WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

FUSION NEGOTIATIONS

WHERE THEY FAILED

(Special to “Guardi.'Ji”.) WELLINGTON, August 10. In the House of Representatives on Thursday, during the concluding hours of the Budget debate, a good deal of light was thrown upon the fusion negotiations and upon the differences (/I point of view which culminated in their failure. Unfortunately Mr Wiliord was not in the House, owing to Ills continued indisposition, and in his absence the Prime Minister naturally f t .|t some, diffidence in referring to the conversations that had taken place I.etween himself and the leader of the Opposition. He was able to say enough hoilever, to indicate fairly clearly that he was well disposed towards fusion between the Reform and Liberal parties, provided he was not required to re (instruct the Cabinet till alter the general election. Ihe door was wide open to the Liberals. he said in effect, and V generous welcome was awaiting them; hut while he was merely the executor of a mandate given to Mr Massey he did not feel justified in making any radical t.han.ge in the dispositions of his great predecessor until he had a mandate himself from the electors. There was nothing in this 1111m umement inconsistent with his previous attitude, though he plainly had failed to let the Liberals understand

that neither the name nor the policy of the Reform party could he changed till Mr Massey's mandate was exhausted. THE LIBERAL VIEW. Mr A. .). Murdoch, the member for Mnrsclen, one of the Liberal delegates in the preliminary discussions of fusion, following Mr Coates in the debate, said the question of reconstruction came up several times during the discussion and lie was sure the Reform delegates v.-ould hear him out in saying the Liberals were prepared to leave the matter of reconstruction entirely in the hands of the Prime Minister, “f need not emphasise that.” Mr Murdoch continued, “because I was one ol those who said if there was to he a new party, so far as I was concerned, it could only be a completely ne.v party; there could he no conjunction of the present Liberal Party with the present Reform Party, because that would ho a breach of the pledge that 1 had given to the people of my electorate at the last campaign. T think the Reform delegates will hear me out when I say that it was stated during one of the meetings that if a new party were formed it would he quite open to the Prime Minister to select oven the whole of the present Cabinet.” Mr Murdoch’s statement is confirmed by the Reform delegates and. according to the member for Marsden himself, represents the position maintained hv the Liberals throughout the negotiations. THE NEC’ESSA BIDS OF LIFE. During the concluding stages of the Budget debate one of the budding Ministers of Finance, who are waiting for Mr Nosworthv’s cloak to lull about their shoulders, provided a striking example of the profound ignorance besetting many of the members of the House concerning the fiscal affairs of the Dominion. This zealous guardian of the interests of his constituents while deploring the need for high ta"-

rtion in other directions due to the heavy liabilities incurred during the war, found consolation in the “lad that the necessaries of life in this country were free from duty. 'lbis gentleman has been in the House for twelve or fourteen years and yet he has (ailed to untie* that every one of the articles popularly regarded as the "necessaries of life” are taxed, some of them heavily, through the Customs. The wheat and flour, from which bread is made, are taxed at £2 IBs and £3 per ton respectively; tea at from 3d to 7,1 p ( ,]- |’ i; sugar 2d per lb; on tun ■ 1 »d per lb; cocoa from 3d to bd per lb: !.;:e ui from 2:1 to -Id per lb; vegetables from 30 to 3b per cent, ad.val. ; fruit {cl. per lh. and so on and so on. These duties, of course, are not paid on the ha ally produced articles, but they are added to the prices at which the local articles arc sold. TWO MEMORIES.

Speaking in the Mouse on Friday flight tin* Plimi- 'Minister said fio thought Mr Willard was mistaken in Ids recollection of the number of times they had met during the progress of the fusion negotiations. Mr Coates's recolle'lion was that they had discussed the position on •June •>, June 0, July lit (twit e). July 12, July 13 and July 11. These days. Mr Wi 1 ford says in a letter addressed to the “Dominion” this morning, are quite correct; hut he points out that between June !) and July It) there was ail interval of a month, and that during the interval Mr Coates had written to him. aft * a the conclusion of the meetings cl' the delegates, that is, stating that fusion was impracticable. Mr Wilford's Ciiint is that he did not meet Mr Coates at any time between the beginning of tlm delegates’ conference and the I rime Minister's announcement the fusion was impracticable. On their face the two statements do not appear to have any great hearing upon the- main issue, hut each side contends stoutly that its leader has behaved with exemplary frankness and generosity and that the failure of the negotiations was due to outside influenies which have not yet been brought to hook. Mr Wilford has been unwell since the very beginning of the session, hut his colleagues on the executive of the Liberal Party hear high testimony to thet act and candour with which lie has conducted their side of the ease.