WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15895, 21 January 1924, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

POLITICAL SITUATION AT HOME. INTEREST IN WELLINGTON. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The developments of the political situation at Home naturally are arousing much interest in the political capital of the Dominion. The situation itself is very similar to the one that arose here as a result of the general election, of 13 months ago. The Conservatives have returned from ihc constituencies with the largest number of members, just as the Reform- '. ers did here; but the Labourites and the Liberals together have a majority of the votes in the House of Coin- " nions, just as the Liberals and the Labourites here have a majority of the votes in the House of Representatives. The only material differences between the two situations are that the Conservative minority at Home is slightly more pronounced than the Reform minority here, and that, the Labourites, returning with the greater number of supporters, constitute the official Opposition in the House of ■ Comnioris, while the Liberals, for the same reason, constitute the official Opposition in the House of Representatives. The developments of the similar positions in the two countries, however, are very different. At Home the Labourites and the Liberals moved in harmony so far as the proceedings for the ejection of the Conservatives from' office was concerned. In the Dominion the Labourites refused id ' ally themselves with the Liberals for any purpose. The Three Parties. ;;• TJiis is not the place to discuss the, * propriety or the patriotism of the course pursued by any of the parties after the indecisive election of 1922, but some of the views expressed by active and passive politicians become additionally interesting in the light of the results arid developments of the Home The Minister of Education, reiterating what has been said : by his colleagues again and' again, denounces the third party system as « the root of all'"political;-and party' " 4 - evils. ' There can be neither good . Government nor effective' administra- :. tiori, 'he says, so long'as they are * made matters of compromise, as they - must be under the three-party system. But a proriiinent proportional representationist retorts, the country " should have riot merely three parties, ; but 10 or even 20.50 that government '.: and administration should be the joint ' ! labour of'the best brains an* best hands in the country, and not the unsatisfactory fruits of the party coh--5 spiring'and intriguing of perhaps one man, and at most of half a'dozen. Between these two extreihe views a*e many others, some favouring -le school and some another; but there 1. appears." to be .'a general consensus of ".:. opinion-, :■ that; the,-,, simple. twpYpariy system h"as gone for ever, and that the" v poiitibians. will, have', to endure .Us su'ccesspr'.with-what grace they mayV ".' The Liberal Task. - The local papers are not pleased g by what is happening at Home. But ;- the Dominion, after deploring the re- ■': suit of the election, is disposed to mate the best of a bad job. " Once ; in office and saddled with responsibility," it says, " Labour, no doubt will find it impossible even to shape proposals promising any speedy solution of these, home and foreign problems. A term in office might do something to educate the members of * the Labour Party. It certainly would 1 and enlighten the public, and teach it to distinguish between realities and ;.: political tall talk." This Is the voew of ; both Reformers and Liberals in this J; country.. There is nothing like res- - possibility under the -British consti- '■■ tution for taming" the wild Socialist. But the Dominion will not allow that the Liberals'have as much reason is ;' the- ; Conservatives have for hoping that a term of office will have a salutary effect upon Labour. "On its election policy," it says in concluding its : examination of the position; "the Liberal Party is well placed to cooperate in forwarding these measures to relieve uncmployihent in Britain arid promote Empire trade and - development, as : it is-badly .placed to ?' co'-operatowith the party of nationalisation' and the Capital Levy." The friends of the Liberal Party here hold that, it is sp we'll placed as to be mas'te.r'.of the whole position. "Crux of the Position." ■; ■ The Evening Tost, -writing with the advantage of haying the outlines of air Ramsay JtacDonald's and. Lord Gray's speeches before it assumes'a more judicial lone;. " Under' the, twoparty system,"'if "the British people have as a rule been wonderfully successful in keeping the main issues of 'foreign policy on a plane above party strife. Can .thje.ir leaders carry'.this "spirit' a little further to meet the'demands of the new situation and give effect, to Lord Grey's suggestion? "If so, the disintegration of the system might open the door for a non-party control of foreign policy. And if the Dominions arid the Imperial Conference can ever be induced to give up " taihoa " and rriarking time, and to face the full responsibilities of nationhood and constructive' statesmanship, a genuinely Imperial control of the Empire's foreign policy might ultimately lis evolved." ' The Post does not like the idea of a Labour Government controlling the affairs of the British Empire, but it docs not despair of Mr Ramsay MacDonald arid his colleagues listening to reason on foreign affairs, arid conceding'so much it, admits the possibility of the Empire surviving Hie ordeal through which it, is passing. This is the brighter side of the picture.