The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1919. THE UNPARDONABLE SIN.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15975, 18 November 1919, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1919. THE UNPARDONABLE SIN.

The Reformers profess to be very much concerned because Sir Joseph Ward withdrew from the Coalition Government after lie sigfnrn<j of the Peace Treaty, though such a strong party organ as the Otago Daily Tiroes, which knows the Reform Party much better than we do, confessed that "it is impossible to accept the argument t&at the dissolution of the National Government was not an V) event that was to be anticipated at any time after the Peace Treaty had been signed." This means, of course, that the southern Reform journal considered it had always been reasonable to suppose that the Liberals would end their partnership with the Reformers at the earliest opportunity. It appears, however that other Reformers dreamed a pretty' dream of a future in which a Coalition Government would go on indefinitely with Mr Mlassey as Prime Minister and R*form in the ascendant in the Cabinet—Sir James Allen still controlling ibe Defence Department, heaping up expenses by the appointment of fresh officers and the creation of new Departments, whose chief business would be to communicate with each other; Mr Harries muddling along with* the railways; Mr Guthrie protecting the land speculators and aggTegators; and Mr Fraser quietly handing over his portfolio to 'someone who would see to it that there would bo no reflections on his predecessor, which might be suggested by the introduction of new methods and a little fresh enterprise. As the Auckland Star remarks, "the pace would be slow, dignified, and gentlemanly, with generous intervals for rest and refreshment; and if any impertinent Radical demanded acceleration he would be put and kept m his proper place by the dead weight of Conservative members." Unfortunately for Reform, but fortunately for the country, the Liberals do not see the matter in this light. They were a separate party before the war made a coalition desirable, and they had a perfect right to resume their separate existence. THAT ALLEGED OFFER. But there is another aspect, and this waa emphasised by Sir Joseph Ward in his speech at Winton on Friday evening last. The good and wise Reformers are girding <at the Liberals for having "rejected" the magnanimous offer made by tb.e Masseyites for a perpetuation of the truce that obtained during the waj% Sir Joseph Ward and his followers have been abused right and left for having "sacrificed the interests of the

nation” by spurning' this offer, and it is asserted that they and they alone are responsible for the alleged sorry spectacle of a party fight. For ourselves, we agree with the Lyttelton Times that the Coalition was dissolved questions will never be satisfactorily treated without discussion, criticism and the clash of opinion. We know of no great reform that was secured without such conflict, however distasteful the fighting may have been to the party in j lower. But to return to the offer which the Liberals are abused for having so decisively ''rejected.” It now turns out that the offer was never made! Sir Joseph Ward has never received any communication from the Reform leader or the Reform Tarty on the subject. All that he knows on the matter was learned from a newspaper report of a Reform caucus. Surely if the Reformers had been sincere in their desire for a fusion they 'should have adopted some direct means of placing their views bcfor the other >side. They could hardly have expected: the Liberal Tarty to rush an invitation put so indirectly as was the case. We suspect that the real truth is that the caucus was indulging in a little make-believe. At all events, no offer has been made to the Liberals, and therefore no offer has been refused. The Government politicians and newspapers that have been harping on this siring will now have to find another. Sir Joseph Ward's statement on this subject comes very opportunely on Mr Massey's frank and honest acknowledgment that ho was neither surprised nor hurt when the Lioerals dissolved ihe National Cabinet, since the mission of that Cabinet, had been fulfilled and the retirement <»f the Liberals was strictly according id agreement.