THE LIBERAL PARTY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2707, 13 March 1924, Page 3

THE LIBERAL PARTY.

POLITICS AND THE FUTURE. REFORM AND LABOUR. The Auckland Provincial Executive of the Liberal Labour Party gave Mr T. M. Wilford an enthusiastic welcome last week (reports the “Star”). Mr John Trevethick presided. Discussing the future prospects of tbe party, Mr Wilford said, in course of an impressive address, “All Liberals should he of good heart. The speeches of Mr Holland’s Labour Party throughout the country consist only of abuse of the Liberal Party. Tf we were not a growing power we should not have so much attention. Labour lias ceased to attack Reform, and is concentrating on Reform’s strongest opponent, the party which stands for the moderate people of New Zealand. The Reform Party is bleeding to death,” added Mr Wilford. “Tts supporters know it, and the mem hers of the party know it. The autocracy of the Prime Minister is killing it rapidly. The Labour Party is preaching Karl Marxism with the soft pedal on, so as not to alarm the people unduly, but they will never gain the Treasury benches. The Liberal Party considers Karl Marxism as German propaganda, and it stands for no such German propaganda.” Referring to the possibility of an election this year. Mr Wilford said that anything was possible in the present state of the parties. He believed however, that any fusion with the Reform Party under Mr Massey would throw supporters of moderate Labour into Mr Holland’s camp, “breeding extremists like white ants,” as Mr Wilford tritely put it. He hoped that, the Labour Party would continue devoting its time to attacking the Liberals, and as leader of the party he was proud to see Mr Holland and his supporters spending their evenings in this attack on a party which Mr Holland had characterised as an unburied corpse.

Discussing Mr Massey’s “mercurial” attitude towards finance, Mr Wilford said the reason why the Premier was optimistic on his arrival from England and pessimistic when lie got to Dunedin, was simply because the Prime Minister did not coders!.. :d and had never understood, the financial position of the country.

At the conclusion of (lie address a motion of confidence in Ur Wilford as leader of the party and confidence in the fact that the Liberals would sihiii be returned to office, proposed by Mr R. T. Michaels, seconded by Mr John Rea, was carried with great applause. It was generally conceded by those present "adds the “Star”) that there had been such enthusiasm in the Liberal cause since the days of R. *T. S addon.