THE LIBERAL PARTY.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 122, 23 May 1919, Page 4

THE LIBERAL PARTY.

The Liberal party has taken the only possible course in deciding to contest the next general election "separate and . apart from the Reform party, and with a different progressive and radical . policy." In iiie meantime the existing , compact is to be kept loyally. This decision to resume the old party independence is what members of the party throughout the country expected of their representatives in Parliament. There has been a movement, to which nhc ActingPrime Minister recently gave his sup- ■ port, to make the Coalition permanent. The arguments are that the two parties , have much the same aim, aud that they j should combine to tight the Labour extremists. Such a policy would be against the interests of the country, ana fatal to the prospects of the Liberal | party. The conservative w-ing of the coalition would dominate the Liberal wing: Liberalism would be divorced from its splendid traditions, and diverted from ; the path of progress to which its past and its duty point; and tiie radical section of the community would look i elsewhere for t.lie realisation of their ' hopes. It is gravely incorrect to say that the aims of Reformers and ] Liberals are much the same. There tire ] lukewarm Liberals, no doubt, but the • aims of the party inspired by Grey and led by Ballance and Seddon are far from being the aims of the party led by Hall, _ Russell, and Mr. Massey. "New occa- , sions teach new duties," and it is the 1 task of the Liberal party to rise to these ' , i occasions. ! The justification for the formation of , a National Government was that the , successful prosecution of the war de- ( manded political stability and CO- f operation, which necessitated a cessation of party warfare between two parties practically equal in numbers. Tt was a j proper step, and in spite of the disappointment that i- felt at the record of the National Government, we believe that on the whole results have jusfTded it. The trouble has been that, in a ' Cabinet composed of two sets of men , differing in political aims, compromise : and inaction have been too common. The actual conduct of the war. and what may be described as dome-tic legislation, could not be kept separate. In the ' nature of things tney Intertwined. . I'nited on the broad questions of the war. Cabinet could not agree in matters of domestic concern arising out of the. : war; it is evident that frequently old party differences, arising sometimes out of opposing political ideals, were at/ work, with results that disappointed and : exasperated public opinion. The , domestic record of the Government >» < inferior to the part it played in throwing the country's strength into the strutrale. What has happened should be sufficient ■ in itself to show all liberal-minde 1 men and women that a continuance of the coalition after the lifetime of this Parliament is impossible. The duty ot the Liberal party now is to prepare for the coming struggle. It must draw up a bold programme of progressive legislation and ideals, which will .appeal to all the Liberal and Radical elements in the community, and it must begin to look about for suitable candidates to cirrv its banners. A programme can be framed that will appeal to men and '' ! women in all classes. To go to the I country with anything less would be to ' risk disaster. j i !'