POLITICAL SITUATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10418, 23 March 1912, Page 8

POLITICAL SITUATION.

MEMBERS' VIEWS. A NOTE OF UNCERTAINTY. The advance guard of returning southern members reached Christchureh this morning in the person of Sir Arthur Guinness Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Mr J. Craigie, memb«r for Tivnuru. They were not very communicative, but Sir Arthur Guinness" was persuaded to give his news ' on the prospects of the new leader. " The. new Prime Minister will have n difficult task to perform,' 'he said, "in carrying on the government, and a great deal will depend on the constitution of his Ministers. If he makes a wise selection he will have a prospect of meeting the House and resisting any 'motion of want of conlidenco. The party 4n the country were very anxious to know the exact line of policy the Government would take up on land settlement, Labour, legislation, land tenure (particularly Native lands), and the development of the mining industry. It these four important quesions are deal with in a statesmanlike way then I think the Government may be able (I do not say will be able) to carry on. "We are the only ones to come jouth,," remarked Sir Arthur jocularly. " All tho others have prospeeets."

THE NEW PREMIER. PRESS" OPINION. [From Ocr Correspondent.] AUCKLAND, March 23. The "Herald" says:—"Wo beliove that' the selection made by the caucus ■will give general satisfaction. It is, as we regard it, a clear recognition of a decided change in the feeling of the country as manifested at the general election. Mr Mackenzie was long and actively associated with the Opposition. He is a man of moderate, if not of Conservative, views. He is a freeholder and a practical agriculturist. Though most of his life has been spent in the South Island, he is now member for a northern electorate. In his new position he has a difficult row to hoe. His i views on the land question differ dia- ' metrically from those of many of his party. He cannot be said to be in complete accord with the policy of the Labour Party. It may be that he will provo sufficiently compromising and conciliatory to satisfy all sections of the curiously heterogeneous party of which' he is now head; but we suspect we are on the eve of great political i changes. It will be interesting, hovyi eVer, to see how he shapes his course in the construction of a Ministry that will be able to weather the storms ahead." I [From Our Correspondent.] DUNEDIN, March 23. The "Otago Daily Times," after pointing out that Mr T. Mackenzie has i the necessary qualifications for a leader, says that what will probably condemn him throughout the country, however, is the prevalence of an impression that the political convictions he now expresses are not very deeply entertained by him, and from this, as well as from the fact that his association with Ministerialists has been of short duration, it follows that he will be held to have secured a position which he has not earned. There is hardly any- , tiling more fatal to a politician than 'the existence of popular disbelief in his airicerity. In a further article, in which it says thai; Sir Joseph Ward will be the power behind the throne till called on to again assume the leadership, the " Times " says that the leader who has now been appointed can only be viewed as a locum tenens, and if the , party were to remain in power (though that is not to be anticipated), the Ministry he forms could only be regarded as a warming-pan Ministry.

THE VIEWS OF LABOUR. [Peh Press Association.] I DUNEDIN, March 23. I Official and\ unofficial Labour circles ■J ore astounded the choice of a leader by the-caucus. They declare that abnothing of a democratic nature can be expected from Mr Mackenzie, •whom they designate as an individualist of the most pronounced tvpe. They ridicule the idea of Mr Mackenzie attempting to control the leaseholders, him as a rabid freeholder. :They consider the appointment as a (stop-gap, and believe that a deeper game is being played behind a screen that has been set up by Sir Joseph [Ward. The general opinion in Labour 'circles is that Mr Millar, although not , a hot favourite for the position, would have been preferable. Mr M'Manus, 1 who opposed Mr Sidey for Dunedin South, says that the best that could be expected from Mr Mackenzie would be legislation of a mildly palliative nature as far as Labour is concerned. He also favours the opinion that a general election is certain within a year.