THE POLITICAL SITUATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17712, 25 August 1919, Page 6

THE POLITICAL SITUATION

MR RUSSEELTS RESIGNATION. TO BE FORWARDED TO-DAY. <Pbb Uhited Pkebs Association.) WELLINGTON, August 23. The delay in sending , in my resignation," stated the Hon. Mr Russell to-day, "has been caused by important matters in connection with my departments which I have been most anxious to clear up before leaving office. In order to do so it was necessary to obtain further reports, and the urtjerwy of the matter was only brought before me by the officers of th'a department after Sir Joseph Ward had actually tendered his resignation, although the fact at that time -was unknown to myself. lam hoping to haire a report by Monday morning, but whether it is received or Dot my resignation will be forwarded to his Excellency at midday on Monday."

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S POLICY. CRITICISM BY LABOUR.

(Fbom Oub Own Coshespondbmt.) CHRISTOHURCH, August 25. Labour is not backward in charging Sir Joseph Ward with having appropriated a number of the planks of the Labour platform for.the construction of his own. Mr E. J. Howard (secretary of the Trades and Labour Council) told a press representative that taking the manifesto as a whole he would characterise it as " farmers' Socialism." Sir Joseph was cute enough to catch tho farmers' point of view and wise enough to understand that it had been the farmer who has supported the Reform party m_ tho past and that ho must use 'farmers' bait" if he wanted to catch the farmers' votes. Even the petrol, which the farmer used so much, had not been overlooked by Sir Joseph. ' Looking at the manifesto from the industrialists' point of view Mr Howard considered that it offered the labourers nothing, and they had, of course, no sort of a guarantee that Sir Joseph Ward, if returned to power, had any intention of carrying his policy into operation. He had a distinct idea that some years ago Sir Joseph came out with a strong land ■ policy. There was talk of nailing the_ colours to the mast end standing and falling by them, but as a matter of fact the party had gone back on its avowed pphey. "The fact is," said Mr Howard, Sir Joseph Ward has stolen a certain amount of "thunder' from Labour." Hβ had to appove of many of tho ideas set out by Sir Joseph because they were taken wholesale from Labour's platform but he did not think Sir Joseph had the slightest idea of carrying them out. Mr T. Armsirong said this was not the first time that Sir Joseph Ward had come forward with something which might be termed startling and revolutionary, but they had only to look back at hie past record to realise that his promises outran his performances. Labour had advocated many of the best points touched on in SSr Joseph Ward's manifesto for the past 25 years, and he had little hesitation in saying that Sir Joseph had opposed them consistently. Why this volte face? A Strang thing was Sir Joseph Ward's advocacy of a State Bank—a tiling he had bo often opposed as 'rotten in principle." However, added Mr Armstrong, the people of New Zealand had been footed pretty often, and perhaps bir Joseph might succeed in fooling them again.

~ Mr H. Hnnter said the first thought that had struck him was that the Labour party's programme had been very useful to Sir Joseph, who had made a fairly shrewd estimate of the trend of public opinion as indicated by the proposals for a State Bank, borrowing in the country, nationalisation of the coal mines, prevention of profiteering, etc. A harried review of the statement led him to tho conclusion that it was a rather conservative document Viewed in the li"hf of publio opinion, at present it showed °an undue respect for private traders. Sir Joseph was very gentle towards any suggestion for stopping profiteering-. He did not think that those who leaned towards the Labour party would be weaned from their allegiance by any such specious p.-c mises as had been made by Sir Joseph. Ho had been prolific of promises in the past and too. loath to redeem them. "I thinkthat Sir Joseph Ward has hardly played the game m regard to the other members of the coalition in rushing forward with tins business, said Mr Hunter. "He might have waited until after a meeting oE.Par Lament, when there could have been a clean up. It seems that while Sir Joseph has disclaimed anything in the >way of personal ambition that has actually been his guiding factor."

. AUCKLAND, August 24. The National Secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party (Mr M. J. Savage) says ho behoves that the resignation of Sir Joseph Ward is a political bluff, framed jointly by Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward to circumvent and defeat the political aspirations of tho Labour Party. Referring to the Liberal programme outlined by Sir Joseph Ward, Mr Savage said that apparently he had appropriated some of tho planks in the Labour Party's platform. Labour, however, did not care who or what party borrowed its political measures, or even its ■whole platform, provided that each measures were placed on the Statute Book and administered in a sympathefcio manner in the intereets of the people. Mr Savage eaid he could see no reason for Sir Joseph Ward's resignation because there was no fundamental difference between the two chief parties at present m the house. There waa no doubt that in important principles Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward -wtre united and that any fight between them wotdd be on, the lines of the old party "warfare. Dealing -with the prominent points in Sir Joseph Ward's programme, Mr Savage said that without donbt a State bank was the correct thing, and Labour had always stood for it. Labour believed, however, that there was the nucleus of a State Bank in tho Post Office Savings Bank, and there was no legitimate reason why this institution should dot indulge in all the functions of banking In regard to the nationalisation of the flour mills, Mr Savage said the principle was good, but to place each a system in the hands of its enemies would be a doubtful experiment. Bβ meant that the Liberal Party was not favourable to the publio ov.rership of industry, whicfe should be conducted not for profit nor for the relief of taxation on any one section of the community. The same remarks applied to tha nationalisation of mines.

Mr Semple M.P., who is now in AuckJand, said that his opinion a3 a member of the Labour Party was that when Parlia-nr-ent met it should deal with no more than business that was urgently necessary The prorogation should talre place as soon as possible in order that the verdict of the country might bo obtained without delay ae to tho Coalition Government. He said it WhJ 1 *; T^! 1 **«""**> it at once. What the Labour Party was mainly concerned about was to obtain the judgment «t the people.