Liberal Leaader's Illness

NZ Truth, Issue 771, 14 August 1920, Page 1

Liberal Leaader's Illness

The complete breakdown m health which has overtaken the Hon. W. T>. , S. Macßftnald, so soon after the opening of the Parliamentary * session, is to be deeply deplored, Mr. Mao Donald 1 as a man, as a member of Parliament, and aa a Minister, had the goodwill of I those even who differed from him m politics. It is no exaggeration to say . that the member for - the Bay of 1 Plenty was the most successful Minister, of Mines this Dominion has had. Ho early won the respect and confidence of the whole mining class by his policy of fair dealing and bis wellknown readiness to consider any i complaint and remove any real griev- [ anoo against which the men could put 5 up even the semblance of a case. , These and his willingness to intro- . due© reforms and improvements m f working conditions generally, wtUen C the need and feasibility of such Were , made -plain to him, won him many . friends among Laborites, of whom » none were .more sincere than the mm C era 1 leaders. Mjr. Mac Donald's physi--1 'cal collapae, boingr altogether unexpeci ted, has found the Liberal Party 111---i prepared to meet the emergency. The v party came out of the last election. . considerably shattered and altogether ; . demoralised. Mr. MacDdnald made a 1 strong effort to get his supporters toil geth'er and to organise 'them Into a f harmonious and self -reliant team. This Q . last could not be done m a day and _ * "Truth" fanoies that the desired conr summation bad not. been reached when a Mr. Mac Donald fell ill. Indeed, there v is a strong suspicion that the worry ? of the situation has had a lot to do p> with his unlooked-for illness. Last t week the Liberal Party met to diss cuss the situation and to select A Bf- deputy-leader. Serious differences of ~ opinion were revealed and finally the y leadership question wa* left m abeyt ance and a management committee of Br three appointed, namely, Messrs. t Forbes, Sidey and Wilford. There are B Brave fears that Mr. MaeDonald's 111---e ne«s 1* such that though he may re- - cover sufficiently to come back to his r place m the House, he may find It a. impossible to resume the position of 9 leader. It is this contingency that h makes the appointment of a tempors ary leader so difficult, as at this orititi cal stage m the party's history a wise - choice may make and a bad choice - may mar its political prospects tor 7 many years to come. Truly, there la f not much really good material from » which to make a selection. Mr Isitt, f by his rabid prohibitlonism and his t lately developed ultra-jingoism, is i. outside the pale. Mr. Hanan has deb blared, his intention of remaining a i free lance. Mr. Witty has scarcely - the prestige and force of charaoter so i much m demand m a leader. Mr. - Myers is not sufficiently self-assertive , and aggressive to make a fighting T leader auch as the Liberals require at ] - the present time. These names elim- ! 1 mated narrows the possible choice to i t about two, and of these there is no I doubt that Mr. Wilford not only has the superior claim but to all appearance is the most likely man to lead ; the party as it ought to be led m the House. Whether Mr. WiTJord possesses all the qualities necessary to c make a successful (party leader m the B country may be doubted, but that is a matter which only opportunity can reveal and experience teach. There are those who declare — and perhaps i. the wish is father to the thought t that the present crisis m the party's affairs provides a splendid opportunity 2 for the formation of a new progressive people's party. If the present Lib--0 eral members would join up with a those who have hived off, or are def sirous of hiving off, from the Tory a Party and the Labor Party, It is said t a really strong People's Party might f be formed which under an able leader - might before long hold the place In - this country which th« old Liberal o Party,, under Richard John Seddon, c held so long and so beneficially for !• the people and the Dominion. At a. present, however, no one seems to y know exactly what Ik likely to ha,p- ! a pen, and "Truth," like othern. must ft "wait and «»»,"