STILL ANOTHER PARTY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18122, 11 July 1924, Page 8

STILL ANOTHER PARTY.

CIRCULAR TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.

A SUGGESTED CABINET

(special to "THI FRasS.") WELLINGTON, July 10. An amazing but, withal, amusing circular, typewritten, but unsigned, was distributed to-day to members of Parliament and to tho Pres3 Gallery. It reads as follows: —

The New Zealand League, comprising many influential public men who have in the past supported the Reform Party, appeals to each member of the House to give earnest consideration to the question raised in this letter —the case for an amalgamation of the Liberal and Reform Parties. We will first clear the ground as far as the two leaders are concerned. When it was suggested to the Right Hon. W. F, Massey that he should retiro and make room for an amalgamated National Party, he replied: I will go when I am put out, and not before. It was then pointed out to him that if ho continued his policy it might result in the Labour Party getting into power, and his reply was: I prefer the Labour Part.y to the Liberals. When the suggestion was made to Mr Wilford that his retirement might assist an amalgamation he stated: I will do anything that will help the country, and if giving up the Liberal leadership will bring prosperity and political' peace to New Zealand I will give up gladly. The League views with strong disfavour Mr Massey's attitude, and regrets that his desire for office should havo blinded his eyes to tho dangers of a Labour Government. The present state of the parties has led to unrest, to financial instability, and to compromise on many matters of public welfare. Mr Massey is in the grip "of interests that are detrimental to every citizen, and nothing short of his retirement will bring about an amalgamation strong enough to withstand them. A National Party will not set one religion against another for political purposes, and under an amalgamation religious strife and feeling will disappear. Mr Massey, acting under instructions from banking interests, dare not introduce an Agricultural Banking Bill, but a National Party will be too strong to be dictated to in this matter. A National Party will enable many able New Zealanders to enter the Legislature; men like Messrs T. E. Y. Seddon, J. Favrell, W. J. Holdsworth, G. Mitchell, J. Mason, R. Cobbe, T. Forsyth, 11. 8. S. Kyle, J. J. Clark, and B. Macartney, some of whom were defeated at the last election through the three-party system. Tho League appeals to Mr Massey to forget place and power, and to put country before every other consideration. "A Wonderful Cabinet." The circular concludes: — Tho under-mentioned National Cabinet would appeal to the country:— Hon. J. G. Coates, Prime Minister; Mr T. M. Wilford, Attorney-General and Deputy-Leader of tho House; Hon. W. Downie Stewart, Hon. A. T. Ngata, Mr J. A. Nash, Mr E. Masters, Mr G. W. Forbes, Mr F. J. Eolleston, Mr J. A. Young, Mr W. J. Girling, Mr W. A. Veitch, Sir John Luke. No one here seems to know exactly what the New Zealand League is. Somebody said, "It is tho one that's in opposition to Rugby." Anyhow, the suggested Cabinet has hugely amused members of the House and others. Mr Lee, the Auckland Labour member, suggested that the movement was one to get rid of a Cabinet of sharks and supplant it with one of minnows and whitebait.

Only two members of the present Cabinet are included in it, and the one thing that is generally regarded as absolutely certain is that neither of these two would take a portfolio in such a Cabinet. It will bo noted that there are eight North Island men in the proposed Cabinet, and only four from the South Island. The typewriting of the circular gives a very good indication of the office from which it originated. Mr Lee, who referred to it in the House, said it was an attempt to put Mr Massey into cold storage. Ho did not know what would happen to Mr Wilford. A member: He would bo put in a warmer place. MR MASSEY'S EMPHATIC DENIAL. When the House resumed in the evening Mr Lee said ho had been endeavouring in the interval to discover the parentage of the "little child" (the circular), but without success. The infant had been placed on tho doorstep, and was evidently a foundling. "Has it a father? "Has it a mother? "Has it a Bister? "Has it a brother?" — quoted the member amidst laughter. "Touch it with care, "Fondle it gently, "Slender and fair." When Mr Lee had finished his speech, soon after the House met again after dinner, Mr Massey rose and referred to tho quotation Mr Leo had made from the circular that he (Mr Massey) would not go out before he was put out, and that he preferred the Labour Party to the Liberals. Speaking with some warmth, Mr Massey said: I solemnly deny that statement. It is an unqualified falsehood, worthy of Ananias himself, and the proof of it, Mr Speaker, is that on several occasions, when I have had an opportunity of speaking to the party that I have the honour to lead —and no moro loyal party ever followed a leader in this . world —I have told them time after time that I would be quite prepared to stand aside, and at any time help them to select a man vrho would be able to carry on, and who would be worthy of the position he intended to occupy.