The Daily News. MONDAY, JULY 8, 1912. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 319, 8 July 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, JULY 8, 1912. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

The Mackenzie Administration went out early on Saturday morning, like tha Thompson Street Poker Club, in quite a blaze of glory. The defeat of the Gor- ! ernment had, of course, been anticipated j for some days, and the significant ! division at midnight on Mr. Hindmarsh's motion for the adjournment of the House, which was really a test of the | strength of parties, was a final intimaI tion of the verdict that was to come later. The defeat, however, was much i more emphatic than even Mr. ■ Massey could have anticipated, and a vote of 42 to 34 naturally does not represent the respective strength of the Liberal-Labor and Opposition parties in the House. As a simple matter of fact, the Government goes out of Vrflice as (he result of internal disaffection, for included in the list of those who voted for the amendment of the Leader of the Opposition are the Hon. J. A. Millar, an ex-Minister of the Crown, Mr. V. H. Reed, who was elected as a Government supporter, Mr. J. S. Dickson, the Labor member for Parnell, and Messrs. E. H. Clark and J. G. Coates, who were returned at the election in December as Independent Liberals. In addition to this loss of five votes. Mr. j Mackenzie was without the votes of the Speaker and Mr;- Xgata and..that of Mr. R. MeKenzie, who, although present in the Parliamentary building, declined to vote. Some of these members have already intimated that they will act with the same readiness in disposing of Mr. Massey and his Ministry when occasion offers as they have done in the ease of Mr. Mackenzie, with the object of securing a dissolution of Parliament and an appeal to the country. Just how these gentlemen reconcile their attitude with their platform pledges' and their political consciences is for themselves and their constituents to determine, but their temporary defection has not altered the fact that the two parties in the Houseare so evenly divided that it seems hopeless to expect any degree of comprehensive legislation from either. One has to go back a long way to find a parallel for the position in our political history, for it is quite a generation ago since a Government has been defeated on a no-, confidence motion. It was in 1890 that, as a result of an all-compelling LiberalLabor movement, the Hon. John Ballance replaced Sir Harry Atkinson as head of the Administration. For many years the change justified its existence, though some of the proposals put forward were extreme for those days. Still legislation was conducted in a spirit of sweet reasonableness, that found expression in the testimonials of esteem and respect which were heard everywhere at the close of Mr. Balance's life. With the Hon. R. J. Seddon in charge of the country's destinies, the Liberal Party proceeded on its victorious career with unchecked enthusiasm, and, helped by the magnificent personality of a strong and almost autocratic statesman, election after election saw the party returned to power with majorities that allowed it to place upon the Statute Pook a series of progressive measures that has no parallel in the world. Tlis last Parliament, however, saw a dwindled majority, and since his death that majority has grown small by degrees and beautifully less until it has i reached its ultimate vanishing point. It seems inevitable in politics as in everything else, that change must be our portion here, and there is no doubt that "that tired feeling" has quite as much to do with the downfall of Kings and Parliaments as has any personal growth or change of conviction. We are not at all concerned at the defeat of the Government, for it has been obvious for soma time past that it has not had a siifli-

House to allow of its being effective, and " a humour" of this sort is much better brought to a head. It is not fair, of course, to criticise Mr. Massey and his party until such time as he has ennunciated a policy, and Kas announced to the country what he is prepared to do. But in the meantime it is difficult to see how it will be any more possible for him to carry on with his meagre majority than it was for Mr. Mackenzie. The member for Franklin is entitled to every credit for a victory that he has waited for for years. He has shown himself a clean, straight fighter, more accomplished in a political mix-up than in the finer points of the game. It rests now with Mr. Massey and his colleagues to justify their existence. They have been declaring for years that the Government of the country has been rotten, and that it required a firm strong administration to straighten the affairs of the Dominion. Their opportunity has now arrived, but should the House decide that the policy they have to offer is not one that will appeal to the people, there is nothing left but a dissolution, and for members to seek a mandate from their constituents. The alternative of a coalition Ministry is not at the moment politic, for the constituencies 'have returned their members pledged to certain policies, and it is only right that the people, who are the ultimate arbiters, should have the opportunity of having their views represented by men who .are in full sympathy with them. It is, of course, idle to prophesy at the moment what a general election would bring forth, although there is a strong conviction that it would not improbably result in a strengthening of the Labor Party at the expense of both the Conservatives and the Liberals. Should this be so, it would be time enough tlien to talk of coalition. This, it will probably be found, is what will occur. The details of the now historic closing scene have been graphically covered by our Parliamentary correspondent. and it only remains to express gratification at the entire absence of bitterness and personality in the debate and admiration of the. dignified and masterly speech of Mr. T. Mackenzie, and the quietness with which Mr. Massey accepted his victory. Politics have reached an extremely interesting stage, and the eountry will await with wide interest a statement of Mr. Massey'* policy. He has taken charge admittedly at a difficult' and anxious time, but he will not find the House and the country lacking in generosity until such time as ho has either achieved a distinction in legislation or has failed to convince the House of his ability to administer the affairs of the Dominion on broad and progressive lines.