Party Relations.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16704, 12 December 1919, Page 8

Party Relations.

It -will bo plain to onr readers this morning that "The Press" was not wasting its spaco when it began to focus public attention upon the peril of a political j situation in which the official Labour Party would hold the balance of power, for the relation of the Liberal Party to tho Labour Tarty is now being dismissed j throughout the Dominion, fir Joseph

j Ward him?elr. unintentionally, , : helped the discussion to become general j by his indiscreet attack upon "Tho ; ■ Pre.=s." Ye-terdny wo wore able to j rocerd Mr Holland's public pledge that ! lie would not rote against the present ' Government unless Sir Joseph Ward | co'.:M so; tire lor a no-conf;dcnce motion ) a majority entirely independent of the j . official Labour Party. To-day wc re- ' t ord Mr liitt'.s answer to the following : : o';-?t nr.:— • "\\ i.' Mr vote for a motion to . ; tit t;:o M:i<-"ey Government out of •ri'.-f .--.•-l Sir J.-sonh Ward into offiro II the . linn does net result in there til ing ;i :jori'y against the Ma* or vern::' "it ry -hisi've i>f any me:nT> —i of t! e diti-'VI labour Party", nf wh:-h Messrs M. K Holland and' Sample aro> l-.'.-t-kncv.n members?" 1 To t'.is rjuo-tici'. 31 r Isitt made tho fol- ! low-ing reply : — ; "I v. ill !i 't v ro to p-:t. M r Massoy out- I • : nfp o._ Pi:- Ward in. by j the aid of an extreme Labour majority." ! In tin- Avon and Christch'irch Ka*t | ?eats tlx- Liberal candidate.* lir.vo given ! :so pledge of this hind. They moan to j adopt tho attitude of Mr Kovrlds, and i to join the Pods or anyone else in vot- i t inc; the Government on anyone's I motion. It ss therefore impossible fori I anyone who desires honest government ! to regwd tlio Liberal candidates in fl-css I ronstituet'cies as nrcfoi-:: 1 !;- to their LaI bo:ir opponents. Mr Holland and Mr I -silt are now pledged, in tho eyes of all ' |>I"in men. to oppose any attempt that >ir Joseph Ward may make to secure :;fIV-o through a motion tho carrying of which will he impossible without the 1 aid of members of tho Official La"bour i Party. | It is a most unhappy thing for the ! Dominion that there should be cren a I possibility that the hatred of tho Labour Party for tho Reform Government should be used as a weapon by any ether party in a bid for office. Sir Josepii Ward will not give tin his claim to the use of the Labour Party as a lever. The 1 country can rid itself of the possibility • of a disagreeable bargaining between tho Liberal Leader and tho Official La- 1 hour Party by giving Mr Massey a * majority over all parties. Ajid this, we j are confident, tho country will do. i