WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE REFORM PARTY

Declaratory and affirmative. SPECIAL TO GUAKDJAN. WELLINGTON, Jau. 12 At its caucus yesterday the Reform Party adopted a number of declaratory and affirmative resolutions which were very admirable in their way and entirely appropriate to the occasion. It may he doubted, however, if these resolutions are going to help Air .Massey and his colleagues materially in extricating

■ cmselvos from the party tangle in which they find themselves involved. The most disappointing of the caucus pronouncements. in the opinion ol many sympathisers with Reform who arc not'privileged to sit in Parliament, in i!,e iteration and reiteration of the delusion of the leaders of the Party that Liberalism is dead and done with anti that the electors’ choice in the fullin' will lie hot ween "a progressive, enlightened and constitutional democracy,” and - those who favour a policy oi communism and extreme socialism. ' "i his sort of •■stuff,” these friendly critic-, say. may encourage some fainthearted Liberals to seek reluge in the sheltering arms of Reform, and so save the Government for a time: but its result must he to loosen party ties all round and so make politics a game of individual bargaining. VOICE HE THE CONSTnTK.NCIES. The caucus seems to have obtained much comfort from the reflection that the Reform vote at the recent election showed a very substantial increase upon the figures of Ifllf). “They desire,” one of the resolutions adopted by the assembled members ran. “to express appreciation of the tact that at the 1U22 elections the electors supported Reionn candidates with nearly 73.000 votes more than at the previous elections in 1910, while the increased vote for Liberal candidates was 10,9!;!) ami for Labour 11.723,” It long lias been accepted as a truism that figures can he made to prove anything, lint the value of figures and nf the truths they appear to establish are still matters for analysis, it is a Fuel that tlie Reionn vote at the reel.lit election increased to a much larger extent than did any of iiie nilier. votes, hut this was due no mole to till- advantages enjoyed by the parly in power, than to the fact thill the Government pal up a candidate for practically every scut, while the other inn parties were unrepresented in main constituencies. This, however, i. a matter that may lie reserved fm mere leisurely discussion. • pproini VIEW,

Ihr Duminioi; 4 ’ in discussing this Huh nine | | K . proceedings at the caucus hails with -nlisiartiiin the step ‘•towards political si ability." “The reso-

lutions passed hy the Reform Party ai Us meeting yesterday." il say-, ■‘sh mid help to clear the political atmosphere. They indicate a erc'iluMe readiness to subordinate party l > national interests. L a similar spirit i- manifested i>v t’-e Liberal Party and io her elements ia the House opposed t" extreme Labour, no great difficulty shi'itlil he experienced in arriving at sue'! a selurion of existing difficulties as will ensure the coiitinunm-o of a stable Government. .. . The trunk overture of the Reform Parly opens the way to a thoroughly satisfactory political adjustment. On the merits ol the case, its deciariit ion that it w ill welcome any equitable arrangement with other representatives of moderate opinion should attract a ready response from tiie Liberal Party.” So far as can lie judged there is no reason at till in doubt the sincerity ol Air .Massey’s overt tires. The first move. however, -till rests with the Prime Minister, and it is to his sagacitv and the eon-

tinned vigilance of the Liberal Party tho country must look for a satisfactory solution of the problem. THE LIBERALS’ PART. Mr T. Willord. the leader of the Liberal Opposition, returned to town only flii> afternoon and he has not yet made himself sufficiently acquainted with the facts as they have developed during the last, few days to express any definite opinion on the outlook. He is quite confident, however, that another election would add materially to the numerical strength of the Liberal I’arty. and as a last resort lie would enter upon a second campaign with a light heart. But, in any ease, lie could not speculate as to the meaning of the Reformers’ soft words till they were reduced to plain language. Then lie would consult his party, as was his practice on all such occasions, and see that there was no delay in coming to a conclusion. Meanwhile he claimed that he and his friends were just as ready as Mr Massey and his friends were to subordinate party interests to the welfare of tho country. But the. Liberals were not going to negotiate on the basis of their own extinction or with any idea of obtaining a stable Government by the renunciation <d their ideals. A satisfactory arrangement would he facilitated by abandoning all delusions of that kind.