WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, 11 March 1919, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

j o I THE NEW POLITICAL PARTY

A BELATED DISCOVERY

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, March 10 The Press Assoeiatiojyfnessage from Dunedin published in the papers on

Saturday morning announcing that a

"new and powerful political party is- 1 * being formed in New Zealand" has

created some amusement here. Nor,

Not that the defection of certain pro

minent Reformers and Liberals form

their absent party leaders is regarded as a laughing matter. Quite the re-

verse. Many of those who join with the revolutionists in condemning the laisser faire attitude of the National Government think the time wholly inopportune for the formation of a new party and the summary renunciation of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward. But the "news" telegraphed from-Dun-edin in hot haste is three or four months old in less somnolent communities, and has been the subject of daily discusion in political circles for a,, much longer period. PROPOSALS TAKING SHAPE

A conference of some of the promoters of the movement was held here a fortnight ago. when it was decided to invite a number of prominent business and professional men to meet the dissatisfied members of Parlia-

ment to discuss the situation. It i& understood that the response to this invitation has not been encouraging, from the revolutionists' point of view r • and that a representative conference', of the dissatisfied elements will take*y place in Wellington this week. The promoters of the movement hope to draw support from both the old political parties, and even from sane Labour, but they profess they are relying mainly upon the progressive Reformers, whom they represent as being thoroughly dissatisfied by Mr. Massey's failure to realise his platform pledges of 1911. A MINISTERIAL VIEW

The Acting Prime Minister, Sir Jas. Allen, is away from town just now, and probably were he here would not be disposed to talk on the subject for publication. The Acting-Leader of the Liberal Party, the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald, when seen this morning, proved no better draw. He had heard of course, of the existence of the new party; in fact, he seemed to know a great, deal more about its constitution than the man in the street does; but he declined to express any opinion concerning its formation or its prosji pects. He found no fault, with political unrest. It was the very salt of progress. But he did not like the idea of turning on the party lead--ers during their absence, and he hoped in this respect the promoters cf the movement had been misrepresented.

A REVOLUTIONIST'S CONFESSION

One of the revolutionists, a member of the House of Representatives,, whose party leanings need not be mentioned, was more comunicative. He said that no surprise was being sprung on Mr Massey or Sir Joseph Ward. It was made perfectly clear to both the party leaders before they left for Loudon that certain members of Parliament would feel at liberty to express their own opinions as they pleased, and to criticise the legislation and administration of the National Government quite freely. This practically was all that was happening. In Parliament and outside there were many men sick and tired of having their tongues tied, and they were banding together to throw off the silence and impotence that had been imposed upon them during the war. This did not necesarily mean revolt. Whether it would or not depended upon the party leaders themselves.