WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 November 1931, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

OFFICIAL LABOUR’S DISAPPOINTMENT.

COALITION GOVERNMENT

(Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, Oct. 29

It is very obvious and not surprising that Mr H. E.Holland, .the leader of the official Labour Party in the House of Representatives, is much perturbed by the formation of a Coalition Gevernmen,t . which has set party aside and devoted itself with a stout heart to the reparation of the affairs of the Dominion. Mi- Holland and his colleagues had dreamed of a day when dissensions between the two older parties in the House would give Labour an opportunity to seize the reins of government and to apply its various nostrums to the affairs of the country. The general election of 1928 raised their expectations to a height they never had reached before. With neither the Reform nor the United party possessing a working majority, Labour with nineteen seats could determine the fate of either of them. lit-s choice fell upon the United Party and Sir Joseph Ward resigned. LABOUR’S RESTRAINT Sir Joseph Ward proved less pliable than Mr Holland and his colleagues had hoped he would be; but, consistently with his previous association with a Labour Party of somewhat different character, he was uot. forgetful of the needs of the working classes. When Mr Forbes succeeded to the position of his ( former chief Official Labour thought Che time opportune to squeeze the new coiner, a ,little more emphatically than his predecessor had been squeezed. Mr Holland and his colleagues, however, soon discovered that Mr Forbes was not so amenable to pressure as the average politician in office usually is, and they began to look at him askance. • The new Prime Minister did not mince matters. He let Labour know that he would do what he could for the welfare and promotion of the workers ; but he would not make promises lie could not fulfiil. And then Labour scorned the United Party. COQUETS WITH REFORM Having finally renounced the United Party, Offiial Labour turned to the ' Reform Party, and obtained wlia,t was termed .“a very gentlemanly reception” from Mr Coates, whose manners on such occasions are always cordial and impressive. The leader of the Opposition, as he was then, expressed very sincerely his desire to be of service to the workers in general and to members of the deputation in particular, and promised to have, a word or, two with Mr Forbes and others of those in authority, at the earlLst possible moment No doubt this was done in due course. At any rate Mr Holland and his fellow members in the House never weary of telling the l public at large that Mr Coates is the i all powerful leader among the politicians and that to him alone belongs the credit < for every good thing that has been done < since the Reform debacle of three years ago.

THE / PARTIES Although Official Labour has abundance of praise for Mr Coates, most of it well deserved, it has little applause for other member’s of the Reform Party, that was, none for the United Party, that also has passed into oblivion for the time being. In this there is no suggestion that Mr 'Holland and his colleagues are coquetting with the leader of ithe suspended Reform Party with a view to his accepting them as repentants to his fold in the near future ; but their overtures of one kind and another are so marked that an agrement’ between the Reform Party and the Labour Party for the purposes of the approaching election is a matter of gossip. But, on consideration, the thought cannot be seriously entertained. The stipulated relations between the Reformers and the Unifed.s so far have been so well maintained that they cannot possibly be broken with ,the connivance oi the party leaders.