The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1908. THE POSITION OF PARTIES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12145, 27 November 1908, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1908. THE POSITION OF PARTIES.

Th& Government newspapers are mak- ! hip; frantic efforts to discount the sue- J cesses achieved by the Opposition party. So Tie of them are even going so fai as to suggest that the figures reveal a decline in the estimation in which tno Opposition is held throughout tho country. Tho position is, of eour&t', q.iite the reverse, and it is a little amusing* to observe the statistical twisting by which it is sought to prove that the constituencies did not mean what they said. Th 9 candid admissions made by Mr A. W. Hogg, M.P.; for Masterton, will come as a shock" to these gentlemen, who striving so hard to make ■ the. puDp/* believe that black is white. Mr Hogg ./is a Government supporter, but he irfkes a sane view of the position, and frankly admits that Mr Massey has had the best of the deal. - 'Numerically .and otherwise," ho say 3., "the Opposition has "been sti engthened, and Mr Massey may fairly claim to. have-scored.. Mr Hogg Is of opinion that*-there will be an allround gain in r the efficiency of tho House, and that the new Parliament .will bo an improvement on its predeccss. rs. "The debating power of tho House," ho said, -"should gain immensely by tho inclusion of such men. as J Lerdman, McLaren, Taylor and Glover. In the ranks of the Opposition members figura who have the reputation of ability and integrity. These qualities are also a characteristic of some of tho candidates that figure as Independent. Perhaps tho poorest and least useful or efficient representative is bin* obsequious member that follows Ministers like their fhadow, whether they aro right or wrong. Some of this class hove teen excluded, and few will b.i sorry lor it." Mr Hcgg reminded his interviewer "that years ago he told tho lato Mr Scddon that the Government and its followers needed brushing against tho grain now and then, and this, he considers, is the kind of dusthigi to, •which'; the party has just been subjected. In a few words, Mr Hcgg is of opinion 'that the k electors have returned an Opposition "that will actively criticise the administration and bring the searchKght into play," and. he adds, significantly, ■■'. ["Parliament and tin© country will be.-all the tetter for it. A'strong. Opposition will dp good. The country, ha,s Of late suffered through its absence." ; Mr; Hogg has correctly stated the position, but we do not think Ministers'and their journalistic champions will thank him for having done so.. It will be noticed, however, that the opinions, expressed by the member for Masterton: relate more particularly to the constitution of the new Housed and to the numerical increase in tho ranks of the Opposition party. The seats won by Mr Massey-« supporters constitute a series of hard facts which cannot be challenged; and the Ministerial journals, realising this, are forced to juggle with the figures relating to the number of votes cast for the respective parties in order to lend colour to their contention that, despite the'loss of'seats, the sentiment of the country, as expressed at the polls, was overwhelmingly in favour of the Government. Here > again they aro 'at fault, for they deliberatel/ exclude rrom tbeir calculations tho fact that in more than twenty electorates there was no Opposition candidate, or rather they coolly include in the total votes cast for the Government the votes necessarily cast by Oppositionists for Government candidates because they had no candidates of their own colour to vote for. This absence of candidates may be attributed to the lack of organisation which has for so long obtained in connection with the Opposition, and .which, wo hope, will be rectified before the next struggle takes place. The successes achieved by his party should encourage the Leader of the Opposition tr at once set about making ready for tho next campaign. < .