POLITICAL REVIEW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15496, 1 January 1914, Page 8

POLITICAL REVIEW.

■ — •• M a, ' !"." " ''.'_'' vv ' :; 1 POSITION OF THE PARTIES; OPINION FROM WELLINGTON. ' [BY mEGRAyS.—OWJI COREESPONfIBST J WstiiNGTOtf, Wednesday. ' ■ In* 'a, political review of the year 1 tie Wellington Evening Post comment*' on the position of parties in Parliament.; "Even a* superficial observer'of ; .the*, times'! "i it says; "must have noted the rapid process of evolution in ■; the political field during the past three years. The situation to-day is one to thrill a student and project him on a course* of pleasant calculation of factors. Before these arc : discussed it' is; necessary to look backward : through : a 1 few ' years.

: i ■ " Sir' Joseph .Ward ;■ inherited ■; from Mr. Scddon a dominant party and. & policy with which ; ' the : Liberal ;. leader, who became virtually a dictator, had firmly -established himself in . power. ■>•: Seddpn was a t 'crowd compeller," as the Americans have it, and he was able to hold labour. A crowd was .a'; delight, a thrill, to Seddon sustenance for > his \ soul.- He -was equally pleased whether he ■ wheedled or whipped a crowd, • arid . the crowd ■ had: to take * either dispensation. 1 '.-.-However,though Seddon swept the polls 1905 ; a reaction against Seddouism was noticeable, and v - this .* feeling ' developed, after; Sir Joseph Ward took command of the big battalions, '■■' Somo of; the once grand "army; fell in 1908, and three years later came the reverse, of , which the sequel U was a M&sa&y ' Government.';., When. the Liberal Party found that it was actually 'the Opposition' it was dazed, vlt is scarcely yet j accustomed ,to the ; lower temperature in the shade after the score of years in the sunshine, .-.Very soon, . too, the country. discovered that there were liberal parties in the Opposition but no Liberal "Party—m no considerable group definitely, plainly, committed to -some; great national ? ; policy, '| with an element of risk at an election. Who can find a word, a phrase, and shout to the million, 'Here :is tie : faith for which the liberal Party is ; ready to fight to the death.* The -people-"dis-covered thail the Liberals had lived largely by a compost of opportunism, and that when they were 'required: to define ;. themselves they were a4i a loss for plain unsustainable , words. ' The obvious' truth jiUiithat'ith©^Opposition consists now of three Socialists, who sit with\the three Labour members, and a fixture of all sorts •: and sizes of Liberals and Radicals. These incongruous elements will be classified eventually and put in ; their right- places, possibly after the next election. '";•' '; : -y j "This year the Oppositicn organs have indicated that they hope far;some kind of working alliance with Labour. The policy is to have the aid of iMorcrto defeat the Government, and then to have tho help, of the Massey men to keep Labour within bounds. Therefore the Opposition journals urged'the Liberals of Grey to elect.Mr.-. Webb, a Social Democrat (for- , merly president of tho federation) though the Maoriland Worker ? official organ of the industrial and pblitjcjil'socialist organisations, has said that Mr. Webb's colour is 'undiluted red,' and the objective of the Social Democratic ; Party is the > 'socialistic republic.'" The Post draws , the following conclusion :-*" The country . will see in the. near future the forces of Radicalism against Moderate Liberal--5 ism. ■■. j Here ' will be , two parties, :. as \in Australian State, :. Liberal (including ; the Massey Party) and Labour ( including the i Social Democrats and other-brands of "\ ' " "; "