The Star. MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1922. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16918, 18 December 1922, Page 6

The Star. MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1922. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

The final returns in connection with the AVaitomo seat give the Government candidate. Mr Rolleston, a majority o t six. In the meantime, therefore, Mr Massey remains in a minority of four In the House. Apparently he intends to withhold any action until lie has consulted his party. The consultation la to he followed by a short session, at which the members of the House will declare their intentions, it is interest • ing to find that tho Reformers have discovered quite a lot of merit about the Liberals Before the election they declared that Mr AVilford and his followers were eager for an alliance with the “ Reds,” and that a vote for Liberalism was a vote for Red Fedism It was in vain that the Liberals declared that the alhrnce existed only in the heated imaginations of the estimable hut misguided gentlemen who supported Mr Massey. The change of tone occurred immediately after the election. The Reform Party had'received a stagger ing blow, and a Liberal-Red combination could turn it out of office. The combination has not taken place. Tho Reform Party received a heavy set back, and if the Cabinet had consultei its dignity and followed constitutional practice it would have resigned. Our pre-election criticism that the» Reform ers were plotting to retain office even if they were in a minority in the Housr has been justified by events. Thev want to retain office by the aid of the Liberal Opposition. and feelers arc being put out to discover what can be expected from that quarter. The Con

servative Press, which accused Mr Wil ford of rtiaking an alliance with the Rerls. has just realised that Mr Wilford would make an excellent Speaker.

There has been n chorus of Reform ap proval, and the Leader of the Opposi tion is being invited to let himself bo side-tracked. AVe fancy that Mr AA'il ford must have enjoyed the little com edy furnished by liis erstwhile opponents tumbling over themselves to pa «

him compliments. AVe are afraid, however, that the mill which turns out the Reform compliments is set to work by variable breezes. If Mr AVilford will consent to b< made Speaker he will b« a very fine fellow ; if he refuses, he wih again be the accomplice of the Reds, plotting the ruin of the" Empire What the Reformers would have offered if Sir Frederick Lang had not been obligingly defeated wo cannot say. AAV hopto see the Liberal Party in the Hour' united in its opposition to the Govern merit. The Government should liar 1 resigned, and the Liberals should com pel Mr Massey and his Cabinet to adopt that course.