PARTY STRIFE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 114, 16 May 1931, Page 12

PARTY STRIFE

(To the Editor.)

. Sir,'—ln view of a Dominion-wide demand for a cessation ■of party'strife between United and;. Reform;"-, one; may .ask are: the electors of this Dominion going,to be masters, in: their own; hbtiße or are theygoing ,to;be : subjected ■to lihe1; dictates of, a faction:who1 on. the, surface .would, appear to .think more-of an'imaginary ;petty party gain; rather, than: safeguardirig 'our National Security? -.■■■";:'. V ■>'''":>;■ ' -,-'.-;'.'|w^; --jj, :';";■■";".'-., ; -: .■.'', j-" ■■'• '■•■ Mr. ■ Coates iwould: be ;!to recall .the decision of ■{ electors at the:last General Election,and also to remember he had: the ball at his feet but failed to carry on.■'.■.'...■■' .■.^■■-■■'■-;'<:";\,: . ;;: .-:-,: <v:': :■•■.■■:'•,-.--

; Admitting' \vrh /have: in.:office: to-day a minority. Government .with 'a-somewhat weak Cabinet (unable to solve the magnitude' of our national difficulties), are there men in the Reform Party yho\ possess the unswerving-infidelity to the' 'principle 'of country before party? Vj-Are ;these,politicians prepared,, to^shake.:bff:-the shackles of party,' witli; the determination to' pbol all possible resources. ~to ."ease ',the;burdens ,of the masses?.--. ...The: .present: is no, tithe, to wage partystrife.or preach ,the: doctrine of party traditions. V, ,:;':;■■'■:'; ~.-. '

' What is-wante'd* ; thronghoiit'ithe"length and; bi-eadtli: of our; Dominion;: is} iunited action in a,common cause.-=.' No.particular party in, Parliament' has':a -monopoly" in mental endowments,1, but the.; Prime 'Minister has ,at least:, the courage, of his convictions and knowledge'gained. '.overseas to fully, realise: wHat;is; at; stake,',and ,; howpuerile party, politics- are in comparison to the major factors that are so vital. to all component parts of the Empire. Undoubtedly prevailing economic conditions and stress, demand a National Government," the. time for ' wrangling has passed,, and the time for action . has' arrived. The sooner a .National, Government is established the better it will be for us all. Sentimental party statements offer neither consolation nor protection, but it is co-operation for the attainment of a/common ideal that will expedite a return to. prosperity. ■ . If ; Mr. Coates,',as Leader of the Reform Party, persists in being obdurate against public opinion, I refer him'to the March edition of the "Round Table," 1928, of which the following is .an i extract:— .;■ . , "The achievements' of; the 1927 session were in, in verse ratio to its length. The general, result has been to;create a'widespread feeling of dissatisfaction amongst many of those who previously supported it and to damage its credit considerably throughout the country-' It is .considered by a growing- number -who view' .frith . disgust the^ shameless battle of' sectional interests, that if the Government could find courage to take a stand against them, and appeal to the .wider constituency of the cduntry for support, on a national, as distinct from a sectional policy, it might win back much of its banished prestige." At the General Election, 1928, ■■ the Reform party was not returned to office.—l am, etc., ■ ' . ••' :. T. A. ■FRASER.

correspondent of the "Times"; that . n comparison of his message with that report as it appeared in the "Times" of the 14th March shows that:he had summarised it \vitli perfect accuracy, the only discrepancy being an immaterial variation which had obviously occurred in transmission; arid that in accurately summarising the opinion of such an authority he had faithfully discharged his. duty to the public. "Commonsense" is, of course, free to believe or disbelieve as he pleases, but he has no right to misrepresent, and it is ridiculous to accuse others of bias and inaccuracy in a. fashion .which only convicts himself. . -.'.-■