“REFORM PARTY MUST GO.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3753, 11 February 1928, Page 3

“REFORM PARTY MUST GO.”

WHO SHALL REPLACE IT?

Auckland, Yesterday.

In an editorial, to-day’s “New Zealand Herald” states: —“The address delivered last night, described as the opening of thy United Party’s campaign, is one more attempt to rally the scattered forces which years ago put the old Liberal Party into power and kept it there so long. If New Zealand desired a change, it would be a good thing to have an alternative to the present Government that could be put into offijce with able confidence in its discretion and dependability. The chance of its materialising at present is not very bright. The elements which once made up the Liberal Party have fallen away so much that the people who, used to support it have become so hopelessly disunited that the task of welding them and building up to their old strength seems hopeless. In addition, the. line of cleavage separating the two historic parties in New Zealand has become so thin that those who go campaigning for the United Party, National Party, or Liberal Party—this constant changing of the name is itself a sign of weakness —are in a large measure offering the public under another label what the Government offers them, ' '

“The new organisation takes as its slogan, “The Reform Party must go.’ It ought to realise that if it carries this battle-cry through the country effectively, if the Reform Party does go, the Labour Party must come. If the United Party •had a leader of strength and personality and a policy showing inspiration and oi’iginality, it might appeal to the people’s love of change. It has nobody comparable in capacity and personality iwith the Prime Minister. Until it can find such a man all the efforts to recreate the glory that once was the Old Liberal Party and put it on a stable basis are hopeless. “This country needs better men to offer themselves as candidates for Paidiament. It needs a stimulation of interest in public life. If the attempt to build up the United Party could help to fill these two needs, it would be a very good thing, much better in fact than anything it is likely to achieve with its present lack of leadership and policy by proclaiming that ‘the Reform Party must go.’ It has no answer to the question, ‘Who shall come in its place?”’