The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. AUCKLAND, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1927. A STIRRING OF OLD BONES

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 2, 24 March 1927, Page 8

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. AUCKLAND, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1927. A STIRRING OF OLD BONES

THERE is to be more confusion than ever in New Zealand politics. Another new party with an old name has been created. Its formation represents a futile schism. It is reported that a meeting- of Liberals of the Auckland Province yesterday decided to reorganise the Liberal Party, as distinct from the Nationalists, and to place its political fate in the hands of Mr. W. A. Veitch, M.P., for Wanganui, whose acceptance of the honour and responsibility of leadership is described as having been “exceedingly popular.” There is no reason to doubt the faith of the new party’s promoters, but it is difficult to understand why the party should have been formed in such a manner, if at all. It true that the National Party has been a poor servant of traditional Liberalism, but its poverty of service has been a Liberal characteristic, and not the weakness of a new party. In fact, the National Party is the remnant of the Liberal Party, and merely changed its name for electioneering purpose. It was hoped that th£ new title would win back many of the former supporters of the old Liberalism, which did so much for the country. Everybody outside circle knew quite well at the time that the party had perpetrated a clumsy political trick, which was bound to react on the foolish Liberals who devised it. Still, that fact does not affect the stark truth that the National Party is the Liberal Party and has never been anything else during its brief and unhappy existence. If there has been much discontent within its meagre ranks as there has been among the Liberals outside, surely it was the duty of the party’s administrators to explain their hopeless plight and frankly to have sought a return to its former identity. Instead of doing that in an open way, thus enabling all good Liberals free to go forward unhindered in their political aims and work, a few discontented members aid! supporters of the National Party have elected to desert their leader and form a new camp flying the old Liberal Party’s flag.' Looking at the whole thing in the best possible light one cannot help seeing the petty spirit behind the movement and the hopelessness of its future. No one can deny that national polities would be all the better for an infusion of new strength and new ideas, but what advantage is likely to be secured by the creation of a fourth party in Parliament? As things are in the political world to-day, even three parties are too many and an exasperating hindrance to constructive legislation. The taxpayer is tired of paying extravagantly for wrangling instead of first-class Parliamentary work. For years Liberalism in this country has suffered gjgevously from weak and bad leadership. The heritage bequeathed to the Liberal Party by the Seddonian regime was a rich gift, which was squandered within a decade or so. If there is to be any restoration of Liberal prestige at all, it will come only through the genius of leadership. The formation of a second Liberal Party under a mediocre leader will merely accentuate the impoverished misery of Liberalism all the world over. It will be interesting to see if Sir Joseph Ward, the only loyal Liberal left, will salute the new Liberal leader. SELF-RELIANCE THE country that is not self-contained is not self-reliant; it must depend for the sustenance of its people on those countries which not only produce and manufacture all their own vital requirements, but an exportable surplus as well. Those nations are strong nations; they may one day be enemy nations. Then will the plight of the dependent country be perilous. “Trade Within the Empire” and “ Preference to British Goods’ are fine slogans. For New Zealand, “Preference to New Zealand Goods” is even finer—just as is preference to Australian for Australia and to Canadian for Canada. The strengthening of each Dominion by its own internal activity will in time guarantee that there shall be no breakable link in the chain of Empire. New Zealand is a great producing country; she exports millions of pounds worth of butter, cheese, wool and meat annually, but the value of her imports exceeds that of her exports, and there is the weakness of her present position. Almost all of her imports are manufactured goods, yet most of those goods could be manufactured in New Zealand by New Zealand workmen for New Zealand’s greater prosperity and self-reliance! Manufacture in this country’ is still in its infancy. Judging by its progress in the past decade, it is a lusty child, it is,true; but for further growth it must be properly’ fed. and the "only suitable nourishment is that to be provided by’ the foil and patriotic patronage of the New Zealand people. Therefore the exhibition of manufactures on the Civic Square, organised by the New Zealand-made Preference League, is cordially recommended to the public support. The display of articles there is a revelation of the capabilities and resources of this Dominion’s workmanship and it indicates clearly that, given judicious Government protection and that measure of public preference which they deserve, the secondary’ industries can be built up, hand in hand with primary production. to an extent that will make New Zealand really selfreliant.