THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15649, 1 July 1914, Page 8

THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION

There is- nothing either surprising or unexpected in the first attack on the Government made by the Parliamentary Opposition. Political feeling has been running high for months; the elections are approaching; Sir Joseph Ward considers it good generalship to signalise the opening of Parliament by submitting a motion of no-confidence in the Government. This is no departure from the custom of political parties in New Zealand and Sir Joseph Ward's pie-sessional speeches have prepared the country for the regrettable party attack on the naval defence question, which he has placed •in the forefront of his indictment. The Leader of tho Opposition made it clear in his speech last night that ho is not disposed to seek guidance on defence matters from the naval conference to which the Government has been invited to send representatives. He is not even inclined to insist on the fulfilment of the agree-' meat he made with the Admiralty in 1909. The change in the naval situation which has led New Zealand and the other overseas states of the Empire to consider the abandonment of the contribution system is less to Sir Joseph Ward than the altered circumstances which make him appeal to the country as Leader of the Opposition, and net as Prime Minister. The result of the division in the House is not in doubt, and Mr. Massey can safely trust the electors to give him at the coming ballots a free hand to represent New Zealand's interests and needs at the naval conference and to share with other interested Dominions the cost of guarding the Pacific. The remainder of Sir Joseph Ward's case against the Government was singularly weak. He accused the Government of failing to carry through the whole of its programme, but was not frank enough to admit that the appointments to the Legislative Council; which he illogically condemned, are being made in order to enable the Government to fulfil its pledge to reform the Upper House. His claim that the Continuous Government, was more liberal in advancing loans to settlers than the present administration will not stand the test of official figures, which clearly show that tho Reform Government has been generous in the Advances, Department sometimes at the expense of urgently necessary public works. The no-confidence motion will prolong the Address-in-Reply debate, but it will not convince the country that the interests of tho " masses of the community," for whom Sir Joseph Ward professes to speak, have been neglected by the Massey Government.