THE COALITION

Hokitika Guardian, 28 April 1933, Page 6

THE COALITION

REPLY BY X.Z. PREMIER

NOTHING THREATENING IN VIEW. WELLINGTON, Ap’il ?7. “He said from the commencement that the Coalition Government would not last six months,’’ commented the Prime Minister cheerfully when he was wm’nrled of Dm const; nt;’y declarations "of the Leader of the Opposition (Mr H. K. Holland) cluing hs recent campaign, th't there will be a general election within twelve months. Mr Forbes proceeded to deal with all the possible indv-atir.'is of political upheaval, but could .not agree that there was anything ,so threatening on the horizon. “The Coi’ition did not end in six months, as predicted by Mr Holland,” V remarked, but he has held that vMh for so Jong that he probably holds it now as a sincere belief.

“Of course, the ground for that feeling would be that the Government has •dorp ’miny thb'o's which have called for sacrifice by (many classes of people, some of whom might be resentful. And their feelings might have encouraged, the Leader of the Opposition in his belief that they woiV-d prefer him to be ’in power. But when the same veo'Dp read the platform of tlm Labour Party, just revised, they would tr.rdlv be prepared to go so far as to hand over the control of th„ country to a party 'which .discloses such a sad lack of knowledge of the factors upon which sound government are based. The new (Platform is nothing but an .attempt to make hid* for power—Mr Holland has now ‘hid the limit’— ;but serious citizens recognise, that no magician’s wand will get us out of our difficulties.

We have to face stern economic facts, the low level' of prices for our commodities, and the general depression prevailing all over the world.”

COUNTRY’S SUPPORT APPRECIATED.

The Prime Minister reminded the interviewer of the conditions under which the Cbalition Government took office, and its warning that unpleasant things had to be done. These had been put imfco practice. “The surprising tilling,” continiKiJ. Mj.< Forbes, “is. that there ha, been so little grumbling in view of the action which hos been forced upon us by hard circumstance. One would expect criticism,- but the mass of the people who have themselves studied the problems need no education from the Governn ent or any other party as to the'necessity for these measmes. They have shown- great loyalty to the Cabinet, and I want to most emphatically refute constant suggestions that there lias been disagreement in the Coalition Party. Members; of Cabinet have been working together with the utmost co-operation.

“The community expected to he called on to make sacrifices,” concluded Air Forbe-, “a,i:d the way in which the loan conversion went through is tremendously encouraging, while the position of 'these securities in the market to-day demonstrates the soundness of the plan. I am. very hopeful of the •results of the conversation* between Mr MacDonal] -and President Roosevelt, the preli"*inary frank discussion of the world’s -difficulties and the first step in devising: measures whereby they can be solved. They will take definite and concrete shape pt the forthcoming Economic Conference-”