton), V. H. Reed "(Bay of Islands), T. M. .Wilford (Hutt), W. A. Veitch (Wanganui), and G. W. Russell (Avon), and the Hon. A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori), who will doubtless be retained as representative of the native race. Mr. Wilford may be prevented by a continuance ( of ill-health from accepting Ministerial rank, and ia that event Mr. J. A. Hanan (Invercargill) will probably be offered Cabinet rank. Should tho Labour members determine to maintain an independent attitude, Mr. Veitch could not reasonably accept the portfolio of Labour, which it is generally believed will be offered to him. Should both Mr. Wilford and Mr. Veitch decline a seat in the Executive, the chosen leader of the party will be unable to include a representative of an electorate in the Wellington province in his Ministry. Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) and Mr. W. D. S. Macdonald (Bay of Plenty) would probably be included.

The advisability of increasing the numerical strength of the Executive will probably be discussed by Parliament when party strife lias been suspended by some decisive engagement. Tho subject was briefly discussed by a. member of the present Ministry in conversation with a HERALD representative to-day. Ho remarked that the number of Ministers is now the same as it was whim the Provincial Councils were abolished. Since thou the responsibilities of the Slate have been tremendously increased, so that it has bocome almost impossible for the Administration to exorcise'adequate supervision of the numerous State Departments. An instance of this disability was afforded in the House of Representatives on Thursday when the Minister for Finance presented a return despatched by the High Commissioner on September 16, 1910. Sir Joseph Ward indicated that the return had not been communicated to him until this session. Apparently it had been mislaid by the carelessness of some Treasury official. ■

INTERVIEW WITH MR. MASSEY.

NEW CABINET CANNOT STAND.

[Br TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT-^

Wellington, Sunday. Mr. Massey {Leader of the Reform party) leaves for Auckland to-morrow, In tin interview with a Hkhald representative this afternoon, ho expressed himself as quite confident that no possible Cabinet that could bo formed out of the remains of the Liberal party could hold office- for more than a few weeks after tho meeting of Parliament. This seems to be borne out even by members of the Liberal party. Several of the more- shrewd members of that party make no secret of the fact that so far as they are concerned they cannot see daylight through the political fog in which they are at present enveloped. They also admit that the country, which is now so largely behind Mr. Massey, will never agree to bo dragged at the heels of the two pledge-breakers. Indeed it is no secret now that the Labour members in the House have decided to throw in their lota with the proposed ultra-Radical Administration, for tho simple reason that they realise they can squeeze that party, because it is in tho weaker position, and cannot act without their support. The proposition, from Mr. Massey's point of view, is an exceedingly simple one. Forty-one members have been returned pledged to oust the Ward Government. In addition thero is an Independent, who has condemned it more strongly than many a member of tho Reform party, and yet voted to keep it in office. His political inexperience may perhaps be some 'slight excuse for his speaking ono way and voting another, and as time goes by ho may have his eyes opened politically. Ho was , expected, even by tho Ward party, to 1 vote consistently with his expressed opinions, but disappointed his friends by voting for the party that ho had so vigorously condemned. There is, Mr. Massey points out, one very extraordinary announcement i.i connection with the division that should be remembered and emphasised. • It was that some of the votes secured by the Government were obtained by means of an assurance that Sir Joseph" Ward and his principal colleagues should resign from the Ministry and take their places among the rank and file of tho party. Had this promise not been given thero is ample evidence to show that the vote of no-confi-dence would have been carried. This, Mr. Massey points out, must surely be a very humiliating position for tho present Prime Minister and his colleagues to find themselves in, but Mr. Massey asserts that it is a most improper attempt to defeat the will of the people as expressed at the polls. It is an attempt that will be frustrated by the people themselves. The Government may succeed for the moment, but in the end they can never triumph against the people's will. In the meantime, though they have not yet reached the Treasury benches, Mr. Massey and his party have gained their first victory in the cause of Reform, because tho present Government must go out of office. " But in rogard to tho present position," said Mr. Massey, " there has never, I suppose, been a parallel to it in any country in the world. Tho House adjourned, and. Parliament has been prorogued in full knowledge of the fact that in a few weeks the present Government will go out and another set of men will step into their shoes. The latter—it is not known, even by the party, who will be their leader or his colleagueswill administer the affairs of- tho country, though neither Parliament nor the people may have any confidence in their policy, their composition, or their efficiency. This is surely tho acme of undemocratic government. The strongest party in the House is undoubtedly the Reform party. It is a solid body of 38 men. On tho other side there is a heterogeneous and disaffected party of 34 Ministerialists, with whom are allied four Labour members, two Independents, Mr. Speaker, and Mr. Wilford, who is absent in England, and who may possibly not approve of what has been done on the strength of extraordinary promises and broken pledges. 11 How is it possible," asks Mr. Massey, "for any Government formed from

such a party and under such circumstanooa to sail the troubled political sea? For the moment the ship of State 13 rudderless; the crew, in the shapo of the people, has provided a, new rudder, but the officers, in the shapo of the Cabinet, have refused to ship it, and in tho meantime further damage is done. I don't wish to use strong terms regarding what has already taken place," said Mr. Massey, "but it seems to me there is only one waj? out, and that is an appeal to tho people. I certainly did not wish to rush tho country into the turmoil and expense of another election, but the coming session of Parliament may show that there is no other way out of the difficulty."

" CALLS" TO THE UPPER HOUSE.

WOULD BE END OF GOVERNMENT.

[BT TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Christchurch, Saturday.

Referring to the (statement that " ono outcome of tho now cleared political atmosphere will bo a. number of ' calls' to the Legislative Council," tho Lyttelton Times, (the Ministerial organ) says: — If this, by any unhappy chance, should bo an outcome of the rejection of Mr. Massey '& no-con-fidence motion, tho only other possible outcome would bo tho immediate removal of tho Liberal party from the Treasury bonches. Tho Conservatives have not yet been forgiven for tho appointments they made to a Council in a lit of party aberration moro than 20 years ago, just after thoy had been defeated at tho polls, and tho appointments hinted at would be a hundred times move reprehensible than were those. It is simply incredible that tho Prime Minister, with an overwhelming Liberal majority in tho Council, and with the reform of tho Chamber being seriously discussed, can have even thought of such a suicidal proceeding. It would mean tho prompt ending of his political career amidst a storm of public indignation and resentment which no Minister of the Crown in this countiy has yet had to endure.

SOUTHERN . MEMBERS.

DECLINE TO GIVE THEIR VIEWS.

[BY TELEGRAPH".— OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

CniusTCUDRCir, Saturday.

Tho Southern members of Parliament who have been attending tho short but serious session just closed returned from Wellington this morning. An Evening News reporter, who endeavoured to obtain from tho local members soma opinions as to tho work and significance of the session and future poets of the parties, especially tho Government party, met with a unanimous silence.

It was gathered that there was, however, among tho Government men a feeling of grsat jubilation that matters had turned out as they did. There was also expressed a sentiment of great admiration for tho way in which Sir Joseph Ward had "pulled the fat out of tho fire" for them, in spite of the advice tendered him by his own supporters to resign on meeting the House. Members professed to be able to give no information as to who is likely to bo the next Prime Minister, or what the composition of tho next Cabinet will be.

BACK TO THEIK HOMES.

EXODUS FROM WELLINGTON.

The bustle and tho animation with which Parliament Houso*has been invested for a fortnight came to an end on Thursday evening, and by mid-day on Saturday only a few members front outside electorates were about tho lobbies. There was a general dispersal of members on Friday and on Saturday. Most of the . Southern representatives returned to their homes by Friday evening's steamer, and tho majority of the Northern members departed by the various Northern trains on Saturday. Messrs. J. S. Dickson (Parnell), J. ft. Bradney (Auckland West), and A. M. Myers "(Auckland East) arrived in Auckland on Saturday morning, and Mr. H. Poland also returned to his home on Saturday. A large number of members left. Wellington by Saturday's Main Trunk express train. Among them were Sir G. M. (Speaker of the Legislative Council), Hon. W. Beeban, M.L.C., and Messrs. J. Bollard (Eden],Pv. F. Bollard (Raglan), F. W. Lang (Manukau). F. Mander (Marsden). J. A. Young (Waikato). A. Harris (Waitemata), T. W. Rhodes (Thames), R. ,T. G. Ooates (Kuipara), and V. H. Reed (Bay of Islands). The Hon. G. Jones, M.L.C,, of Oamaru, accompanied the party; ho will make a holiday visit to Rotorua. Mr. T. Parata (Southern Maori) has come to Auckland an a holiday, and Mr. L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) has also travelled to Auckland to attend the Methodist Conference. Mr. W. H. Hemes (Tauranga) will leave Wellington to-day fos liis home. Mr. A. E. Glover (Auckland Central) will arrive in Auckland cither Wednesday or Thursday morning.