The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JULY 16th, 1925. FUSION FAILURE.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JULY 16th, 1925. FUSION FAILURE.

The negotiations regarding iusion have fallen through. It was made clear in the House that the effort had broken •down. The apparent cause of the failure seems to he uholy attributable to the Reform Pary winch had an opportunity to set up a national party and failed to seize it. We are disappointed that Mr Coates, as leader of the Party, did not assert himself more, and apart from any party considerations. endeavour to do the liest t. r the country as a whole. Mr Wilford when he opened the negotiations in his first public statement, made it clear why the Liberals desired the fusion--for tho good of the country. Further. he made it clear he did not desire office, ami his latest statement in the Hons.? indicated that his party was prepared to cut under Mr Coates, and leave it to the present Prime Minister to reconstitute the Ministry. The opportunity appears to have been a golden one for Mr Coates to have acted upon.

Unfortunately the Prime .Minister's statement on the subject is not adequate enough to pass linal .judgment, lint lit- a| pears to have laid stress or tie- point that he had no mandate to act decisively in the matter. It is apparent that being an entirely new development of Ihe politiia! situation, lie could not have any mandate from the elc. tors, but if lie were anxious for the mandate, and he eared to take his courage in both hands, he could have had it. He could have cut the whole gordmn knot of political entanglements by declaring tor a National (iovernment as a first consideration in the matter of administrative policy, and then go straight to the country on the proposal. He need not have feared for the result. Judging by the tom; of the press throughout the country, tin* time is ripe for a lusion ot favorable parties on national lines. \\ e notice, too, that Mr Sykes remarked in tho House on Tuesday night that lie regretted the negotiations had failed. for lie added the opinion that the people favored it. In tho debate the week before, the Hon. Anderson and Mr Young, prominent members of Reform. also supported fusion in no uncertain manner. Again we have the very frank statement of dir Wilford on the subject, which brings home the feeling that Mr Coates lms missed a remarkable chance for n political act which would have established safe and stable government on secure lines lor some time to come. This necessary stroke would have brought such good fortune to the soundness of the Dominion. and tin- general good tavor in which it would stand, that the greatest credit would be reflected on the leader big enough and earnest enough to take the initial step to secure sft great a reward for his country. At Idle we regret that Reform lias failed to realise its part in the possibilities of the unique opportunity which opened before it. we can well understand that the members of the party were not unanimous in blocking or barring tbe way to fusion. Many of the Reform members do desire the fusion for the same good reason as the Liberals, but have been outvoted. As to tbe sitution 11s a whole, the Liberal party emerges with credit and renown. It lias been shown that the Lilieral party opened the negotiations prompted by the best intentions for the country's well-! cing. Me can leel assured. too, that the country will reecho the plainly expressed regret of Mr Milford at the fusion failure, who speaking in the House on lubsdat ninht. summed up the position with a •statement which left no doubt as to the bona tides of the Liberal party at ovorv static of the negotiations:

“| can only say/’ said Mr Milford in conclusion, “that no one regrets more than l do that it has not been possible to create a National Party. Every member of onr Party believes it should 1)0 done, but no member of our Party is going to form a new Party unless that Party is really formed, and unless it. is one new Party. Tt has got to be formed as a new. national, reconstructed Party, and. with a policy that can be agreed upon, an which is a progressive one. Every member of my Party, lias said, in conference, and I have agreed to it, that wo were willing, if it were possible to bring it about, to agree to the Prime Minister’s Constitution of the Ministry of the new Party, and to have placed in his hands the power of re-appointing every man he has got. without any one of our members receiving a place, but we are not prepared to join that Party without reconstruction : without a new Party and a new Government being formed, and going to tbe country with new policy. lam sorry it has failed. I have honestly done my best.”

The Westland County Council, it was disclosed at this week’s meeting, lately applied for permission to use some gum trees on Crown Lands in the Stafford district for bridge building purposes, but the request to remove the trees was refused by the authorities on the ground that the felling of the trees would harm some growing trees in the neighbourhood. As hardwood timber is difficult and costly to obtain, it is surprising, such a request should he refused, more particularly as it came from a local body which desired to use the material for a public purpose and not for private profit. In any case, it would he a useful experiment to demonstrate whether tindier of tlie nature referred to could be grown and used for the .purpose proposed to the advantage of the ratepayers. The Council is to go further into tlie matter with the authorities, and probably sane arrangement will he come to whereby a praetical experiment in regard to the matter will he possible. There are possibilities arising out of the proposal which give rise for thought, for if the class of timber mentioned can he so used, the question arises whether the planting of the right kind of eucalypti should not he taken up with the object of providing material for future bridge building forty or fifty years hence. Local bodies have reserves of various kinds where small plantations could he tried and under the eye of resident roadmen could be tended cheaply to keep down dangerous undergrowth, 'lhe matter is well worth looking into in the direction of securing the right class oi tree and planting in suitable places coiiveieiu to roads. In Canterbury there arc many well matured plantations of eucalypti, and the result must be profitable to the growers. As hardwoods :ire growing more ami more scarce thu wisdom of providing local siinplics is apparent, and tlie matter might well he considered very seriousIv by those who are called on to deal with the most durable timbers for bridge building purposes.

Antonis the foregoing, a North island newspaper remarks that the desirability of settlers growing suitable eucalypti to provide potter poles in the future was emphasised by the chairman of To Awnmutu Lower Board. .Mr ,1. T. Johnson, at the last animal meeting. There were, lie said, many suitable plots on almost every farm where young plantations could he established without Itcaiy espouse, farmers generally did not look lar enough ahead or they would quickly have realised that it lucrative return would lie obtainable in a few years at low initial expense. Not only so. but the landowners would lie performing a national service by planting such trees. Commenting on the same subject tlie chairman of the Thames Valiev hoard. Mr b. 11. Claxton. said the gradual depletion of the Australian forests, with a consequent increase in (ole costs, had made it advisable that luture needs s|iiii:li! be anticipated. Willi this 111 view several inspections of suitable land- bad been made and possible costs seriously considered and elieeked by expert advisors. 'I be question of setting aside a portion of the animal revenue as a renewal fund, and as an investment making it nadiU available, and at tlie same time returning interest, bad given him serious gilt, lie hoped to submit a scheme at an e.ulv date.