THE NATIONAL CABINET.

Southland Times, Issue 17658, 16 February 1916, Page 4

THE NATIONAL CABINET.

The 'Wellington Post, ■which, ought to be fairly well informed in regard to National Cabinet matters, scoffs at the suggestion that serious differences exist between Ministers. The New Zealand Times devoted an article to these alleged Cabinet differences, and the Post says bluntly that "for blind, narrow, mischievous virulence the article in question would indeed be hard to beat.” The truth appears to be that the little gang of extreme party partisans which laboured incessantly to prevent Gie National Cabinet from being formed, would, if it thought the public tvould stand it. labour just as assiduously to burst up the National Government. There is nothing in this but pure party malice, and. like the worm which dieth not, the venom torments the party extremis t continually so that Jhere is no rest for him while Sir Joseph Ward and Mr Massey sit together in concord and work together for the common purpose of helping the country and the Empire through this crisis. Every announcement that is made in the name of the National Government, every effort in which the Premier and the Minister of Finance act together, is gall to the partisan whose sole purpose in life is to see Mr Massey arid his friends down and out. Unfortun-

ately for the malcontents the whole

weight cf opinion in the country is against them. The National Govern' merit came into office despite their carping and barking, and their emphatic assurances that a National Government was absolutely impossible, and the National Government will stay in office as long as the war lasts despite the worst they can do. They are imagining differences in the Cabine* where none exist, but even’if there should be any the people as a whole will tell the Ministers to settle their differences and get cn with their work.