The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1926.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 July 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1926.

THE RETURN OF THE LIBERALS. Ix the House of Representatives last week Sir Joseph Ward predicted that the country would have a Liberal party at the next election. The Liberals in New Zealand politics are a very considerable host. The fact that they did not appear in force as suel at last general election was due to tho over zealous haste in which the name of Liberal was changed to nationalist. The change was made in good faith as an invitation to a. real fusion with the Reform party, but it must he confessed ft was made in undue haste, and there has been time for, the Liberals since to repent at leisure. The Liberal section of the people stand for a policy of self-reliance and sound democratic government. The Parliament of today is hardly ruled by such sound principles. There is wholesome borrowing and there is much government by regulation. Both matters 'must be changed and there is reason to believe before another general election comes to pass there will be a change—a material change. It will be suicidal for the country to go on heirrowing as lias been the case of late, while the effect of regulating; or attempting to regulate business and trading by regulations is indicative of the whole system breaking down under its own weight. There is no doubt that there is a strong Liberal section in the Government party to-day. Matters political were so mixed at the last polls that many Liberals threw in their lot for the time being to secure political safety before all else. Before another election comes round, the situation will be understood better. The Nationalist party, as at present, is essentially Liberal, and the position would he better understood if the term Liberal came Hack to general usage. Mr Coates has pleaded again for the two party system, hut it must he borne in mind lie had the host opportunity of all not so long ago, ami neglected it. It was for him to have made (the effort f!>r political union when the conditions were so favourable. However, perhaps, events are moving more quickly than can lie perceived to the end desired. The Prime Minister has disavowed that his party is Tory, but between that extreme in political action and Labour as we have it- nowadays, there is still room for the Liberal. The Liberal has a point of view which does not fit in with what Reform or Labour stands for, and it is quite right to express it. At tile same time the average Liberal will prefer Reform to Labour for many reasons, and so for the time being there will continue more general support to the" Government for that reason. But the day of usefulness for the Liberal is far from past, and the traditions which it created, its name and fame must be in mind always. 'And so the Liberals will come again, and coming should he of more use than ever to New Zealand, for with riper experience and the effect of other systems. Liberal methods will he as welcome as they promise to he necessary for the good government of the Dominion in the not distant future.