THE NEXT MOVE.

Marlborough Express, Volume LXII, Issue 269, 15 November 1928, Page 6

THE NEXT MOVE.

MR, COATES'iS GREAT DTFFICULTY. ^ AN BXPL, AN ATION OF DFFEAT.

Express Special Service.

CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 15. The Lyttelton Times, in an editcrial, says : "Just what the imraediate outcome of ihe election will he depends 011 the conrse to be taken. by the Riglit Hon. J. G. Coates. He will have to face a position of oxtreme diffieultv. His Ministry lias been shattefed, and his following in the Houxe iias been drastically reduced. Tliere will . be oppqsed ro him rnen of piroved' ability and able to form a Government that would eommand the confidence of the country. -It would appear that the prohleni of having to m:ak© a choice as to- what course t,hey would purs ae in the event of a want, of oonfidenice motion yvill be one for the, Refarm members to face, and not one loy the (Jnited P'orty member s, as. pa many people expect. Of .late years we liuve been told "algain and again tliat the Reform rnenibers. were truly Liheral. That claim may soon be put to the test, and we sha.ll see \vhe~tber thjeir progressiveness is sucli that tliey can support a. provecl Liberal ieaider. ln tlie light. of events the, bold assertioa that a vote for United Party ca.ndidat.es was pralotically a vote for Labor looks foolish. Obviously it did not deceive the clectors. Publio opinion hae concentrated on the party that avoided extremes. If at tliis stago we might venture an explaination of the defeat of the Rel'orm Government, it is that it was a sectional and not in anv , sen.se a rational Administration. Over and over a.gain in political history it has been the ta-sik of the Liberal s to restore tlie true balance of Government and it looks afe. thougjh a. party imbu.ed with the spdrit of Liberafism will have to face that dutv liere. The country has, deelared em.pha,tically that it will not, tolernte a. scctioual Government.7'