Problems in Politics

Since World War II began. New Zealand politics have simmered in a sticky Cabinet stew. Last week they came to a boil. The Labor Government, with a comfortable majority at the war's beginning, agreed in the interest of National unity to admit the Nationalist (conservative) Opposition to the Cabinet. To satisfy Labor members who disliked the idea, two Cabinets were established, one to run the war, another to run internal affairs. Two of the five War Cabinet members were from the National Opposition.

Soon it became obvious that the very move made to unite the country divided it. Labor and Nationalists, agreeing on essential war policies, fought bitterly on other issues. Labor thought Opposition members within the War Cabinet were using their influence to torpedo its hard-won privileges and experiments in socialization. Nationalists accused Labor of us ing the war to push socialization. This threatened to split the country wider at the general elections due Nov. 1.

Prime Minister Peter Fraser brought the stew back to a simmer last week, postponed the elections for a year "on account of the war situation."

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