The Press Friday, December 9, 1927. Political Groups.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19179, 9 December 1927, Page 8

The Press Friday, December 9, 1927. Political Groups.

The long duration of the session has carried interest in politics to a later date in the year than is usual, and this accounts for the fact that the Dominion is approaching the holiday season witfo political voices ringing in its ears. If the various political movements which are being mentioned come to anything, the electors will find the political situation very confused. There are the United New Zealand Political Party Organisation and the National Party (which Mr Forbes says will begin an energetic campaign next year). There is some talk of an independent party of business men, the N.Z. Alliance is threatening to enter the field and make Prohibition the main issue at the next General Election, the Country Party is presumably still keeping hopefully alive, and now the Wellington Manufacturers' Association is proposing that steps shall be taken to have a manufacturers' party in the House. If there is one feature common to all these organisations it is that they all believe that the political power of the group is a force that ought to be used. There is, of course, nothing to prevent any sectional organisation from making an irruption into politics—nothing, that is to say, except the voice of common sense, and it is unfortunately a fact that particularist organisations rarely heed that voice. What they would hear if they did listen to it is that every division of the moderate majority into sections plays into the hands of the powerful Socialist organisation, which remains solid in the presence of all other disunions and divisions. We have opposed the idea, which has tempted some farmers' organisations, that the farmers should form a political party of their own, on the ground that the function of Parliament is to legislate for the nation as a whole and that good government is impeded by the presence of sectional parties fighting only for sectional interests. For the same reason the idea that there should be a manufacturers' party in the House must be condemned. The reasons given for the decision of the Wellington Manufacturers' Association that such political action should be taken are rather surprising. It was urged, for example, that the Farmers' Union is the strongest body in the country and is "ruling New Zealand": "It is a "farmers' Government and everything "is being done for the farmer." This is really ludicrously wrong—so wrong that it has become necessary to appeal to Parliament and the Government to consider how seriously the trend of legislation has handicapped the primary producer. Indeed, one of the most striking features of the existing body of law is its neglect'to recognise that the well-being of the farmer is the foundation of the Dominion's economic j comfort. His position will be further ' weakened if the various sectional interests which are muttering about direct entry into politics can pass from words to action, because, as we have said, they will merely assist the Socialists,' who are above all things hostile to the primary producers' interests.