THE OPPOSITION LEADERSHIP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15856, 30 August 1913, Page 8

THE OPPOSITION LEADERSHIP.

A week has elapsed since the leadership of the Opposition was offered to Sir Joseph. Ward with fervent assurances that, if' ha. accepted the position, loyal supporff would be given to him by the members of the party. Sir Joseph Ward has, however, not so fax given any indication that he ia greatly captivated with the idea of leading a party composed as the Opposition now. is. Nor has there been any sign that he is profoundly touched' by the protestations of men, who were ready enough to turn against him, when the voice of the country was expressed unfavourably towards his Government at the last general election, that he may rely upon their unswerving fidelity. Ail that has been made clear is that he does not regard the offer of the leadership of the Opposition as in present circumstances particularly tempting. And when everything is considered* this is not surprising. The two respects in which, during Sir Joseph Ward's absence, the members of the Opposition, ohiefly distinguished themselves were their eagerness to seize upon the idle and stupid chatter of street corners with the \ design of aspersing the Government and their Teadiness to express their sympathy with the ' Labour-Socialist party in the dominion in the hope that they might / effect an alliance with it. Their flirtation with the Socialists was the more amusing of their exploits.' Their difficulty in the first place was to decide which section of the Labour party was likely in the end to be the stronger. Their original inclinations seem to be to seek a revival. of what used to be known as the .überalLabour But when the revolutionary Socialists proved to be sufficiently: numerous to turn the' Unity Labour Congress to their own ends, the members of the Opposition exhibited frantic haste Vo identify themselves as far as possible with them. It is due to the Social Democratic party, as the political wing of this organisation of revolutionaries is called, .to say that it desires no dealings with the members of the Opposition and that it is anxious that they should leave it alone to attend to its own business in its own way. Its official organ stated this quite plainly only the other day in a leading article concerning the Opposition leadership; in connection with' which it observed that the more optimistic members of the Opposition party see visions of a rejuvenated Liberal-Labour alliance under Sir Joseph Ward. Any such combination it denounces as " unholy," and it goes on to express the view of ita party on the subject in the following terms:—"This paper has endeavoured emphasise again and yet again that a working class party to count for aught must be absolutely free and independent of any, alliance, direct or indirect, with any other, party. It has endeavoured to show that when in the heyday of its ■ power the Liberal pai'ty was as brutally arrogant in its treatment' of Labour as ever the Massev pairty knew how to be. • It wasn't Massey, but Findlay, that threatened the workers with the Riot Act at the time the slaughtermen struck some five or six yeara ago. The Liberal party never contradicted the threat, its members must have known what the reading of the Riot Act in times of strike meant The party may be chastened temporarily to-day; but back of it and in it are the same material interests that prompted the threat of a few years ago.'' While, however, the Social Democratic party will have nothing / to do with the Opposition, the mombew of the Opposition and the organs which support the Opposition have, unfortunately; for their party, in their keenness to assure the revolutionaries of their friendlinesa. Ibiwrrds them,' committed themselves to expressions of opinion which people of moderate minds in the community cannot but regard as foolish and dangerous. The party must havo Buffered infinite damago , during, for instance, the contest for the Grey seat through the declarations, which wero made on its behalf of the similarity between its objective and that of the Social Democratic party. It can be readilv understood, therefore, that the prospects associated with the leadership' of the Opposition' are not'very bright. It i 6 a thankless task to which Sir Joseph; Ward has been invited to devote his timfl,

ability, and energy. It will, however, be greatly in the interests of good government if ho should be persuaded to accept tho position: which is now at his disposal. The existence of a disciplined Opposition in Parliament contributes in no small measure to the smooth working of the political institutions of the country.