THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1912. LIBERAL OR LABOR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10714, 5 October 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1912. LIBERAL OR LABOR.

I Tin? state of parties in the Parlia- ■ ment of New Zealand at the present time is almost indefinable. On the one hand, wo havo a Government, solid, compact, determined to carry through the programme of reform outlined at the hustings. On the other there is the remnant of a decadent party, clinging to the title of "Liberal," without a head, tail, or decent body, hoping against hope that ifc will, by some mysterious dispensation of Providence, be given another opportunity of drawing the emoluments of office and of exercising that power of patronage which has been manipulated to such advantage for the last score of years. Nobody | who has studied the trend of political events and who knows tho com- ! position of tho discredited party will give the slightest credence to the suggestion that the country will permit a return t to bungling, extravagance and patronage. In the House of Representatives the other evening Mr G. "W. Russell made a clumsy attempt to quicken the occupants of the Opposition benches to enthusiasm, by telling them that a rapid cohesion, was setting in between "Liberal" and "Labour," and that the united Liberal and Labour force was working in the best possible spirit on lines having for its objective tho driving of the Reform Party from tho Treasury benches. The House naturally laughed at tho suggestion of tho

versatile member for Avon. But what (lid the genuine Labour representatives say about it? Mr Robertson, the Labour member for Otaki, said there was no arrangement of any kind between the Liberal party and the Labour party in New Zealand. He asserted that the Labour party, both in the House and i.n the country, was absolutely independent of either of the present parties in politics. This camo as a shock to Mr Russell, who made a lame attempt to get out of the awkward box in which he found himself. The fact is that these gentlemen who are at present sailing under ''Liberal" colours havo forfeited all right to the title of Liberal. They cannot command the sympathy and support of the great body of Liberal voters who constitute the country population ; nor can they longer masquerade :is frierds of the worker. They will not bo a factor in the politics of the future. party which is going to trouble the Liberals at present in power is the United Labour Party. This is at present disintegrated, and without full representation in Parliament. The time is coming, however, when it will play an important part in the politics of tho country. It may, sooner or later, occupy the Treasury benches. It is no longer possible for Mr Russell and his opportunist friends, to climb into power on the shoulders of Labour. The workers have too long been fooled by the specious appeals of place-seekers, and they rightly say that if there is to be a change in administration the Labour Party and not a Liberal-Labour combination will come to office. It were as well, therefore, for the members of the Opposition to determine speedily upon which side of the political fence they are going t-o be. The next election will see a fight between Liberal and Labour. The Liberals will bo' represented by • the party in power, and Labour will be chosen from the ranks of the United Labour Party. There will be no middle course. The sooner, therefore, that Messrs Russell, Ell, Laurei: son and Co. declare themselves, tho better will be their chances for the future.