The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9th, 1921 A DIVIDED HOUSE.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 December 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9th, 1921 A DIVIDED HOUSE.

.Mr Horn’s renunciation "of Mr Wilford’s leadership of the Libera! Party is not likely to occasion any great stir in the political world. Whether the Member for Wakatipu votes as an official Liberal or as an independent Liberal, is not of much consequence in these days, when party discipline oil the op--1 position side of the House at any rate, is mainly a matter of personal predilection. But the. incident very well might remind the progressive forces in the country of the necessity of repairing the divisions ill their ranks at the ! earliest possible, moment. Twelve months hence we shall he on the eve of a general election, and if nothing has been done in this direction before that time, a minority government almost certainly will be returned to office and power. With the Liberal, Labour and Independent parties fighting I between themselves, it will h'c the

msiest tiling in the world for. the Informers to repeat their achievement of last general election and of the election before. Happily, there have been some indication during the piesent session of a better understanding between the Liberal and Labour parties. They have not been constantly at one another’s throat and they mole than once have co-operated in a common cause. Hut what, is wanted to draw them into an effective union, is a progressive policy of half a <lnv.en plans to which they both could subscribe. The great obstacle in the way of such an arrangement is the difference between the parties on minor questions. On all the great principles of democratic government, they are practically agreed. They both want electoral reform; they both wiint a read] o' meld <>t' tho imvdamc ot taxHtions; they both want equality of sacrifice and of opportunity; they 'both want tbe extension of efleetive settlement and they both want a controlled anti efficient, civil service. Hut because they have little differences of opinion on highly controversial subjects such as the six hour day. State enterprises and universal pem-ions. they keep apart much, to tho profit and entertainment of their opponents. All the divided sections of the opposition are calling out against minority rule and implying that Mr Massey has rigged the /'hietoral laws’ for the benefit of himself and his friends but as a matter of plain fact, it is the opposition itself that is to blame for what is happening. It is true the Prime Minister has revised his views in regard to electoral systems since lie sat on the Opposition side of the House, hut there is no need to assume that his conversion from proportional representation is not sincere. Mr Ballanee, Mr Seddon and Sir Joseph Ward were not ashamed to confess to similar changes of opinion on other questions, and no one thought of charging them seriously with duplicity. No doubt they argued, as Mr Massey does, that hide bound consistency is not conducive to progress. In any ease, it is obviously necessary foi the progressive forces in the House and the country to heal their legitimate ]ki litieal aspirations