Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1939. A LESSON AND A WARNING.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 August 1939, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1939. A LESSON AND A WARNING.

♦ WITH tiie sudden defeat of what appeared to he a stronglysupported and stable Government in New South Wales, the political affairs of that State are in some danger o( being plunged into unprofitable and damaging confusion. Litte more'has happened thus far than a Aiange in leadership, with Air. Mair replacing Air. Stevens as Premier. It seems very doubtful, however, whether the new Ministry will have a working majority in Parliament and it is quite unlike y that it will be given 1 he united support accorded until recently by the United Australia Party and the Country Party to the Government that has just gone out of office.

The danger appears that two parties which have so much in common that they have been able to work in united harmony for rears past may now elect to pursue divergent aims, ami. that*one at least of these parties may be fnrther and seriously weakened by internal dissension and division. It is clear that in the extent to which they allow themselves to be disorganised and thrown apart by detail differences and by personal rivalries, the United Australia Party and Ihe Country 1 arty will play directly into the hands of the Labour Party. Ihe latter at present is divided into two sections, but probably will re-establish essential unity in face of the opportunity that now presents itself. The broad alternatives suggesting themselves in New South Wales are the maintenance of two-party politics, or the establishment of conditions of group polities in which the Labour Party will, enjoy a pronounced advantage.

In New South Wales, or in any other democratic political entity, the system of group politics must be expected to work out ’badly. ' The strength of democracy is in overcoming, differences and establishing the broadest attainable basis 01. working agreement. Under group politics stability is destroyed and an exaggerated importance is given to any fairly strong minority in itself united.

The democracies at present best placed to grapple with their jiroblcms are those in which polifictil forces are organised broadly in two divisions, in some measure fundamentally agreed’, but sufficiently at variance to constitute an effective Government and Opposition. In these conditions, Britain, for example, is pursuing a reasonably well-defined and purposeful policy. In the United Slates, on tin* other hand, a move in the direction of group politics—particularly the splitting ol the Democratic Party—has led to a great deal ol confusion in the shaping of policy and the handling of both internal and external affairs.

Confusion and instability are visibly threatened at present in New South Wales and also to some extent in Australian Federal politics, where the working agreement between the United Australia and Country parties has been weakened seriously. In the facts there is an interesting object lesson and a warning for New Zealand. Here also there are some tendencies towards politics of the hydra-headed variety. \\ e have had an extended and somewhat disastrous experience ol' three-party politics and it might, have been thought that an instructive lesson had thus been learned. Once again, however, efforts are being made to promote a third party—this time a Farmers’ Party—with an apparent disregard of the consequences of needless divisions that' undoubtedly will be entailed il the project takes shape.

There are so many people in this country, not themselves farmers, whose interests are closely identified with, or may easily be reconciled with, those of the primary producers that Die formation of a Farmers’ Political Party plainly would be an act. of rank folly. Not only would il wall off farmers from many ol her cit Lzens with whom J hey ought to be working in t he closest harmony, but if is tolerably certain that on idection day farmers in many instances would be voting against farmers. This .-idmittedly happens to some extent in existing circumstances, but it is highly probable that, the formation of a Farmers’ Political. Party would heighten and intensify differences lietween farmers and farmers, as well as between larmers and other people.

The Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union exhibited good sense and judgment ■when, at its last meeting, it declared r.tself opposed, in existing circumstances, to the formation of a Farmers’ Political Party. Similar views are held over a considerable part, of the Dominion, but in the Auckl;ind district the movement to foi-.ni a separate farmers’ party is gaining considerable support. ’Phis must be regretted unreservedly, ’fhe principal effect of constituting the separate party undoubtedly would be to plunge the Dominion into the instability and confusion of group politics. In Germany, Italy and elsewhere, group politics have been the propagating ground of dictatorship. It may be hoped that no British democracy is threatened with’ a similar development, but. except as a costly method of buying experience, the establishment of needless political divisions is something considerably worse, than a waste of tiirie.