The Press. Tuesday, December 9, 1919. The Anti-Reform Alliance

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16701, 9 December 1919, Page 6

The Press. Tuesday, December 9, 1919. The Anti-Reform Alliance

Discussing the Liberal leader's relation to tho Labour group, npronos of tho statement from him which wo printed yesterday, wo said thatlSir Joseph Ward would say that ho could not help it if tho Reds voted with him against the Government. Exactly the same plea, wo pointed out, would bo available to him if events gavo him the opportunity of forming a Government. How could ho help it—wo pictured liim as saying—if tho Reds, liking his policy, kept him in offico? As a matter of fact, Sir Joseph actually did pnt forward this plea yesterday morning in a statement printed by our morning contemporary. "Ho wondered," so his statement is reported, "if t&o writer of tho article "Tin 'Tho Pross"! thought that he "could control men who wero not sup- " porting him in Parliament"— meaning, as tho context showed, men who were not regular members of tho Liberal Party. Sir Joseph is in tho happy, or unhappy, position of feeling perfectly assured that tho Labour men, although he cannot control them, are, nevertheless, suro supporters of his. Tho knowledge has already a good deal modified tho tone of his references to the LaV>ur Party. Flis declarations of disliko for revolutionary policies hare lately h«vn rare, and have boon in a very inu.or key. He has been very loud, on 1!» other hand, in his professions of .'i ration for "moderate Labour," although, now that Mr Vcitch has come out definitely as a Wnrdist, there is not a einglo "moderate Labour" man with tho faintest chanco of being elected. Every Labour man elocted will lx> q unit in tho littlo army in which Mr S>'mpb is another unit, as tho "Post" aim! the "Dominion" have pointed out in the tolling articles we quote to-day.

In tho meantime, Mr IT. E. Ilclland, tho Lender of tho Labour Party, has • repeated in tho clearest manner that I tho Labour group "will seito tho first, " opportunity to defeat Mr Massey on "anybody's motion." Ho goes on to! jr.ake it clear that tho Hod* will p;»t assist to turn Sir Joseph Ward e „. unless and until their belief t!i'ii liii policy will suit them is *haken.! Jit present it is th.'ir linn bcliof that; £o would suit them very well indeed.

and it is everyone else's belief, too. Throughout Now Zealand the electors h.-.ve noted th" significant fact that while the r?f v H regard tho Reform P.irty as the only obstacle to revolutionary Labour's designs, they regard tho Libera! Party under its present lr.ider'hip as a friend and ally. They } avo tho lest of grounds for their opinion in each ease, ami they know that in throwing in their lot with Sir Joseph Ward they are a"ting in their own interests. They have nr.: forgotten tho facts r.meerning :h.- allocation by • < vr Joseph Ward fit 4lie Liberal soldiers' votes in 1 IfII. During that election the Liberals were ..'••nouwing us. ji:<: iu tivy de- j ::oLtiee tr- to-day. for that j the Liberals and the Reds worn workin,; t'i::eti.fT. They an ( | their leader I'ivt- ! "moderate Labour." and i: was untrue thai there iva- any eollusion, j any ronuimnity of purpos", between rhe:n and the nominees o: the Re:K. Vet fihen the tirno eame. Sir Joseph Wan! delivered to the IJ<'ds all the j \ .. at his (li-i)O-al in most cf tlio-e i-on.it'iueneie.s in whicdi no Liberal was r.tan iim; foi- elef ti'in. Wo give the j far ts concerning this - most significant incident, in another column.

Wc have liocn npko t 1 lor our opninn upon tlio fluiv of Reformers in a <nn-stitiii'ii'-y in wliicli tlsrrp is no IJoform crin-ii'lato The choice" i* obrot nn oa.-y nno fnr tlio Reform • upportprs in tho!-o districts. Lot, n 5 ? c ji.sidor, for rxamplo, tho Christ church South scat. Mr Holland nnt] Howard air* i)oth oncmics of tlio Reform Party, and Ijoth will support Sir Joseph Ward in any movement against tho Government. This fact will probaliLy lead ninny Reform voters to abstain from voting altoccther or to express their opinion by simply striking out both names on their ballot papers. Others may feel that it is important to prevent the election of Mr Howard, although thoro would probably bo general agreement that if Labour candidates must be eleeted Mr Howard is preferable to many others of his party. For our own part, wo cannot seo that Mr Holland, who is willing to join tho Libernl-Lnbour combination against Mr Massey when Parliaments meets, is in this respect proferablo to Mr Howard. His opinions on many questions arc Quito unlike Mr Howard's, but ho is not giving tho electors an opportunity to be influenced by his opinions. Ho is himself putting his opinions out of court. The Reform voters in this electorate will gain nothing whatever by preferring Mr Holland to Mr Howard. If tho Labour group is to hold tho balance of power, it is obviously immaterial whether Mr Holland or Mr Howard is elcctod. Qlr Holland's cloction, certainly, would simply add ono to_ Sir Joseph Ward's exctiscc for using tho Labour group's support, whilo Mr Howard's election would in tho samo degree weaken Sir Joseph's excuso for this course of action. What wo have said of Christchurch South is exactly truo of Avon and Christchnroh East. In tho case of Christchurch North, Mr Isitt's position is far less unsatisfactory than that of Mr Holland or Mr Russell, or Dr. Thacker, althongh wo commend to Mr Isitt's notice tho point made by our correspondent "Perplexed" in to-day's paper.