LOYALTY AND COMPROMISE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12087, 16 August 1917, Page 2

LOYALTY AND COMPROMISE.

THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. [From Our Correspondent.]. WELLINGTON, August 15. While speaking in the Budget debate to-night Mr Poole uttered some candid comment, on the National Government's excuse for its existence. " I suppose," remarked the member for Auckland West, i: the National Government is the best hated political institution in the history of New Zealand, yet most, people recognise it as a necessary evil and one which has to be tolerated. Meantime in the National Government we havo an organisation of compromise. Look at the Prime Minister. Why he is a truly rural representative and s. man whose energies are all centred on the rural interest - of this country, and everyone knows that the Reform Party in this House represents the country party in New Zealand." Mr Anderson : And a very good party too. Mr Poole: Oh well, I am not trying to dor-ract from the merit you have. I believe you need it all. (Laughter.) On the Liberal side ws have an assortment of representatives thrown together by patriotic requirements, and they are doing their level best to carry on according to their lights and convictions. When ws placed our representatives in the National Government we placed them there as custodhns of Liberalism in this country, and we expected them to be worthy of their trust. Even if wo do not know about Hhe exchanges of compliments that take place in the Cabinet from time to time we feel it is an organisation of compromise and we have to make the best- possible use of it. The organisation is a disappointment to a.great, number of people. The Conservative will tell yon "he ~ is not getting a square deal under the National regime, and the Liberal, on the other side, complains cf exploitation, and between the nair the temperature is pretty high. I recognise that men who swear allegiance to an organisation like this are courting political annihilation, but "who lives if' England dies?" We are sworn together to help to get over the present crisis, and. for the rest what matters in comparison to the one great patriotic object. (Hear, hear.)