A PREVALENT OPINION-SIR JOSEPH WARD MUST RESIGN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3462, 29 February 1912, Page 5

A PREVALENT OPINION-SIR JOSEPH WARD MUST RESIGN.

MESSRS ROBERTSON AND PAYNE IN A DIFFICULT POSITION. WHEN WILL THE SESSION END? To-day one of the most interesting topics of conversation is as to whether Sir Joseph Ward will resign immediately or endeavor to hang on to office for another four months- The general (opinion is that he will keep to his pledge and hand in his resignation at an early date. It is pointed out that it would be a wrong thing and a. dangerous precedent for any Prime Minister to remain in office on the casting vote of the Speaker in a division secured through broken pledges, one of which was broken because of a promise of resignation of tlie Premiership. It is generally admitted that if Sir Joseph Ward cannot hold the Party together it will be impossible for anyone else'to do so, and there is a very strong feeling that the new Ministry should take office prior to the prorogation of Parliament. If Sir Joseph Ward should endeavor to hold to office till June it is just possible that there will be some expression of opinion in the House l on this point prior to the adjournment-. . Another member of the Liberal Party expressed the opinion this evening that Sir Joseph Ward should not endeavor to carry on tlie business of the country after having given a promise to resign He added that bis resignation should be sent in within a week or a fortnight. He admitted that the Liberal Party was in an extremely difficult position, and that many of its members, especially the country members, did not like the policy enunciated in the Speech from the Throne. They bad, he said, gone to the country on the last Budget _ and not on the new-found policy put into the mouth of the King’s representative.