WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1922, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

ALLEGED LIBERAL-LABOR ALLIANCE. LOBBY GOSSIP. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, July 17. The long drawn out debate on the Ad-dress-in-Reply is leading to occasional mild passages of arms between the contending parties. Following the lead of the Minister of Justice, the Reform speakers are assiduously promoting the rumor of an impending alliance between the Liberal-Labor and the Official Labor groups. The fragment of truth behind the story is that two well-known advocates of proportional representation, without any mandate from either the Liberal or the Labor Party, suggested to a Labor gathering in Auckland that the progressive forces in the country should get together for the sole purpose of compelling the Government either to accept their reform or face a united front at the general election. The Auckland meeting turned, down the proposal, and the report of an attempt to unite the Liberal and Labor parties under one banner followed upon its rejection. In the House on Friday afternoon, Mr. H. E. Holland attempted to make capital out of the incident by talking of revelations that would shortly be forthcoming, but on Mr. Wilford challenging him to proceed with his revelations at once, the leader of the Labor Party collapsed.

OPPOSITION ALLIANCE. As a matter of fact the prospect of a union, or even of a working understanding, between the Liberal Party and the Official Labor Party seems no nearer realisation to-day than it was a year ago. The similarity between the policies of the two parties on which the Minister of Justice jested more or less laboriously last week, is inevitable. They both want ■proportional representation, they both want land reform, and they both want economic reform. These are questions on which they are agreed, and there are other questions on which their disagreements are only matters of detail. But the stories that they are conspiring together for the purpose of overthrowing the Government at any cost of principle are absolutely without foundation. Mr. Wilford could not persuade half a dozen of his supporters to enter into a compact of any kind with Mr. Holland, and the leader of the Official Labor Party would do nothing that would so grievously impair the eminence to which he is aspiring. Mt. Holland, in fact, remains the Reformers’ greatest asset, next to Mr. Massey himself, in that he keeps open the divisions in the ranks of the Opposition.

ELECTORAL REFORM. The Prime Minister having said that he has changed his mind in regard to proportional representation on honest, disinterested conviction, there is really nothing more of a personal character to say about the matter. The present inadequate system of election remains in force because successive Prime Ministers, who mav have had doubts on the subject

when in Opposition, have made up their minds in office that it is the very best system that could be devised. But a supporter of Mr. Massey, outside the House, has suggested that the Prime Minister should take his critics at their word and institute a system of election in single constituencies by preferential voting. This, of course, would avoid vote splitting without introducing any of the evils of the second ballot, would preserve the

“country quota” for what it is worth, and would obviate the delays and difficulties inseparable from proportional representation. This certainly would, provide Mr. Massey with an effective reply to much of the criticism that ha* been directed against him, and should be acceptable by the advocates of proportional representation as the half loaf so much better than no bread.

WASTED TIME. The House will resume the debate on the Address-in-Reply to-morrow afternoon, and it is expected that this somewhat farcical discussion will be concluded at the evening sitting. The Government has made, no attempt to shorten the flow of talk, indeed, Ministers and their supporters have contributed as much to the stream as have members of the several groups of the Opposition. Mr. Holland’s amendment runs to the length of a fairly long speech, the leader of the official Labor Party loving to see his words in print, but it consists mainly of a string of platitudes without any particular hearing upon the present political situation. It will go by the board directly Mr. Massey indicates his readiness to proceed with the serious business of the session, and then’ the wheels will begin to go round. Meanwhile the Legislative Council having completed its own debate, has given itself a week’s holiday and its Chamber and lobbies are de* , serted,