Political Parties.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17471, 3 June 1922, Page 8

Political Parties.

If the silence of Mr Wilford and his friends concerning their place in the political world has been due only to the absence of any invitation to them to explain themselves, we ought to have an explanation from them almost at once. For Mr Massey, in his Invercargill speech, gave Mr Wilford an opportunity to say something if he has anything to say. The delay in Mr Wilford'a appearance as an intelligible politician may, of course, be due to the difficulties, which, according to our Wellington correspondent, he is finding in keeping his party from falling to pieces. Mr Holland, as the Prime Minister said, has stated his position with admirable frankness: he will help the Liberals (if any Liberals are left in the House after the election) to turn the Government out, and he will help to turn the Liberals out if they do not obey his commands. Mr Massey has declared, on behalf of the Reformers, that he will not hold office if he is dependent upon the Extremists. What has Mr Wilford to eayP He has said that his now Party is meeting with encouragement every. where. Ho has left his friends to add that Mr Massey is the worst Prime Minister, and his Government the worst Government, that this or any other country (Russia was not specifically excluded) has ever had. But thia tells us little more than that Mr Wilford would dearly love—as who would notP—to be Prime Minister, and few who know Mr Wilford did not know that years ago. The question is, where does the Liberal Party stand? It is not eo pessimistic as to believe that it will utterly disappear next December, but it is not so optimistic as to expeot to win more than 15 or 20 seats at the most. Does it intend to combine in any way with the Labour Party, or does it not? These are questions upon which the public would bo glad to have some information.