THE RECENT ELECTIONS.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 23, Issue 4, 16 January 1912, Page 7

THE RECENT ELECTIONS.

A SYDNEY REVIEW. Tbe Sydney Bulletin fluma up the political situation in New Zealand in the following characteristic fashion. Allowing for their_ lack of knowledge oflcertain factors in connection with the downfall of Wardism, the criticism is a fairly shrewd one “The Maoriland elections are over, and great is the wailing and hard language thereof. For the mighty Liberal-Labour combination, which has danced to its own piping since 1891, •when (the Atkinson Government was finally heaved into the political rubbishtip, has been caught up by the remnants of that party, and struck down in its tracks. And when louseph Ward arose and, turning round with a sudden jerk, blew the dust out of tbe deaf ear he turns to the howls of the mortgage, which break out in the still hours of calm reflection, 10, his glory hsul departed, and his big majority in the House of Representatives had been turned into a minority. The position in the last Parliament was that the Opposition, led by Massey, could muster 25 strong m a House of 80 members. On December 7, however, the first ballott for the new House altered things thnswise: Government, 22: Opposition, 25, Seven days later, the second ballots (30) completed the disaster by dividing the parties as follows; Government, 35; Opposition, i 37: Labour and Labour-Socialists, 4; Independent, 1, If Joseph could rely upon the support of the Labour representatives, as he doubtless can upon the three Maori representatives, to be elected in a day or two, he could be reasonably sure that the quarter-deck would be his end of the ship for another three years, anyhow. But, unfortunately for Joseph, he cannot be sure of anything concerning those votes except that an exceedingly cold wind is blowing from their direction. As a matter of fact, three of the Labour men have made no secret of their unswerving hostility to the Ward Administration, and the subsequent proceedings largely depend upon their action. But, at best, about the only advantage they could take of their position would be to force another election, for it is not couceivaale that they would place and keep in power the Massey party, which, for one thing, has the . bomb-proof hide at this time of the day to pledge itself to give the option of the freehold to lessees of lands on lease in perpetuity at the original valuation. They might endeavour to make an arrangement with the Dreadnought plunger that he should not, for instance, ,go on any more borrowing jags. But, even if the pawnshop disease is not chronic in Ward’s case the large and even vast quantity of roads and bridges member who has given his affidavit that he will next year see that communication is established between Cowville and Cabbage Dog Gully, will want his whack, in return for his loyalty, whcn the first pinch comes. And as the easiest way has been Joseph’s weakness since he tried to fill the mantle of dictatorship vacated in 1906 by Richard Seddon, the dipper will be sent round as usual to the side door of Cohen’s financial pub. Joe’s dissapation, since he became Premier, may be suspected by the fact that the public indebtedness increased Jfrom /62,191,040, in 1906, to £81,078,122 in 1911, being an increase of £18,887,082 in sis years. But a more reliable idea of his prodigal son methods is obtained by judging them from the time he got into his stride, which may be set down at 1908. The national debt in that year was £66,453,897. In 1909 it leaped to £70,938,534; in 1910 it bounced to £74,890,645, and in 1911 it -was waving the three brass balls round its head to the tune of £81,078,122, or an increase of £14,624,225 in four years. The shadow of Cohen’s nose on the wall has assumed such dimensions these times that even the average citizen trips oyer it almost daily, and the constant tripping of the average citizen will wear away a more solid politician than Ward.”