WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 24 February 1922, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE LIBERAL-LABOR ALLIANCE “BACK TO SEDDON.” (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Feb. 22. The United Liberal-Labor Progressive Party—which is, it must be confessed, starting out upon its career under a somewhat cumbersome name—fired what may be regarded as the first shot in the election campaign at Petone last night. Mr. Wilford and Mr. Statham, the leaders of the amalgamated parties, addressed a large and very enthusiastic audience in the local theatre, as one of their friends put it, started the game with a very satisfactory kick off. If the meeting did nothing else, it showed that the organisation of the new party is already counting, and that the amalgamation is * finding favour with a large number of the workers in a working men’s district. By the reiteration of the happy slogan “Back to Seddon,” Mr. Wilford won many a hearty round of applause, and by the frank acceptance of the leadership of his former rival Mr. Statham did mueh to silence the gibes of the small minority that had come to scoff against the house divided against itself. THE NEW ERA. Mr. Wilford is both a quoter and a maker of phrases, and his talent in these directions was never better displayed than it was in addressing his big audience last night. The new party, he said, stood for all classes, not a class war. It stood for gpvernment by Parliament, and not by Order-in Council. “The legislation we are getting to-day is very often the discredited legacy of an unfair and unjust election,” he declared. “We stand for the welfare of the whole people, and not of any one class. Liberalism recognises no classes. It embraces all. Liberalism is an inclusive creed, and the creeds of its opponents are exclusive. While Toryism desires to keep, and a small section of Labor to take, Liberalism desires to maintain a fair balance.” The repetition of platitudes of this kind may not count for much in print, but it was very effective from the platform . last night, and an already friendly audience was moved to a high pitch of enthusiasm. THE PROGRESSIVE MODERATES. Mr. Statham was scarcely so effective as was his new leader, but be found scarcely less favour with the audience. His old party, now merged with the Liberals, he said, had stood for great principles, and it put these principles far beyond any party advantage or personal ambition. That was why it had sunk its interests as a party, and he had sunk his ambitions as ’ a party leader to join the new Liberal-Labor Party under the leadership of Mr. Wilford. He might not be able to get so much of his own way in the new party as he had done in his old party; but he believed he would be able to do far more for the good of the country as a whole, far more to uphold and uplift the standard of life, materially, morally, and politically. This, of course, was the proper note for the occasion, and Mr. Statham struck it with an obvious faith and sincerity that at once installed him in the goodwill of the audience Mr. Wilford had inspired. WHAT IT ALL MEANS The general public is not yet taking the Wilford-.Statham coalition and its new party quite seriously, but there can be no doubt that last night’s meeting from ti.e party’s point of view was a great success, and will do much to attract attention to the movement. The opportunity of the Liberal-Labor Progressives lies not so much in anything the Prime Minister has done or left undone, but in the deplorable weakness of his colleagues. Mr. Massey’s mana, even the good Liberal and the ardent Socialist are bound to admit, remains unimpaired. The head of the Government is the whole of the Government so far as initiative and achievement are concerned. At one time Air. Seddon was in much the same position, and still survived. But Mr. Massey in carrying a greater weight of years than the great Liberal leader did during the more strenuous period of his long term of office, and should his health fail the present administration certainly could not continue.