WELLINGTON NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 26 November 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES

THE XEW PARTY STORY. FIX A ELY EX TING FISH ED. [Special To The Guardian.] WELLINGTON, Xov. 123. Though no one lias been taking the new party story very seriously, its final extinction hy Mr W. I). Hunt's disclaimer oi' any connection with the movement evidently has relieved the Government and its friends of some of their anxieties concerning the immediate future. The "Dominion" cordially agrees with Mr Hunt that there already is one party too many in the House. “The differences between the Reform and the Liberal Parties," it reiterates, “are in the main persona] difference-. They have so much ill common that hut for the personal feeling which lias been generated in cerium quarter- there would he little dilfi-

culty in their coming together and forming a powerful parly, thus ending the existing unsatisfactory state of affair-. .Mr Hunt is a non-party man so far as politics are concerned, and

his frank expression of opinion on the subject should carry the more weight on that account." This is an old tale, and, to a certain extent it is wellfounded enough, hut not even the “Dominion’' itself has indicated how the gulf between the Reformers and the Liberals could he spanned without doing violence to the political conscience of either side. Yet this surely would ho n iiecossni'y preliminary to any negotiations between the contending forces. THE REAL POSITION. During the short session of Parliament in February, when the fate of the Government anpeared for a time to he trembling in the balance, Mr Massey ciite frankly invited the Liberal members of tin- House to come over and help him. Considering all the eircum■.raneex. that was a long way for Hie Prime Minister to go. His personal rchnion- with Ihe leader of the Liberal ()|ipo-it ion never had been cordial and i hey had been further aggravated by a st re I! m ill -1 v contested elect ion. The next move lay with Mr Wilfonl. hut, so far as the public knows, it was not ' Ton. It was reported at the time, however, that tlm matter had been eoni 'cri d hy a Liberal caucus and that it had been decided to ask Mr .Massey to reduce his casual invitation to a concrete proposition. The Prime Minister did not accede to the request, probably heeao-e the compact between himself and certain Liberal members of the House made it inmeees-ary jtt-l then for him to seek' further assistance from the Opposition. But the second session of the new Parliament showed that the position of the Government was etremelv uncomfortable ami not particularly secure. Even with the recruit- drawn from the Liberal camp it -till belli office only through the dissensions hot ween the two group- constituting the Opno.sition. SOME SUGGESTION*.

It was after this second session that the possibility of a fusion between the two old parties was seriously discussed hy some of the Smith Islaiiil Libera! it-f’tit he i>. T’ 'ey frmd-.lv admitted their dissatisfaction with Ire existing state of affairs and their readiness to listen in proposal- from the other side. But they would not admit that there wcie no ditforenee.- of policy between the Reformer- ami the Liberal.- and rin-v would It'll ■- It h-.ei ihe to tie' I'ontellt Itlll that fusion, regardle-s of terms, would he justified by |he suppression and ultimate extinction of the Labour Party. It was suggested, with approval, that a ricomiliaUim between (lie Iwo parties would he facilitated by the retirement of Mr Massey and the appointment of one of his colleague,- in hi- stead. Mr Downie Stewart'- name was mentioned in this connection, as it had been in the lobbies during the -e--ion. and it, -till i- hi'itig mentioned. But tin- iall aspect of the position to he considered bv the Prime Minister himself and no one will wish to di-cuss it during ids absence fin mi the Dominion. It iscarcely nece-sary in say that Mr Massey's colleagues strongly deprecate any suggestion involving hi- abdication. BUSINESS MEN IX PARLIAMENT.' Meanwhile people who know the man and realise the gravity of the political situation in-day will regret Mr .Hunt's disinclination to ''meddle with politic-,'' as lie would pul it him.-elf. No other business man in sight at the present time is quite a- well equipped as lie is to supply the House of Bepresetitatives with the kind of information emieeriiiiig finance and busier-. affairs generally il so sorely need-. On whichever side of the House he sat--am[ he probably would find some difficulty in adjusting himself to the platforms of any of the exi-ting parties —he speedily would become a highly useful member. The good folk who are rejoicing over his reminciation of the new party, however, might not find him quite -n

complaisant a- thev liave imagined him to he. It is obvious from what he had to say to an interviewer the otter day tliat lie does not think the admini-tia lion of the Government In lie either so consistent or so efficient as it ought to he and that he does not reward the evolution of a sane, loyal and capable Labour Party as a peril to the community. He has, in fact, in a marked decree, the qualities of clear thinking and logical reasonin': which business men should he supplying in much larger measure than they are doing to the Logi-latiiro of the 'Dominion.