LIBERAL PARTY

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1920, Page 3

LIBERAL PARTY

THE MEDIUM COURSE. INTERVIEW WITH MR McCALBUM M.P.

During the course of an interview with an Auckland “Star” reporter, Mr R. McCaltum M.P., for Wairau, said the Liberal Party looked most philosophically upon the present position, and referred to the concluding words of the Liberal manifesto issued on behalf of tile party by its Leader in August last. He had never swerved from his opinion formed at) the time of the formation of | the National Government, that Sir: J. Ward personally should never have I joined the Government, but should , have retained his own independence ■ and that of tlie rank and file of his party hv remaining outside the Cabi- j net, and assisting it in exactly the I same way as the Liberal party had j done during the recent short session. I After four years of the “marriage of j convenience,” which, as all the world now knows, was not- the outcome of affection, it was quite impossible to disassociate the two leading parties’ aims and objects, and the result was a decided success for the dominating party m the Coalition at the expense of the Liberal party, whilst affording the extreme Labour party an advantage they could not well help availing themselves of.

- “Three years” said Mr McCalluni “may see a wonderful change and that change will not operate in favoiu cf extreme Labour or any other section that thinks it can fool all the people all the time.” He felt certain the majority of the

Liberal opposition were just as anxious as the Reform party to bury party bitterness, recriminations and strife, and work together for the good of the country. Any continuation of the policy by which tlie rich were becoming richer and the poor poorer would be stoutly and persistently opposed and held up to ridicule and the great bulk of the people who wanted a fair deal and public affairs dealt with from a “judicial” rather than a “class” standpoint would soon realise that for this they must look to the Liberals and the carrying out of a Liberal policy rather than to any body of extremists, no mater whether they represented propertied rights or Labour. As far as lie was concerned, personally he thought the people of New Zealand were governed as well as they deserved to be. That profiteering monopoly and exploitation was rife there could he no question, and the task ol nnv Government honestly attempting to deal with these and many other difficulties would he heavy indeed. Tt was needless for him to say he had no faith in any Government—reconstructed or otherwise—that Mr Massey might control. The very most the people might expect during the next three years would accrue from the solid and united efforts of the Liberal Opposition to force the Government with its solid majority to act fairly and squarely, and do the right thing by the masses of the people of the country, who are thrifty and deserving, and only ask for a fair opportunity to make good in the race of life.