THE ELECTIONS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 178, 2 September 1914, Page 11

THE ELECTIONS.

QUESTION OF POSTPONEMENT. GOVERNMENT PROMISES CONSIDERATION. [From our on Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 1. The Leader of the Opposition took the opportunity in the House of Representatives this evening of asking the Prime Minister if he had definitely made up his mind when the general elections were to take place. At this juncture, said Sir Joseph Ward, it.was absolutely necessary that the country should know what was intended to be done. (Hear, hear.) Under normal conditions the elections would take place before the end of the year; under the abnormal conditions that existed the deferring of an announcement by the Government might put the people in an unfair position. As far as he was concerned, he did not care whether the elections were held this year or next. They ought to keep clear of party politics at this juncture, and he had a strong feeling that in the best interests of the country it was desirable to defer the elections until next year. Mr Massey:.Do you mean for a year or six months?

Sir Joseph Ward: The time wquld be a matter for the Prime Minister . entirely. ■••■■■•'■ INFORMATION WANTED. Sir Joseph Ward said he did to na.me,any particular period. The Opposition woufd. support what the Premier deeided on, even if they did not agree with it, but . there were thpusajffls of people who wanted information on the matter. He had received numbers of letters from men and women, who wanted to be apprised in time, arid, in His opinion, no general election should take place . without at least three months' notice to the public. (Hear, hear.) The whole official organisation connected with the party of which he was the head .had been stopped' since he announced the fact to the House. There was an impression in different parts that this • was not so. On the other side their organisations were going on, and the official organiser con : nected with. the Reform Parry, after visiting the North, had* gone to the West Coast. In one of the Government papers, on August 29, there was a statement published, inviting people to apply for a copy of'a strong party organ that had been circulated in the interests of the Reform Party. It was published in Te Aroha, under ' .the title, "Under Which Flag." lie wanted to point out the difficulty that the situation was imposing on a number of people, who wanted to -avoid the party clash at present. He learnt that the Government following, at a caucus before the recess, agreed that there was to be an early election, and the Prime Minister must see the necessity 6f stating what the definite intention was. He wanted Ho try and avoid, for the remainder of the session, anything in the nature of party conflict. He wanted to see Parliament standing as one. (Hear,* hear.) ■ "< ' LEGISLATION NECESSARY.

Mr Massey said the Leader of the Opposition was within his rights in. asking the question. There was no.intention of doing anj'thirig improper or unfair, or of taking advantage of the present crisis. The law provided that the elections must take place before the •end of the year. Parliament expired by effluxion of time in December, if the term wafe to be extended it could only be done by legislation. The difficulty was that in the ordinary course an election would be held a little over three months from and no one could tell what the position would be in. three months from the present time. The war might be over. .If matters settled down, and* the abated, he thought the elections should be held. It mattered nothing Ho him whether the elections were held this year or nert, all he could say was that he could not find an answer that night. The Government, as a Government, had not considered the matter. Members of the Government may have expressed their individual opinions, but the subject had never come before the Government officially. So far as the caucus was concerned, the information given to the Leader of the Opposition was incorrect. At the caucus someone enquired whether anything was to be done in the way of postponing the elections, but no decision was arrived at. With regard to organisation it wag true that the Government organiser had been up north, but he had not dqne a single thing in the way of business. Mr J. A. Hanan' (Invercargill): "Was he on a holi'day? | Mr Massey .could.not go. into details, but could give the assurance that no business had been done in the north. He believed the organiser wa§,. now in the south, but he was not in a position to say what he was doing there. He had obeyed-instructions to cancel his meetings, and not to have anything published. . The journal which had been referred to was out six weeks. So! far as the elections were concerned he ; (Mr Massey) proposed to bring thd matter before Cabinet within a forfc night*from now, and he would be able to make a statement on or before September 14 with regard to the intentions of the Government as to whether the elections should be postponed or held at the ordinary date. -

Sir Joseph Ward again urged upon the Prune Minister the necessity for everybody knowing when the elections were to be. He regretted that as far as he was concerned he would have to take it'that.the elections were to be held this year, and'he would notify the persons to whom he was entitled to notify that this was to be the case, as it was clearly to be so, in his judgment. He had to come to that conclusion with all due respect to the Prime Minister. Nobody could take this deferrment (and it was /already September 1) of the Government's announcement of the pro* posed date to mean anything else but that .the elections would be held this year.

The Prime Minister said he was sorry that the 'Leader of the Opposition had said what he had, but he must realise, and the country must realise, that the position was difficult, and so was that of his party, for, if they postponed 1 the elections, it would be said that they were hanging on to office, and if they decided to hold the elections this year it would be said that they were trying to take advantage of the present position. Sir Joseph Ward repeated that! he must take it that the elections' were : to. be held thia year^. and the' discussion closed- ■'■■„,