PARTY FUSION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2908, 11 July 1925, Page 3

PARTY FUSION.

FORCING TACTICS ATTEMPTED.

A debate on fusion occasioned some tense passages in the House of Representatives yesterday, (says the Dominion). Early in the afternoon, Mr Holland sought unsuccessfully (o extract a statement trom the Prime Minister in regard to the position reached in the fusion negotiations. Soon afterwards, Mr. Coates announced that in accordance with custom and precedent the amendment to the Ad-dress-in-Reply of which Mr. Atmorc had given notice would he treated by Ihe Government as a motion of want of confidence. When a motion which would have brought the whole debate to an end was about to he put, Mr .At-more rose to move his amendment and expressed resentment at having to do so at short- notice. In his speech he strongly attacked the LabourSocialist Party and denied that: his amendment was one of want.-of-ronfidonce. Mr. Fraser replied on behalf of the ’Labour Party, and moved an amendment to Mr. Atmore’s amendment. Later, the Hon. G. J. Anderson intervened in the debate to point- out. that while Mr. Atmore was a free-lance. Reform -and Liberal members were hound by their pledges. At 11.25 p.m. a division was taken on Mr. Fraser’s amendment, and it was defeated by 51 votes to Hi, the Liberals voting with the Reform Party. A division on Mr. Atmore’s amendment was taken half an hour after midnight, and it' was defeated 1)v 34 votes to 30.