THE LIBERAL PARTY.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 March 1924, Page 4

THE LIBERAL PARTY.

MR AY ILFORD WELCOMED AT AUCKLAND. The Auckland provincial executive of the Liberal-Labour Party gave their leader. Mr T. M. Wilford, an enthusiastic welcome when he went north (after his holiday abroad) to discuss the organisation for the next campaign (says the “Star”). Mr John Trevethiek presided.

Discussing the future prospects of the party Mr Wilford said, in the course of an impressive address: “All Liberals should be of good heart. The speeches of Mr Holland’s Labour Party throughout the country consist only of abuse of the Liberal Party. If we were not a growing power, we should not have so much attention. Labour has ceased to attack Reform, and is concentrating on Reform’s strongest opponent, the party which stands for the moderate people of New Zealand. The Rcorm Party is bleeding to death,” added Mr Wilford. “Its supporters know it, and the members of the party know it. I lie autocracy of tlie Prime Minister is killing it rapidly. The Labour Party is preaching Karl Marxism with the soft nodal on. so as not to alarm the people unduly, but they will never gain the Treasury benches. The Liberal Party considers Karl Marxism as German propaganda. Referring to the possibility of an election this year, Mr Wilford said that anything was possible in the present state of the parties. He believed, however. that any fusion with the Reform Party under Mr Massey would throw supporters Of moderate 'Labour into Mr Hollands camp, “breeding extremists like white ants,” as Mr Milford put it. He hoped that the Labour Party would continue devoting its time to attacking the Liberals, and as lender ol the party lie was proud to see Mr Poland and his supporters spending their evenings in this attack on a party which Mr Holland had characterised as an unburied corpse. Discussing Mr Massey’s “mercurial” attitude towards finance, Mr Wilford said that the reason why the Premier was optimistic on his arrival from England. and pessimistic when ho got to Dunedin, was simply because the Prime Minister did not understand, and had never understood, the financial position of the country.

At the conclusion of fhe address, a motion of confidence in Mr M ilford as leader of the party, and confidence in the fact that the Liberals would soon be returned to office, proposed bv Milt. T. Michaels, seconded by Mr John Rea, was carried with great applause.