TWO COURSES OPEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20105, 16 November 1928, Page 15

TWO COURSES OPEN.

GOVERNMENT'S POSITION.

EARLY SESSION PREDICTED. DECISION IN PARLIAMENT. [BY TEI/EOTtAPir. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WELLINGTON. Thursday Tho action tho Government will tako with regard to tho political situation cannot ho decided until all tho absentee and postal votes aro counted and tho exact state of the parties is determined. Two courses of action aro open. The Prime Minister may decide that tho results constitute a vote of no-confidence in tho Government and ho may elect to tender his resignation and that of his Ministry to the Governor-General without calling Parliament together. What is more likely to happen is that following a consultation with tho members of his party tho Prime Minister will ask tho Governor-General to convene Parliament in session early in the new year. It would bo extremely difficult to call Parliament together before tho Christmas holidays, for reasonable notice has to be given to new members and there would be all tho formality of swearing them in and electing tho Speaker before the llouso could get down to real business, that of deciding which was to be tho party in power. When Parliament does assemblo it is expected that Sir Joseph Ward, as Leader of tho Opposition, will move a voto of noconfulenco in tho Government, and that the motion will be carried with the assistanco of tho Labour Party. Mr. Coates would then tender his resignation and that of his Ministry to tho GovernorGeneral and recommend His Excellency to send for Sir Joseph Ward. Tho United Leader would be ablo to form a Ministry from among his followers, but when ho met Parliament it may bo that ho would havo to face a no-confidence motion, and if, in its turn, "the United Ministry was dofeated, Sir Joseph Ward's only course would be to tender his resignation to the Governor-General.

It is at this stage that the position of stalemate would be reached. No one of the three parties would be able to carry on without tho assistance of one of the others, and if a rapprochement could not be arrived at, Mr. Coates or Sir Joseph Ward would bo entitled to ask for a dissolution and another general election would have to be held. SOLVING THE PROBLEM. SOUTHERN PRESS COMMENT. SIR JOSEPH WARD'S POSITION. [BY TEI.EGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Thursday The Evening Post savs: "It is to lie feared that a very significant item in the United Party's campuign was its leader's undertaking to join with Labour in defeating the Government. In 1912 Sir Joseph Ward was edged out of power by the Reform Party after an indecisive general election. Another indecisive general election now gives him the chance of returning the compliment with interest, for on this occasion theie is no question of detaching a stray vote or two to determine a dubious balance, lint before an early session is summoned to clarify tho position we trust that Sir Joseph Ward may have reconsidered the problem in tho light of his new responsibility and come to the conclusion tha' neither in Opposition nor in office can tiib Liberalism which ho has inherited from Grey and Rallanco afford to co-operate with the, Socialism of the Labour Party."

The Dominion says: "The situation now presented is from tho point of view of the national interest distinctly unsatisfactory. It is a return to tho three party system, which means a, period of political instability, with the possibility of a mere handful of Labour Socialists holding the balance of power." » ISSUE STILL THE SAME." TIIE TASK HE FORE POLITICIANS. [JIY 1 ELECR.YTH. —OWN COll HE Sl'ON DENI. ] CURISTCIiUKC'H. Thursday. The Press, commenting editorially on tho result of the elections, says, "The issue is still what it has been for years, the Socialist challenge to tho moderates, and tho task before the politicians is the intelligent handling of this fact. No one party can bo said to hold tho balance ot power, because each of them docs. The situation is one that has never arisen before, but it is plainly desirable that Parliament should be summoned without long delay in order that tho possibilities of tho situation shall be explored."

OPPONENTS OF SOCIALISM. AI) J USTMENT SUG G ESTED. [IJV TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] DUNEDIN. Thursday. Commenting editorially on tho results of the election tho Otago Daily Times says: "The result of the election is to create a political problem that can only, short of another appeal to tho country, bo solved by an agreement upon certain adjustments. Obviously the Government cannot carry on, but there is no possible combination of members in opposition to tho Reform Party out of which a Government can ho formed. How an adjustment can be effected that will enable the machinery of government to bo carried on without another election must remain a matter for consideration later on. That there will be an adjustment may almost bo taken for granted." The Evening Star says: "Unfortunately there is no party which now has .a majority of tho House, none which can carry on as a Government without somo sort of arrangement made with others. A short early session must now be held at which Sir Joseph Ward will have the first right to move a voto of no-confidence in the Government, which may he expected to be carried with tho Labour. Party's support. A new Government must then bo formed which cannot bo formed from tho Labour Party, which will then be the weakest in the House. Whoever forms it must bo assured of sufficient support from both tho sections that aro opposed to socialism to allow it to continue to perform the country's business. Otherwise a new election will be tho only means of solving the difficulties. The probabilities aro that the support will bo found."