The Press Monday, March 28, 1921. A New Political Party?

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17104, 28 March 1921, Page 6

The Press Monday, March 28, 1921. A New Political Party?

New? come# frpm Wellington to-day of tho fprnjatipn of a new political party, which got the length of choosing a name—tljio "Natiqpl Progressive and "Moderate Labour Party." The principles inspiring tljis party or© npt announced,. a»d have probably not yet been formulated. There is fip prganjser, hpwpyer, *"#cting National- " CtrtwciV and Mr C. J5. Sfe»iluH», fyjLP., hps -been offered tho leadership. dedijte the new party's programme fromf its naiiief/ivhich is ono any ordinary poetical party .withthe exception of'Mr J3. Jloiland's conld! oJijijn as fairly descriptive of its aims. Instead, therefore, of speculating, upon life programme which may ultimately be issued, wo shall ask only what need exists for a new party. The old Liberal Pajrty is dead, One or two of, ijts o}d apologists #d, indeed, say thattihe votpjp for ||r amendment tQ tho Address in the recent, ses»ion was orjdeiice of yifality, fifM*'. ono Ifliows thpt Mr Wilford's supporters op that oocasiQp. ites as well as the Labour group. And it is dead bcoanse the living ideas of progressive Lffcerel govenwiaaot ' Jmye sought and forawj . other and more ' of tlie ojd Jiiberal Party as cn effective foroO became inevitable whpft yevnluHipnafy taught became organised, and forcedajlthe older party divisjons-into onii sjnglei. line of • cleayage between moderate men pad extremists. The formation of a new. party such as that whicVfa'now spoken of amounts to n denial' pf the lealijy of this line of olefiyage. It is therefore not a-party npon anyone ahowld rest any.strppg hppes- Thert» is «n idefi, Aye Suppose, that the' "independent" raerabe» of the Hqnse pan he augmented by two or three independent Reformers and some of the few remaining Wardites and Seddoniteß in the HouSe. Perhaps they can, hut engineering a "left wing" in Parliament is one thing and engineering ft 'lflft wing" in the country is another, and wo cannot see where thei new organisation is going to find its hacking inthe electorate.