THE FIFTH MONTH.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 593, 4 January 1916, Page 8

THE FIFTH MONTH.

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT'S CAREER.

HAS IT BEEN A SUCCESS?

[Special to The Sun.] WELLINGTON, January 4. The new year finds the National Government just completing its fifth month of exisience. During the last fortnight I have asked half a dozen members of the House of Representatives, from widely separated constituencies, if they thought the Ministry had been a success, and there has been an interesting similarity about the rather guarded replies. Each member has said that the party leaders took the right step in suspending party warfare for the period of Ihe war, but has expressed a certain amount of disappointment concerning the actual results of the temporary coalition. Most of the politicians have mentioned in this connection the Defence administration and the cost of living problem.

"The National Government has the weakness that was inevitable under the circumstances—it is inert," said one member, more analytical than the others. "It contains two parties, evenly balanced, and it is far too big. The Ministers as a body cannot come to decisions quickly or firmly, while the Ministers individually tend to run their own departments with over much independence. Note the failure to deal with the cost of living question and the hesitating handling of the recruiting problem. Perhaps we could do no better under the political conditions created by the last general election, but personally I should like to see a smaller and more active Ministry in otlice just now."

The time has rot come for a detailed survey of the work of the National Government, but one may say that the Massey-Ward administration has shown the weaknesses common to coalitions. The recruiting problem has been demanding attention for months past, but action has been delayed persistently. The national register was the first definite step towards an improvement of the recruiting system, and last month the Government, stung into action by a serious shortage in the Eleventh Reinforcement, set up a Recruiting Board, consisting of the three leading members of the Ministry. But the board has not yet met. The three Ministers, sitting as a board, have not yet considered the draft recruiting scheme announced by the Prime Minister the other week, and now there is every probability that the Twelfth Reinforcement, due to go into camp next week, will be short. The National Government placed a Cost of Living Act on the Statute Book last session, with the hearty consent of Parliament. But the only step taken since then was to invite applications for seats on the proposed board of trade. The applications have been in hand for nearly two months, but no appointment has been made.