WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

1N 1)1 SCR EFT LETTERS

THE THIRD PARTY. KEKORM THINKS UNNECESSARY. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON. April 2(>. The Mon. IV. D. Stewart. Minister of Finance, who does not often mount the electioneering platform, was drawn into a party demonstration promoted by the Women’s Auxiliary Reform League this week and delivered a very (arefully prepared address in which he sought to demonstrate to his audience that a third party in the political arena was a superfluity at the present time, and that the Reformers and the liberals should join forces for the purpose of repelling the insidious advances of Labour. He held stronglT that the real demarcation in existing parties must he between the Labour Party and those who believed that the philosophy and principles for which the Labour Party stood were not in the best interests of the community. The third .party, he declared, had been a disappointing factor in llritain, Australia, and other countries for many years, and this arose from the fact that there was no real room for it in the representative system. Mr Stewart evidently has it in his mind that if the various sections of the present middle party effaced themselves Reform would secure a substantial majority of thenvotes, but this is by no means tieview entertained by the average observer.

RKKOR.M GOOn.T.rC'K. As a matter of fact tlio Reformers never have lick! office l).v the expressed will of a majority of the electors. This fact has been demonstrated by an analysts of the voting at every election since 1903. Tt is the dissensions between Liberalism and Labour anil tin vagaries of a delusive system of e.et - lion, that have kept the Reformers in office all these years and will continue to keep them in office so long as facilties are given to a minority to rule. If Air Stewart were quite in earnest about this matter, instead of appealing to the third party to come over to Inside of the House so that the Reform ers might snap their fingers at Labour, he would lie urging his colleagues to give the country a system of election which would insure equitable representation even if there were a dozen parties in the field. So iar the Labour Party is the only section of the House that has dared to hazard this solution „l the problem, and. in the circumstances if it ever should come into office, as .Mr Stewr.it seems to fear it may. nolle of its opponents could consistently reproach it for delaying the rolorm lor its own purposes.

Among indiscreet letter writers Mi Howard "Elliott, the national organiser of the Protestant Political Association, long has occupied a place, and now he is joined by Mr E. A. James, the Dominion secretary of the Reform League. A little while ago Mr Elliott sent a “ confidential ” circular letter to the Reform members ol Parliament telling them that during the past ten years bis association had assisted in a mensurable degree in returning them to Parliament and letting them know that if they did not mend their ways this assistance would not be forthcoming in future. The chief offences attributed to the Prime -Minister were that he bad become more socialistic than the socialists themselves, and that he was passively hostile, not openly antagonistic to ‘•moral reform”. Mr Eliiotl also implied that Mr Coates was no more careful for the interests of Protestantism than Jlr Kcddon and Sii Joseph AVard had been. The lorhearmg Mr James, instead of consigning this precious epistle to his waste-paper basket, made it the subject of a lengthy letter to Mr Elliott in which a desire to retain that gentleman's goodwill

and assistance seem- to underlie i carefully balanced phrases.

ANZAC DAY. The observante ol Anz.ae Day in Wellington City yesterday was worthy of the (..fusion and of its significance, the vast gathering in the [own Mall, running into several thousands, included Sir Francis Roll and the Mon. W. Xosworthy, representing the Government. and practically all the city and suburban members of Parliament. The music from tbe great organ was liappiK attuned to tbe atmosphere ol the place and the massed hands gave expression to the intensity of the citizens’ offering. ’1 he Rev. Fielding Taylor was the only speaker and neither the resting heroes of Gallipoli nor the living would have had another. Frail in body, glowing in spirit, impelling ill speech, the soldiers idol and the civilians friend filled the big building with an appeal for an adequate recognition of the sacrifices made by the heroes ot thirteen years before, not bv material help alone, but more particularly by so shaping the lives and ideals ol the community that a passion lor true brotherhood and social service would suffuse the whole world, and help humanity towards the goal of peace and content to which it was hidden. The social lessons of war never can have been more eloquently emphasised.