The Taranaki Herald. DAILY EVENING WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 6, 1919. THE LEADERS' RETURN.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16506, 6 August 1919, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. DAILY EVENING WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 6, 1919. THE LEADERS' RETURN.

The return to the Dominion of the Prime Minister and Sir Joseph Ward, the recognised political leaders at the present time, brings the political situation into strong relief. Four years ago, on the first anniversary of Britain’s declaration of war against Germany, the National Government was formed, and on the following evening Mr. Massey told a public; meeting at the Wellington Town Hall that ‘‘until the war ends you may roly upon, it that there be no more party wrangling, parly politics, or party warfare,” The compact then entered into has been fairly kept, thanks to the self-restraint of the party leaders. For some time, however, surface indications have,shown that the embers of party warfare have only been slumbering these four years and that a slight breeze may fan them into flames. The war is over and Ibe compact may now be broken at any time without breach of faith. The leaders arc back in the Dominion and a general election will be held within* a few months. In anticipation of this a considerable amount of electioneering of a sort has already been done. The recognised party machinery has not, of course, been yet set in motion and will not be until the leaders have met their followers to discuss the situation. Among the rank and flic, however, there has been a lot of activity. The plans are ready, it is averred, for the formation of a now party, whose strength is claimed to be nearly half the House, recruited from both sides

and even from the- Labour Party. The secret of its leadership has been well kept if it has been discussed, but obviously Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward are left out. Nor is it likely that Sir James Allen mill be selected. Indeed, the idea seems to be to discard most of the present Ministers, judging' by the criticism levelled at them lately, criticisms often unfair and not without bitterness. There has been a clearly evident effort, to discredit not only the National Government , but also several individual Ministers in the eyes of the electors. Party journals have attacked Ministers of the other party regardless of the compact.! That mas to be expected of some of them, but there has been a lack of loyalty to the absent leaders on the part of some of the new pally mho have been busily engaged in laying the plans for discarding those loaders. All this points to an early breakup of the National Government and a return to party marfarc. It is a question, indeed, whether the present- regime will survive the Address-iu-lvoply. There are all the elements of a split except (he first excuse, and that may quite easily be found. Much will depend upon the spirit displayed at the first meetings of the returned leaders and their parties. If disruption commences there it will soon spread to the open House, and possibly that would be the best, thing that can happen. There must be an election before the end of the year. If it were to take place at once, or as soon as the necessary forms allow, wo might have a stable Government formed in time to hold a short session before the cud of the year, in which urgent matters could be attended to. If it is decided to defer the election till December the probability is that little useful legislation mill be passed in the interval because members mill talk more with a view of the coming polls than to the good of the country. Possibly Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward have agreed upon a course of action mhich mill keep the National Government in being for a few months longer, but it mill require much iaclful handling on their part to restrain the present House and induce it to undertake useful mork.