The Press Thursday, April 30, 1931. The Fusion Proposal.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20224, 30 April 1931, Page 8

The Press Thursday, April 30, 1931. The Fusion Proposal.

It is a little odd to find the Olago Daily Times calling for " a prompt and tin- " equivocal acceptance of Mr Forbes's " offer " and the Auckland Star wondering whether '' Conservatism and Liberalism can dwell permanently in one " house." Jn the meantime Mr Coates himself is silent, and his silence is wisdom. Unless there can be first an agreement on policy, fusion is out of (he question; and so far the Reform I'arly has not been told whether the United Party huts a policy. It is not sufficient for Mr Forbes to say that there must be " a strong Government to " control affairs while the Dominion is '' passing Ihrough the present economic '' crisis." If the Reform Party is to assist him only till the crisis passes, it can do that quite well without: any loss of identity. If, on Ihe other hand, he really intends—and to-day he repeats it—that the United and Reform Parties should disappear, he must say what is to take their place, what the new Party's policy will be, and by what specific measures it will set about squaring the national accounts. There can be no such thing as fusion for a specific term. The new Party, if it comes into existence, destroys the Parties it displaces, but cannot come info existence without a set body of principles. It is for Mr Forbes to say —certainly to begin by saying—what these principles shall be; and unless he is looking far beyond the next session of Parliament there is no permanent ground on which the Reform Party can meet him. It must be clear also that if the discussions reach the stage at which the existence of the Reform Party is definitely in the balance, the Party as a whole must be consulted, and not merely the members of the Party who at present represent it in Parliament. Finally, it would be useless to ask the Party to fuse, merge, or amalgamate with the United Party unless it were guaranteed half the seats in the new Cabinet. Mr Forbes has behaved so well himself, not merely in offering Mr Coates a " clean slate" now, but in resisting the temptation to drift with the tide, that he ought to be allowed to retain his leadership; and it is not likely that there would be obstruction by Mr Coates. It is certain, in any case, that Mr Coates would not obstruct for personal or selfish reasons, after the attitude maintained by him throughout the session. But the leadership problem at the present stage is of comparatively little importance. Although leaders have made Parties, and unmade them, it is on principles only that two existing Parties can be merged and remade. Mr Forbes must realise that Mr Coates can do no more within the next few days than say whether the Reform Party would be willing, on any terms, to vote itself out of existence.