WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 June 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

TH K II'LSII I 'LSI OX CONFERENCE. NO GREAT EXPECTATIONS. (Special to “Guardi?,ri”.) WELLINGTON, June 18. I he fusion conlorouce is sitting to-day —four representatives of the Reformers mid lour representatives of the Liberals seeking to (ind a basis on which the two parties may he moulded into one-anil the public is awaiting the conclusion rather with curiosity than with concern. The general opinion is growing among people acquainted with idl tin,• "difficulties of the situation that nothing verv practical will come out of the deliberations of the lonlorcnee. ■|'h'.' newspapers continue to make much of the need lor a coalition Iretweon the two older parties as a bulwark a'-aiiist " the menace of Socialism and (Viumuni'in bur history is against them and their specific. and no one is serieuxl v alarmed hy the bogeys they mv raising. Thirty-three or thirty-four years ago the spectre of the “ devon Devil-, of Socialism,” in the shape of John Us)Haule in the long-lived Liberal Ministry, was being paraded up and down the country by timid politicians, since then it has been the boast of former opponents of John Uallniice and Richard Sedilon, that they have “indonc the great Liberal leaders in progressive legislation and democratic administration. Mr Massey, to Ins aludjcredit, was among the loremost and frankest in acknowledging the country’s indebtedness to these two .-[•cat men. WHY ITBE The people who see no need Go tu-'oii, however, do not go so lar bmk as the early nineties of last session to .pp.ve. as they put it. that there is no need for two great political parties that have served the country well m the past, to form a panie alliance at. the mere whisper of socialism and communism. They point out that between the general election of RIRb and 1P22 the Labour Party, judged hv the number of votes it pcdled. made no progress whatever in this country. It is true ihat in the thirty-one urban constituencies. which already have been mentioned in these columns, it ro.-evmil -tO per cent of the total votes recorded, hut in the forty-live rural constituencies it. received only 8 per cent., leaving its proportion for the whole Dominion at 23 per cent. Nor must it he lorgolten. they claim, that a very considerable number of votes cast for Labour in II; 111 and li>22 were Reform and Liberal votes, each of the older parties, when ii had no candidate of its own in the licit!, having been ready enough to give its support to Labour. they estimate the net Labour Vote at less than 20 per coni. Then, they ask again, whv i'M'l TWO PARTIES. There arc many people, however, who still hold that fusion in addition to restraining the socialistic and communistic elements within the .Dominion, would repair any of the detects in the present political system. I hey v. ouhl have government by compromise, not bv force, and they would have all the time it ml money now wasted upon party strife employed towards better ends. A. business man discussing in all seriousness tin's aspect ol the question today gave it as his opinion that the* government of the country would he much cheaper and much more efficient than it is to-day if a committee ol seven member - of the Mouse oi Peoreseu tat it "s were elected at the beginning of eueh session of Parliament te manage the affairs of the country as they would he managed bv the direc-

tors of a large mercantile or financial institution. The suggestion is lq- no ue',ms a new one, am! its hearing on the question of fusion is not very oilmens ; hut this authority is an ardent fulvmuto of a loalition between the Reformer- and the Liberals, ami declares .war at the approaching general election Upon every candidate woo does nil faiottr a return to i.h-- two-party system. NO 11 FT! RY. ii is curious that on this very day of the meeting of the fusion conference there appeals to he among the local newspapers a lack of enthusiasm for the mo; ciiK'iit. The “New Zealand limes whi h since the idea was first revived has been urging the two older parties to lake the line of safety, considerably modified its haste and urgency this morning. “Frankly.” it says, “we are not sanguine of much good, it any. resulting from the conference. However earnest the Liberal Party may be, the oilier side is not exactly exuberant about the matter. A discussion of policy principles will do no harm; may, indeed, he productive of the Loginning of a Reform-Liberal understanding, luit those who think that a new platform will he builded in the conference room arc not soiged oi the correct perspective. Finally, it must not he forgotten that the conference cannot pledge the parties to this or that. The utmost it can do is to make reeoinmendalions to the respective caucuses. That done, it. surely must rest with the electors to approve or disapprove in the usual way., For that reason immediate fusion is, as we have urged, not necessary at this stage." Apparently the idealists tire coming down to earth.