FUSION.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18420, 29 June 1925, Page 8

FUSION.

DELEGATES MEET AGAIN. {special to "the press.") WELLINGTON, June 27. Following the caucus meetings of tho Reform and Liberal Parties on Friday evening, another meeting of the delegates who had previously discussed tho fusion question, was arranged and took place last evening. Mr J. A. Young subsequently jr.ado the following report, for publication in the Press: — "Tho conference met at S p.m., all tho members being present. Tho delegates cnt.Tcd into u thoroughly earnest and friendly consideration of tho several points of view. Tho conference roso at 0.30 p.m. Kach delegation will report to its respective principals. "■ This bald statement conveys absolutely nothing to tho public, about the trend tho discussions are tailing, but apparently when so many meetings are necessary, tho path of progress is not a very easy one. Possibly the conditions which the Liberals have laid down aro regarded as impossible by the Heform Party, or vice versa. Ono feature is interesting, vi/., the obvious eagerness of the leading Liberals to get an arrangement fixed up at tho earliest possible moment, an eagerness indicating either that the Liberals rcaliso they aro in bad case in tho country, or that they wish to be in a position'at an early date to criticise tho Government, and, perhaps, to jnovo a no-confideneo amendment. In the meantime, members are keeping their own counsel and nothing has leaked out from cither the caucus or tho delegates' meetings. It will now be for the leaders of each Party to say whether it is necessary to hold furthor caucus meetings to consider whatever reports may be submitted from tho delegates. In reference to last night's meeting, there can, of courso, be no question of coalition, and it bocomes more and more evident that the question of fusion cannot bo definitely decided until a General Election has taken place. . Dr. W. A. Chappie, a former member of tho Now Zealand Parliament, arid of tho House of Commons, points out in regard to the present situation that there is onlv one authority qualific-d in right and in power to do the sifting, and that is tho electorate itself. No man and no caucus and no Party boss, ho says, should bo permitted to* usurp tho right of a constituency to make its own selection through tho medium of the ballot box of tho man who is to represent the majority in Parliament, but if a. Reform candidate and a Liberal candidate and a Labour candidate come up to the tape, it may well bo that in many constituencies a Labour candidate mav win, because of the splitting of votes" between the Reform and tho Liberal candidates. Ho suggests preferential voting as a way out, but many members of tho Now Zealand Parliament see dangers in that method of voting and would never agree to it.