The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorpoated the west Cost Tiems. FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH 1925. FUSION REVIEW ED.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 September 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorpoated the west Cost Tiems. FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH 1925. FUSION REVIEW ED.

Thk <|iii'st mu ( i partisan in UTosts, which it i> hold raii.s«-Ml tin* failure of a return to ihe two-party svsU’in. was roforrcil ii* by the leader <>l the Opposition. .Mr I‘orhcs. at a iv mil meetino held at Brooklyn in connection with the candidature of Mr Sievwrioht lor the Wellington South constituency. “You will hytve watched with a ore at deal ol interest,” said Air korhes, ‘ • 1 1 1 ;• iiegotiiitions which look place between the Reform and Liberal Parties with regard lo wlial is known as tlie fusion issue. To all thinking men there is no doubt that the pre.sont lime is a very serious <me indeed, when one looks abroad ami sees what is taking .place in the Old Land industrial upheaval, nearly a million and a half unemployed, and weekly doles being paid out lor their support." The necessity for unity, said Mr Forbes, was never greater than it is to-day. That was the feeling which actuated the Liberal Party when they tried to come to an arrangement with the ICl'orm Party, to see it they could not form a combined party, a party strong enough to give a stable and effective Oovernment to this country. “That,” lie said, “was at the hack of our minds when we made the offer to the Reform Party. I was one of the committee which entered into the negotiations, and T can tell you honestly we tried to tlo our host. 'Pile Liberals went to these conferences with the sole men of trying to come to an arrangement to bring not only the parties in Parliament together, but also the people right throughout the country. \Ve realised that, if we came

to an arrangement with regard to a combined party, it would not he worth a snap of the fingers if we could not carry with us the men and women who were our supporters. “We discussed matters, and I can say without fear of contradiction that we made (.ho most generous offer than ever was made bv a. political party in the history of this country, or of any other country. Finally, it came to tin’s: What we must insist upon if fusion was agreed to was that we must wipe the slate clean of any animosities and party differences and start afresh from now and form a party without any divisions, a National Party. That was the one thing we insisted upon. We had no objection to Mr Coates being Prime Minister. Tie was a new man. just elected to the position. He had been a. Liberal. We thought there would he no difficulty in forming a combined party caul working along with Mr Coates. The feeling of our party towards Mr Coates was one of extreme friendliness. “During the whole time I have been in politics,” continued Mr Forbes. ‘‘l do not think there ever existed a situation and atmosphere so favourable for the formation of a combined party as was the ease when we entered into those negotiations. There was a feeling of ‘Let us bury our differences.’ There was the death of Mr Massey, and we felt ‘Let us shake hands and he friends, realising the difficulties in front of us. and with a view of doing our best for the country.’ We entered the negotiations with tl at idea. A point we could not agree upon was the question

of the wining away of all party differences. and making a fresh start. That was a thing Afr Coates could not see his wav to do away with, and that is what the negotiations broke down on. It has been charged against us that the Liberals wanted portfolios, and that wo were snuabbling over portfolios. Remember the spirit in which we entered into the negotiations. Yet we have Afr Af’Leod and the Prime Afinister making statements of the kind T have indicated, imputing to us the very lowest motives Such ae-

ousatious hurt one when we tried sincerely and honestly to bury party difforeiiees. and when we tried to arrange for a truly National Party. ATr Forbes then referred to Mr Wilford's explicit offer in the House that Mr Coates would he perfectly free to choose his own Ministers. He alluded also to Mr Coates' speech at Palmerston Xorth. in which he accused the J.iberals of “running away.' 1 After that speech of the Prime Minister’s he was thoroughly disappointed with Mr Contes. “I felt that it was an oppor-

tunity,” commented Mr Forbes. “that would perhaps never come again. In effect Mr Coates said ‘No. we will turn tin- offer down. We hope to defeat the Liberal Party at next election, and thus do away with the necessity for fusion.’ ” The Liberals were sti'l in favour of unity. If it should happen that at the elections they were returned in a majority, or whatever the position was. their fi,rst endeavour would lie to bring about a united party. All of wbicb goes to sbow. ns w,as really manifest throughout, that the Liberals were sincere and honest in their*cfforts to bring nl>out a fusion of the parties, and the daily exItericnce ol politics in other eountiie.s shows that such action i- essentially necessarv when it is desired to retain safe and stable Government administration.