WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 November 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

TilF XKW POLITICAL PARTY. AGITATED POLITICIANS. [Special To The Gcaudian.] WELLINGTON. Nov. (i. The new political party, ii it exists at all. may congratulate itself upon the wide publicity it is obtaining from the agitation of interested people all over the country. The Reform newspapers appear as much concerned hy the stories that arc afoot as arc the Reform politicians and the "Christchurch Press.” tit least the most consistent of the old Conservative brigade, makes a pathetic appeal for the maintenance of the existing order. "For a good man\ years,” it says, “the strategists of the Liberal Party have appeared lo believe that the public is wanting in intelligence and has a very had memory, and this erroneous belief appears again in their manner of welcoming what they believe is a rescue party. It is only a little while since the Christchurch organ of the Liberals was appealing to Mi Holland and the Reds to join forces With the Liberals, and njpresenting that i In* Reds and the Liberals were natural allies. Now it is asking the business community to believe that the Liberal I’artt is its real friend. It lias maintained that the Liberal policy and the Reds’ policy are 90 per cent in agreement, and that the objectives of the two parties are identical.” This is a rather flagrant example of Reform strategy, which is intended, of eourso, to create the impression that the "Reds” are the only alternative to the present Government. • THE SOFT PEDAL. Turning from this contention in the hope of conciliating the “saner” opponents of Reform the "Press” concedes something to the good sense of

the Liberals. “We have never believed,” it declares, “that the majority of those who have hitherto supported tho Liberal candidates at the elections have been as completely without dignity or conscience as the Liberal . diehards in Parliament or in the Press. Thcv have had convictions. I hey have not alternately declared lor the Reds and for the anli-Rcds, as some of the Liberal newspapers have dune. They have seen their guides lighting for the Red Fed’s policy, and. in the intervals, pretending a regard for unfettered private enterprise, anti although they have been a little shocked at the spectacle, they have consoled themselves with the reflection that in politics one should not too closely scrutinise the means through which it desirable end is sought. Hut they have also seen that this conscienceless opportunism, this readiness to take no any attitude which might tor the moment help the enemies of the Government, has left the Liberal Party further I rum oflice year by year.” All this i- tactful and logical enough, but it scarcely represents the position as ii is seen from the oilier side. WHAT THE COUNTRY WANTS. Finally the "Press” which is entitled to attention because it. expresses the opinion one set of extremists entertains if the other set of extremists tells its readers what ought to be done in the cimimstanecs. “What the country requires,” it advises, “is that tho lu.mest members of the Liberal Party should, decide that the hate-ridden diehards, who will combine with anybody or anything against the Government, cannot any longer he allowed to play the game d' the Reds as they have been doing. If the movement for the formation of a business men’s party leads to an amalgamation of the moderate forces, under the Reform banner, no interest will suffer. The only people injured will ho the small group of Liberals whase polities consist of personal bitterness j

against the men who destroyed a regime which, having lasted for over 20 years, these individuals had come to regard as having almost a legal claim to go on enjoying the sweets of power as it knew so well how to do.” The mistake the Christchurch journal makes is in assuming that the Liberals are the instigators of the new movement and that the movement itself i- directed solely against the Reformers. POLICY HE FORE PARTY.

The truth of the matter is that the gentlemen in Wellington who have been discussing the political situation tire not concerning themselves nearly so much about parties as they are about polities. Speaking generally, it would he safe to say they are lietler disposed towards Reform than they are towards Liberalism, as it is known at the present time. They do not wish Mr .Massey, or, for the matter of that, Mr Wilford or Mr Holland, any harm; hut they want to see the affairs of the country administered with a closer regal'd to the interests of all sections of the community. Their grievance against Mr Massey, if they have one, is that lie lias arrogated to himself not only the prerogatives of the Cabinet, hut also the prerogatives of Parliament, and revived the evils of “One-Man Government” in a still more pernicious form than it assumed during the later days of the Seddoti regime. Some of" the Reform newspapers have been complaining on this score in a much more pointed fashion than have the promoters if the “new party,” and probably if 'he “Press” could get rid of its delii--inns that there is a brewing conspiracy against Mr Massey it might give ma'erial assistance in helping on real reform.