DOMINION POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 296, 24 May 1915, Page 2

DOMINION POLITICS.

THE POST jl lON OF PARTIES. A COALITION SUGGESTED. Auckland, May 21. During the course of a speech made at a luncheon at the Reform Club today, ill'. C. J. Parr, M.l 1 ., said that the political position to-day was that the Government held forty certain seats, and the Opposition 38, and there were two seats for which elections would be held next month, thus accounting for the full total of eighty seats. It was true that the Opposition claimed Mr. Tail Hemire's vote as doubtful. "If I am," said Mr. 'Parr, " in a position to say that the wish is father to the thought, I know for a fact that Mr. Tau Henare is a loyal supporter of Mr. Massey." Continuing, Mr. Purr said that the main thing, however, was to have a stable and efficient Government, particularly while the war was on. He thought the Reform Party ought to make' a determined effort to win the seats that were vacant, and thus by giving Mr. Massey a majority of four the Governmeijk could carry on for three years withodpt being under obligations to anyone. No stone should be left unturned to win these vacant seats. .If the numbers became even a coalition must of necessity be brought about. There was ho politician in New Zealand who would dare to precipitate another general election while the war was on. The country had had enough of elections lor some time to come, and would, lie believed, deal severely with the party leader who called for another bitter fight. Mr. Parr said that if Mr. Massey publicly asked Sir .Joseph Ward and, say, two of his strongest men to fill important positions in a National Ministry, he thought that the voice of the country would be. strongly heard in favor of such an arrangement. The big job to-day was to organise our defences, our contingents, our transports anjl our finance to meet the unparelleled strain. This task called for the test business ami organising brains of the Dominion.

Mr. A. M. "Myers, interviewed to-day, also expressed strong support of tne coalition, proposal, and abhorrence of party bickering at a time when the whole energies of the Dominion should be concentrated on a great Imperial purpose.