The New Political Party.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19156, 12 November 1927, Page 16

The New Political Party.

The first authentic and significant news . concerning the new political Party, the "United New Zealand Political Or- " ganisation," is contained in the statement by Mr Geo. Forbes which wc printed yesterday. Mr Forbes is the leader of the oddly-named "National "Party," which everyone has recognised as the last of the old Liberal Party's long series of aliases, and it will surprise nobody that Mr Forbes should reveal that the TJ.N.Z.P.O. is for all practical purposes likely to be the old Party in a new dress. The new organisation, Mi Forbes says, has had several conferences with the National Party, which has "decided to co- " operate" in the formation of a new Party comprising " all those sections of "the community who are dissatisfied "with the present Government." He explains that his own Party is aoting in "no selfish spirit," and "seeks, as " a Party, no advantage over any other " organisation or political section that "may also decide to be similarly associated." But the "National Party" is not going to be merely one of several ingredients; what it has stipulated is that it shall be regarded as "the "nucleus fcft that combination." it was hardly to be expected that the weather-worn Liberals would omit to claim some kind of authority over the discontented amateur politicians who will join them, and it is helpful of Mr Forbes to make it so clear that the new Party will be the Liberal Party enlarged and decorated with some new accretions. There are, of course, very good grounds for hostile criticism of some of the Government's acts of policy and administration, but the Liberals are the very last persons who can advance any right to join in this criticism. Mr Forjbes allowed himself to give some reasons for linking up with the discontented sections of the community. These were: "the constant tinkering "and tampering with legislation," " the wholesale substitution of govern"ment by Order-in-Council," "inter- " ference with private enterprise and "initiative," and "the gradual en- " croachment of the State on the rights "and privileges of citizens." The Press is entitled to criticise these faults in the Government's administration, because they are things which have been denounced in these columns, unwaveringly and without regard to the complexion of the Government of the day, for more than three decades. But no Liberal can indulge in such criticism j without bringing into question his consistency and candour. The policy of the Liberals always was, and still is, that very State Socialism which manifests itself in the very tendencies that Mr Forbes professes to regard as dangerous. We, and others, have been fighting for years against the encroachments of the State upon private liberty, and at every turn we have found the Liberals standing sturdily with the Reds against us. The Liberals cannot expect anybody to believe that they have realised overnight, as it were, that the tendencies they originated and steadfastly encouraged are heavy with menace to the Dominion. Such miracles do not happen with weatherbeaten political organisations with records like that of the Liberal Party.