THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1904 A DISSPLUTION BOGEY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12935, 30 March 1904, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1904 A DISSPLUTION BOGEY.

Tub Lytlelton Times, which should be iii a position lo <;ivo a tolerably accurate farce,isfc (if •Ministerial intentions, devoted a leading :wtit-It! yesterday to iiid/iKin;'; ll.n supporters of tho Government, Id up their loins ill anticipation of a general election in the near fill lire. The Premier, it says, seems to lie preparing for :i dissolution. Our conteniporarv further discerns in tho fact that the agent, of the Liberal and Labour Federation is now in the south, engaged in an eiFort, in which lie is believed to lie meeting with somewhat indifferent success, to establish branches of that, organisation, an additional indication that an early appeal to the constituencies is contemplated. It is difiicult, however, to see that there is any solid foundation for such a belief. The Premier, it is true, said at Kaiiiie that if tho Government were defeated next session on the land question ho would apply for a dissolution. And if ho chooscs to stake tho life of the Ministry upon the continued

withholding from the Crown tenants of the right to acquire tho freehold of their sections he may quite probably suffer the defeat that would provide him with the opportunity to appeal to tho country. But ho has never yet declared himself boldly in opposition to the extension to tho State tenantry of this concession. On the eonlrary, he is poising himself ns carefully as lie can upon a fence on the question. On the one side of him is tho party that is demanding that the sale of Crown lands shall be entirely discontinued. But he is opposed to this demand because he favours the maintenance of the present optional system. On the other side of him is the party that claims on behalf of tho tenants of tho State that they shall he allowed to acquire tho fee simple of their holdings. And this party supports the maintenance of tho present optional system because it supplies the stopping stone towards the acquisition of the freehold. If anything, Mr Seddon's views accord more closely with these of tho latter party than they do with those of the former. I'cfc it is' against tho adoption of the policy favoured by the advocates of the freehold that, it is suggested, lie is going to appeal to tho country. Itcnlly, the story of an impending dissolution seems to be devoid of the first element- of probability. If, however, we are to suppose that the Premier is going to summon up courage this year to declare himself openly against the amendment of tho land laws which is sought by the party that favours the freehold tenure and that he actually thinks of going to the country on this issue, there is another consideration to bo borne in mind. A dissolution this year would have tho elfect of postponing for three years the next local option polls. And it is quite possible that Mr Secldon may desire to do his friends in the licensing trade the very good turn that this would represent to them. Hut tho members of Parliament who are the loaders of the movement for stopping any further sale of the Crown lands of tho colony are also the most prominent supporters in the Legislature of the no-license movement: That being so, a dissolution (his year would put them in a peculiarly awkward predicament. Is it conceivable that at the general election they could give their support to a man who, even if lie acceptcd wholly their views on tho laud question, was responsible for such a serious disservice to the extreme temperance cause as would be involved in tho bestowal upon the " trade" of an extra two years' currency of the present licenses? We are inclined to think that it is not, and that Mr Scddon, when he weighs all the probabilities, will elect to shirk the land question again this year rather than incur the risks that would be incidental to a dissolution.