MR. JENKINS JOINS UP

ADVOCATE OF FUSION

INDEPENDENTS NO USE

(By Telegraph.) I (Special to "The Evening Post.") I AUCKLAND, This Day. Intimating his willingness to abide j by the result of the ballot by which the Reform candidate will be selected,' Mr. H. E. Jenkins, who resigned the Parnell seat in the House of Representatives on Friday, has joined the j Reform League. If Mr. Jenkins is not chosen as official Reform candidate by the conference of delegates to be con vened for that purpose, he will not be a candidate at the by-election. At the back of Mr. Jenkins's decision is a desire to bring about a union of the Reform and United Parties against Labour.

In an interview last evening Mr. Jenkins recalled that shortly after resigning his seat be intimated that unofficial overtures had been made to him by members of the Keforin Party. He had said then that if overtures were sufficiently pressing he would consider . standing in the interests of the Reform Party. If not, he would stand as an Independent Reform candidate or a straight-out Independent. "When I made that statement I was not aware that it was necessary to belong to the Eoform League in order to be an official candidate," said Mr. Jenkins. "If I had known that I would not have made the earlier statement. Since then, several friends ill the Reform Party have urged me to join the Reform League, and they hope I will be selected as the party's choice. I feel that I could do more to bring about a fusion against Labour if I were in the Reform Party than if I were an Independent. It seems to mo that in the House an Independent member is a voice crying in the wilderness. He does a lot of talking, whereas if hc_ belonged to a, party he "would devote his time to having his party's measures passed. "I feel also that Reform is " the safest of the three parties, because Keforin will never be dictated to by Labour as the United Party has been. The Reform Party would sooner go to the country than go into the same lobby as Labour, but the United Party has shown that it will not do that. As the parties now are it is likely that more drastic legislation will be passed than if Labour were in power, because under the present, circumstances Labour does not have to take the responsibility for such legislation. "In joining the Reform League I have intimated that I am prepared to submit myself to the selection ballot by which the party's official candidate is chosen," added Mr. Jenkins. "I was a Reformer in the first place, and it was Mr. 0. Moller who urged me to stand for the United Party. He was also a Reformer, and he has now left the United Party. Friends of mine have now urged me to come out. for the Reform cause and for the country generally, and I have agreed. Some will criticise me, and say that this is the only time I have lacked independence, but I have taken this step for the reasons I have explained." -