THAT CIRCULAR.

Southland Times, Issue 19294, 12 July 1924, Page 4

THAT CIRCULAR.

No one in the House seems to have taken seriously the circular introduced by Mr Lee of Auckland. For some time there have been rumours that in Auckland there was in circulation a document dealing with the formation of a new political party with the Hon. J. G. Coates at its head, but it is obvious that Mr Lee’s broadside was of more recent date. Mr Coates undoubtedly would be accepted as a good leader in succession to Mr Massey, but all along it has been clear that the Minister of Railways has cherished no thought of any action which could be described as disloyal to his chief, and the position in which the House finds itself to-day is that it is looking about for someone to succeed and not to oust the man who, at the celebration of a premiership lasting twelve years and still going strong, can point to a splendid record during a period of extreme difficulty. Mr Massey’s critics have been unsparing. In the Liberal Press he is presented to the public either as a blundering fool or something akin to blatant knavery. Blamed for almost, everything, from bad weather to the Imperial policy, he can yet point to the fact that under his administration New Zealand has emerged from a severe test, and is now prosperous and confident of the future. His own party has stood solidly with him, in spite of the rumours to the contrary circulated by his opponents, and it is noticeable that Mr Lysnar, though very angry about the sale of the Poverty Bay Meat Works, is careful to absolve the Prime Minister from any blame in this matter. The Meat Board has answered Mr Lysnar, but if that gentleman pushes on with his accusations against Mr David Jones, we will doubtless see the Board’s case elaborated, when it will be seen, we think, that Mr Lysnar’s wrathful charges are not as serious as his warmth has made them appear. Mr Lee’s circular, introduced at the moment of Mr Massey’s celebration of twelve years of office, was in poor taste because it was so patently one-sided. Mr Massey has made it abundantly clear that his tenure of the leadership of his party will be determined by the members of that party, and will not be terminated by negotiations between himself and irresponsible people. Obviously the time cannot be far distant when he will be compelled to retire from the hurly-burly of politics to a wellearned age of ease, but those who examine his record in the light of the difficulties he has had to face and without the colour of party bias, will admit that his name will be associated with those of the great men of this country. In these circumstances the circular presented to the House by Mr Lee may have been a joke, but it was an extremely poor one, which did no credit to anybody connected with it.