WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 October 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

FUSION AGAIN

CANDID REFORMERS. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON. October 15. Many attempts were made by both Reformers and Liberals durum the recent session of Parliament to persuade the public at large that their particular party was not responsible for the failure of the much discussed fusion negotiations. Each side'made out the best case it could, but in the end the Liberals seemed to have public opinion with them. That public opinion, for once in a way, was correct may be judged by the attitude towards the matter taken up in the heat of the election campaign by tbe Reformers’ chief jiartv organ. “To this it must lie added,” the " Dominion ” said on Tuesday, after belittling the Liberal Party with all the deprecatory adjectives at its command, " that the party negotiations suggested by Mr Horn are not a hopeful method of obtaining the strong and stable Goverment: this country urgently needs, and undoubtedly may obtain if its moderate political forces are not crippled by needlesss division. . . The present Prime Minister has been highly successful in choosing men to carry on the big departmental undertakings he has had to handle as a Minister, and on his past record he may he trusted to choose the best men available to till Cabinet positions. On the other hand, a process of party bargaining would necessarily tie his hands, and could not he expected to lead up to the formation of a satisfactory Ministry.” Of course all this leads up to what the •'* Dominion ” regards the practical point, the avoidance of “party bargaining” at any cost. EMPHASISING THE POINT.

Yesterday the “ Dominion ” returned to the subject, evidently fearing that in its previous effort it had not made its meaning sufficiently clear. “ There is a plain danger,” it said. “ that oil account of the division of moderate political forces, Mr Coates may lie offered the opportunity of continuing as Prime Minister only in conditions that would tie his hands •and make it impossible for him to render efficient service to the Dominion. Tf after the election he were reduced to the necessity of bargaining with the National Party in order lo secure an adequate majority in Parliament, hopes of a new era of efficiency in our politics and in the handling of national affairs would tend to vanish. Tin* electors have in their hands the power of averting this misfortune. There is no doubt that they appreciate and are coming more and more to appreciate, the broad outlook of Hie Prime .Minister and his determination to work for national aims regardless of all limiting or hampering party considerations. If Mr Coates is to have an unhampered opportunity of carrying his ideas into effect, lie must lie given a majority which will do away with any need for party bargaining. It is far more important to this country that the Prime Minister should he given such an opportunity than that any party interest should be served.”' After this it would seem that Mr Noswortliv, the Minister of Agrictulture, was not uninspired when he stated at Ashburton that fusion could he discussed if the Reformers did not- obtain a working majority at the polls. THE PRIME .MINISTER IJ.I.MSELE. It is only fair to Mr Coates to stale there i> no reason to suppose smb views as the Reform newspapers have j been expressing on this subject are inJspired by the leader of the party. The Prime .Minister personally is one of the modest middle-aged men in the world, lie lavs claim to none of the graces and to few of the virtues that are living attributed to liim by bis ar-dent-political admirers. He is not an doquent speaker, lie is mil tin inspired thinker, he is not a brilliant administrator. Rut he is an earnest worker, a chivalrous opponent and a 'gentleman. Tn discussing fusion he was thinking not merely ol his own ps’.rtv’s safety, blit earnestly of the political welfare of the country. During the progress of the negotiations he betrayed by his own frank speech his utter ignorance of the ways of diplomacy and intrigue. At one stage of the “ conversations ” he seriously alarmed his colleagues by bis apparent readiness to giveaway quite a number of points. The Minister for Lands and. the Minister of Agriculture were on j tenterhooks for a whole week and had it not been for the intervention of the leader of the Legislative Council things might have happened greatly to the discomfort tire of these gentlemen. The newspapers that arc ascribing to Mr Coates the liigl mst qualities of statesmanship, which are reserved only for the elect among the servants of the State, are allotting to him a vole for which he is not yet fully equipped and to that extent are doing him an injustice.