AUSTRALIAN NATIONALIST PARTY.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 June 1920, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NATIONALIST PARTY.

MANY..SPLITS IN THE RANKS

SYDNEY, May 18. There seems to be no doubt that the Australian Nationalist Party which, during tlie latter years of the war, was by far tlie most powerful force in Australian politics, is in coarse of disintegration. The latest development is reported from Queensland, where the,orare proceeding to form their own party. The s,party came into being late in 1910, a.s a result of the bitter quarrel within the Labour ranks tin-tlie conscription issue. All the roaliy big Labour men, without exception, led by W. M .Hughes, IV.A. Holman, and .J. C. Watson, left tlie official Labour Party iind joined with the Liberal Party to form the Nationalists, jl’fiore was a Federal organisation, and a separate organisation in each State; and although the conditiPns of the fusion differed in each State ,the net result was the same. The National Party was accepted by a great majority of the people, and it carried out a vigorous proBritish, •'■‘Win the War” polioy. In the

Federal and New South Wales spheres the Labour loaders. became the lenders of the Nationalists, and when the war ended a big effort was made to use tlie now most powerful National organisation as tile principal factor in solving the grave post-war problems. The Nationalists have not achieved that end. On the contrary, the party appears to be falling to pieces—a development seems most clearly in the formation of Farmers’ Parties. The most solid and virile Nationalist Party now in existence is that led by Mr Hughes in the Federal Parliament—and. it has a majority of only one or two over the Labour, Country,' and Independent members, and the Government is obviously treading a wary path. It is well-known that there is no love lost between Mr Hughes and tljp Farmers’ Party, but the Farmers dislike Labour only a little more than they dislike Mr Hughes, and they are not expected to seek tlie destruction of the Hughes Government except on a very vital spot. A split occurred .in South ’Australia ns soon as death removed a. strong personality in the person of the Nationalist leader, Mr Peake. The Liberals the pro-conscription Labourites broke apart, and there are practically three parties now in that Parliament—the Liberals, who rule, the Moderate Labourites, and the Official Labourites, and there is such bad feeling between the two Labour parties that the Moderates— for the time being at any ratearc keeping the Liberals in power.

Recent developments in New South Wales arc well known. As a result of country reprseentatives and other disaffected members breaking away from tlie Nationalist Party, a very strong Progressive Party, which is practically a Country Party was returned, and the Nationalist Party was so weakened that the Labour Party secured control of the Government, with a majority over any other combination of one. So small a majority seems to suggest a short reign, but the fact of the matter ip that the Progressives are quite friendly disposed towards the new Labour team, and so long as the latter displays the moderation that has so far characterised it, it is likely to secure a certain amount of support from the Progressives.

Tlie state of parties in West Australia is always somewhat chaotic and difficult to understand, but it is clear that there again a strong Country Party has been formed’at the expense of tlio Nationalist organisation. The farmers in Queensland have followed suit, and are seeking, with good prospects of success, to ‘form a party which shall have ah ex. istence separate from that of the liailfmoribund Nationalist Party of Queensland

Many causes have contributed to this disintegration of the Nationalist body, and they cahhdt bo summarised in a sentence. The principal one, probably is the economic confusion of the present time. U]> till the moment of victory, the ivar was the dominating subject, and the people followed the party with the vigorous war policy. After the war, the cost of living, and profiteering, engrossed people’s thoughts. Suspicion fell upon the National Party. It is believed ’that the Moderate Labour wing has been swallowed by the force which represent the ]>owerful vested interests, and the people ask tltemselves whether in the circumstances, they can expect genuine efforts to give them relief from the operations of the trusts and monopolies that are said to be at work in this country. Yet the people, suspecting the Nationalists, will not turn to Labour, because of the evil reputation which still clings to that party by reason of the recent disloyal and anti-war activities and associations. Under these conditions, the adveni of a. clean young party in the farmers’ organisation has been welcomed and given remarkable support. Yet it is difficult to believe that sufficient support will be forthcoming to allow the farmers anywhere to govern; it is equally hard, to forsee a future, reapproachment between Nationalists and Farmers. The position of the National Party gehera-dy grows steadily weaker. The future of the anti-Labour forces is at present extremely uncertain.