LIBERALS ON TOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 2 June 1921, Page 4

LIBERALS ON TOUR

MISSION IN THE NORTH

LIBERALISM AND MODERATE LABOUR.

REFORM FINANCE FREELY CONDEMNED.

Mr G. Witty, M :P. for Riccarton, and Mr It. M’Callum, M.P., for Wairau, two prominent Liberals, on reaching Wellington from a trip to the Auckland district were interviewed by the “New Zealand Times.” They said they , were highly gratified at the outcome of their tour,_ and at the strength of Liberal sentiment wherever they went. They visited several centres of population, and more particularly Auckland, and had important meetings with enthusiastic and influential friends of the party. The general feeling, as they interpreted it, was that the chief consideration at the present moment was to restore as far as was consistent with the traditional ideal of Liberalism the old and loyal spirit of unity, which in the two decades following the memorable year of 1890 carried the party to the goal of great democratic achievement, and more especially to secure a better working understanding with the moderate section of Labour as opposed to the revolutionary tendencies of the present extremist leaders. LABOUR AND LIBERALISM.

The point was stressed in several of the conversations that when Labour was associated with Liberalism it obtained a substantial recognition of its rights in tlie face of hitter Conservative opposition, as was demonstrated by the scores of Acts on the Statute Rook, hut from the day that it set out as a separate party under extremist leaders it had achieved nothing whatever beyond the sacrifice of some of the rights and advantages won for it by Liberalism. Under the present system of Labour representation, the moderate Labour with whom the situation was discussed confessed their own impotence and while contrasting the present; reaction towards Conservatism with tlie old system of progressive democratic achievement, frankly admitted t..at Labour under its present direction was more and more securely entrenching Massey ism in office and power. ‘‘So long as Labour is content to follow the Hollands and Frasers,” declared one former prominent Labour leader, ‘‘so long will the Conservative party remain in office. In Mr Seddon’s time, with all Iris prestige, power and influence, united Liberalism and Labour had hard fights in nearly every electorate, and though they had a good working majority, they carried most of the contests by only a lew votes. With Liberalism and sane Labour divided, and the democratic cause prejudiced by the disloyal! v of extremists, how can the people’s cause prevail against the might and influence of capital and vested interests?” AMATEUR FINANCE.

Wherever Messrs Witty and M’Callum went they hoard expressions of regret and dissatisfaction that in the present financial crisis New Zealand was deprived of the help of Sir Joseph Ward’s matured experience, talent and knowledge of our finances. This feeling was not by any means confined to the Liberal side in politics. On the contrary, the strongest and most condemnatory expressions of opinion came from meu who had assisted the Massey Party into office, who had come to recognise that its finance was crudely amateur, and who believed that the greatest need of the country in the

present emergency was for a strong and skilful load in finance such as Sir Joseph Ward would have given. They listened again and again to hitter disapproval from the lips of Reformers of continued compulsory loans after war necessities were supplied, renewed extension of the mortgage moratorium, the impounding of moneys advanced to trailing concerns to call or for short periods, the inflation of the currency to holster up the price of wool, the imposition of an income tax that is gradually throttling tin' life out of industry, and tho maintenance of food subsidies as a sop to certain electorates, while at the same time there was no honest attempt to economise in the enormous wasteful public expenditure. Whether Messrs Witty and .M’Callum agreed with the criticism or not, there it was, and it came from men who had classed themselves as prominent Reformers. There was, at tlie same time, a frank and candid admission that Sir Joseph Ward was right when he pleaded with the Government at his last session in Parliament to invest the fifteen and a half millions of surpluses that he had accumulated in gilt-edgeil securities in London, in order to maintain the balance of credit in our favour during the approaching stringency, and to enable us to borrow in the London market for our necessities instead of exhausting the floating capital of this country. Sir Joseph Ward was not listened to, tlie fifteen and a half millions were squandered, and wo know the result. Tn Reform circles in the North, the mistake is fully realised. THE FUTURE OF LIBERALISM.

The general feeling of the Liberals with whom the situation was discussed, as has been stated, was that the party should’ work strenuously towards tho attainment of greater unity. It was recognised that the guiding objective should ho for tho advancement of principles rather than for the achievement of personal ambition or considerations. The appronohing return of Sir Joseph Ward was discussed, but pending the disclosure of his intentions, it was thought better to leave questions of future leadership and organisation wholly in abeyance. Messrs Witty and M’Callum returned to Wellington firmly convinced that Liberal sentiment in the North was never stronger than i* is to-day, that the party and its prospects have been strengthened by the experience of “Reform” administration or maladministration through which the country is passing, and that when Sir Joseph Ward returns to New Zealand there will lie a strong desire on the part of the people that he .sho’i! ,! offer his services once more to the country. Whether he will decide to do so, however, is very problematical.