CARRYING ON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17537, 14 May 1925, Page 10

CARRYING ON.

LEADERSHIP OF REFORM PARTY. COALITION NOT CONSIDERED. (Special to the "Star."l Vi BI.IJNGTON. May 13. “ The king is dead: long live the king!" The Government must go on under any circumstance, therefore the first rlutv after the late Prime Minister is laid to rest is to constitute a Ministry which, will carry on the country’s work. An official Gazette will be issued late on Friday night announcing that his Excellency the GovernorGeneral confirms the appointment ol (he. Executive Council ol the Ministers vho held office under the recent regime. A separate proclamation will confirm the appointment of Sir Francis Hell as Prime Minister, and other Ministers in their respective offices. this will be a temporary expedient. .Reform members will probably meet, without delay to consider the loadership. Two proposals have been canvassed. One is that fcsir Francis Bell should continue as Prime Minister until Ihe session, with a view to giving the Hon AY. Downie Stewart an opportunity of being personally consulted regarding his acceptance of the office ot Prime Minister. The alternative, which is more likely to be the course followed, is that the party will elect a leader and give him- an opportunity ; ot constituting his Cabinet, in ample time to meet Parliament after the coming by-election. Northern opinion stronglv inclines to the belief that Mr Stewart’s health not being sufficiently robust to enable him to meet the heavy responsibilities of leadership, it must fall to Mr Coates. Tlie latter is reported to he quite ready to fall in with the arrangement first, outlined, but the opinions of a party caucus would, however. stronglv influence him. therefore tiie probable result is the reconstruction of a Ministrv under the leadership of Mr Coates' the goalrriox prospect. Coalition under present conditions is more favoured in the countrv than in the lobbies of Parliament. It would be the clutv of the Government, forces to make the first move, a nr) not hing ni the kind has taken place, despite much discussion outside. The general feeling of Reform Parliamentarians is that under capable leadership they can evolve a policy, advocate it. vigorously. and go to the countrv with a fair prospect of becoming independent r, f unpledged supporters in the next Parliament. Nothing short of defeat at the next election, and a prospect of Labour being in power, unless ali the opposing e.ements coalesce, would bring about coalition. T. he idea was not born of presentday conditions of narrow majorities. It was discussed when Sir Joseph Ward and the Liberals enjoyed a good majority The party in power then regarded any such suggestions as a joke, “the wish being father to the thought.” Things were more propitious for this ideal in 1911, when it was seriously put forward bv a leading Reformer outside Parliament. Mr William Nelson. Rumours were flung around the House of Representatives, and Sir Joseph Ward had to deny severs ! allegations, including one that he had offered Mr Massey a seat in his Cabinet. This discussion caused Mr Nelson to write to Sir Joseph Ward showing that he "•as the author of the plan, which he had put up to a pronounced Reformer, who replied as follows: "How can we? Sir Joseph Ward has made no advances to us. "1 replied." continued the letter. “how is he likely to when he is top dog?” Mr Nelson concluded with the assurance that Mr Massey, then leader of the Opposition, would not even discuss his proposal. To-day's conditions are different. The dominant party has no effective majority, but an appeal to the country presents a prospect it would prefer to coalition.