PROSPECTS OF ELECTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20992, 1 October 1931, Page 11

PROSPECTS OF ELECTION.

ATTITUDE OF CABINET. APPEAL AS GOVERNMENT. DESIRE FOR FREE HAND. DECISION AWAITED. • MR. MacDONALD'S POSITION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received September 30, 11.35 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 30. It is stated that the Cabinet is at present considering the idea of appealing to the country as a National Government without any programme, and asking for a free hand to deal with the crisis, neither specifying nor excluding any particular measure. This will involve the sacrifice by the Conservatives of their plan of fighting the election on the full tariff issue. On the other hand, it implies the acceptance by the Liberals of a tariff, if found necessary to meet the special circumstances. It is believed that the Conservative leaders are willing to agree to a manifesto on the widest lines. The Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, is reported to be deeply convinced of the desirability of meeting the problems confronting the country with a Government as fully representative as possible of all three political parties. In face of a situation which is likely to remain fluid for some time to come, he does not wish to stand committed beforehand to any precise formula, whether free trade or tariffs, and is willing to employ any means which may best serve the national purpose. This desire to remain unfettered by hard and fast political creeds has been crystallised into the phrase "the doctor's mandate." Employing this metaphor the Times expresses the view that " the nation's need is the physician's cure of himself, because he has access to all the resources of medicine, without exception, and because lie has been able to enlist the sole confidence of the patient." Support for the Prime Minister on such a basis, says the Times, must entail real political sacrifices, but confidence is not enough to procure the national recovery. The situation requires a Government both broad and representative. Mr. Mac Donald had an hour's audience with the King and later he presided at a meeting of the Cabinet. It is believed that the question under examination by the Cabinet was whether there should he an early general election. The Sun-Herald's political correspondent states that the situation has somewhat resembled the eventful Sunday night preceding the Labour Cabinets resignation. At the conclusion of the Cabinet meeting no statement was issued. It was fairly evident that the Cabinet remained divided regarding the desirability of an election. The Cabinet will meet again to-day when a decision one way or the other is almost certain.