The Daily News. FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1912. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 317, 5 July 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1912. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

The political situation appears to grow daily more and more perverse, and it is almost as difficult of comprehension ns the American Presidential election. The special Press correspondents, who have a happy knack of keeping their fingers fairly accurately upon the political pulse, appear to he practically unanimous in predicting the downfall of the Mackenzie Ministry, although they arrive at this conclusion by varying methods. They are, however, supported in their opinion by members of the Liberal Party themselves, while Mr. Massey is quietly confident that Ills no-confidence motion will be carried. The division, in any event, h sure to be so close as to leave neither party with a legitimate working majority. Meantime the debate on the Ad-dress-in-Pieply is a singularly futile and uninteresting function, and the House would be saving its own time and the time of the country if it went to a division straight away and untangled ft political coil that has no parallel in the history of New Zealand. It is perfectly certain that the opposing elements have all decided as to how they will vote, and no amount of argument or appeal it likely to alter the vote of a single member. There will be the straight-out Liberal vote, and the straight-out Opposition vote, and the moot deciding element of the Labor vote and the disaffected Liberal vote is the only quantity to be taken into consideration. There is every indication that the Labor and Independent vote will be cast solidly for the Government, and if the Mackenzie Ministry is defeated it will be by a Liberal recantation of a peculiarly Jesuitical order. Mr. Millar has thrown aside the veil of secrecy that has surrounded his attitude for some months past, and has come out into the open with a demand during his illness for a pair against the Government, and this Mr. Mackenzie, with a very proper recognition of the dignity of his position, will not refuse him. The action, we should imagine, will spell the political downfall of the member for Duiiedin West, and it is certainly a striking illustration of the extent to which personal rancor can carry even an experienced politician. Nor, is he aione in his attitude. Another ex-Gov-ernment member, who prefers to hide his identity for the time being, has. according to our Parliamentary correspondent, decided also to cast his vote against the Government, with the saving excuse that should the Mackenzie Gov-

crnment be defeated he will at once assist in any effort that is made for the overthrow of Mr. Massey. This reads strongly like the sort of attitude that Mr. R. McKenzie would adopt. Several of the smaller political fry have also adopted the same platform of specious excuse, and if their attitude is persisted in it means, of course, either a dissolution of Parliament or the ultimate formation of a coalition Ministry. Should Mr. Massey win his amendment, it will be a singularly barren victory, for he can only score by the assistance of a number of disaffected members who have no sympathy with his policy, and will at once proceed to pull from under him the ladder by which he climbed to position. Should the Address-in-Reply be carried, the Prime Minister has promised to call a caucus of the Part/ and place the personnel of the Government entirely at its disposal. Should he be defeated, and Mr. Massey in turn be ousted, we can see no solution of the difficulty except an immediate appeal to the country. The people are, after all, the ultimate arbiters, and in the present condition of the parties practical legislation is impossible and Parliament is a fatuous futility;