THE DOVE.

Observer, Volume XXXV, Issue 49, 14 August 1915, Page 2

THE DOVE.

Hovers Over Politics

THE lion shall lie down with the lamb and the asp shall play on the hole of the cockatrice's den," which being interpreted, does not mean that the royal cousins Wilhelm, Nicolas and! George have saluted each other and shaken hands, but that Mr Massey has extended the palm of political friendship to his ancient political enemy Sir Joseph Ward. It matters only this much; that, as it won't pay the lion to rend the lamb, or the asp to bite the cockatrice, they will have time to combine for the protection of the people who pay them. It matters this much, too j that if it is requisite, necessary and politic to quit acting like a crowd of angry school children during a period 'terrible beyond comEare, it is essential when the period as to carry on in exactly the same, sane, ; grown up way. The party system is a specific declaration that the ablest men in Parliament must be excluded from the executive, the assumption always being that the party in power has the monopoly of brains and the monopoly of emoluments. * * * The value of the new non-party Ministry is that, unlike the late unlamented combine, it is pledged to no particular class. It is neither a Liberal Ministry nor a Reform Ministry—it is merely an executive that has nothing to gain by pandering to the squatters, pandering to Labour or to any other branch of the great political game. The combination permits a portion of it to throw off its adherence to Vested Interests, with which it has been up to now so closely allied. The Ministry, to justify its formation, must end the farce of pretending to allay;.public. ..fear that the State is greasing' the~rat sow and grinding the. faces ,of the poor. A Reform Ministry',, fearful 1 of its masters, has not dared to strike a

single blow for the "people. Any commercial activity it has examined with the pretence that it would exact justice between exploiter and people has still further flourished after the examination. The public is likely to pay less for the privilege of filling its stomach., not because Liberal! politicians are '■' abler or more honest than Reform politicians^but because it will no longer pay polk, ticians to quarrel among themselves. * * * The jniblic is, naturally enough, deeply interested in the personnel •= of the Ministry formed to allay political bickering, and the public possibly, when.it comes to .the-.na,ine of Mr G. W. Russell, wiU'l comfort itsielf wit?ft-~fche- -coneluston that one . man .cant-do- much harm among so many: The public will possibly won--idler :why :-Coionei-Allen-; .whct'-is. thej' chief ior the demand for a National Cabinet, insists on holding the It- is anexcellent demonstration of the fact tn'ainSfe 'pgblic whatever im the matter, except at an election. Colonel Allen stubbornly holds on, because to climb down would admit that he was amenable to public opinion and the servant of the people who /pay hiils salary. The public probably welcome Sir Joseph \V-ard to the Ministry, not because . life, has-heeni the leader of a Liberal .Government, but because he is an adtept financier who has proved his .: ability in this.br.anch of politics. ..'■__•■■.* * * It is rather encouraging to find that modesty is not, entirely dead, even among politicians. Some politicians, fearing that they might be added' to the Ministry, have folded their tedite and have stolen away, leaving a clear field for those who dtesire office and those.who it is believed are entitled to office, the two being generally synonymous. . New Zealandl has at least led in this matter, as far as the Dominions; are concerned, but it only led because of the almost equal balance of party, and not initially through any desire to rob_ politics of its insensate bitterness. The National Cabinet is formed because, had the crime of a general election been committed, the strong probability of a Liberal Cabinet might have become a reality, tandl you are asked to admire the virtue that arose out of -a necessity. The foundation of thisK&ationial Cabinet robs partisan journalism of its sting, and the robber is therefore a benevolent minister much to be admired. During the war there can be no fight, but when peace comes let there be war. One looks with anxiety to see what a united government can do for the people and not for the Persons. The Persons have had a good! innings, and have carefully and scientifically stolen with the assistance of the State. The State's business is now to see that the People get a little of their own back from the Persons.