LIBERALS AND LABELS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21639, 25 November 1935, Page 17

LIBERALS AND LABELS

TO TUB WBITO* OP TKS PKSSS, Sir,—Mr Forbes has been accused of forsaking the principles of Liberalism and it is interesting to learn that a new Liberal party has. been formed in Christchurch with G. F. Allen as chairman. The name of the party, which was recently resuscitated by Mr R, B. Dalley, is "The Christchurch Liberal party." Now in the first place Knowing the leader of this party to be Mr Allen, I desire him to advise us through your columns what is the party's policy- It is important to know this because he says, "Practically all the members of the United party of Christchurch, with the exception of j those who were not free to choose i their own course, remained true to their liberal principles." By this statement, I take it he means that those United members of the Christchurch party and voters who are supporting the Government have betrayed their Liberal principles and those who have joined his party are the true blue Liberals, If this is so, let Mr Allen give us his party's platform; we do not want political platitudes such as enacting legislation > for the "greatest good of the greatest number." Every party claims this. But as a political party, let Mr Allen and Mr Dalley tell us what their proposals are for the future Government of this country, what they propose to do which the present Government has not done and should do to bring further prosperity to New Zealand. If they have a policy, why not let the Government know what it is in order that it may consider it I have been informed that certain former members of the United party in Christchurch, but nowhere else in New Zealand, have declined to support the Government because of personal considerations. I should be pleased to ■ have an assurance from the leaders of the Christchurch Liberal party that their refusal to support th® Government and Mr Forbes in par* ticular, is not based on personal considerations, but is due to their wholehearted support of Liberal principles. It appears, too, that altogether too much importance has been attached to the obscure Christchurch Liberal party. The Democratic party, having nothing to offer the country but a wild policy of extravagance, has sought to increase its respectability by stating that all Democratic candidate* are supported by the Liberal party, which means the Christchurch Liberal party. Those electors like myself, who supported Seddon and Ward, will not be deceived by this. I have been a lifelong supporter of the Liberal party and in pursuance of this, intend to support the Government led by Mr Forbes, which has faced great difficulties, which has made mistakes, but which has adopted the measures which it thought were the best possible in the interests of the country. That the policy was founded on statesmenship is shown by the result to-day, namely, increasing prosperity for alL—Yours, etc.,

OLD LIBERAL. November 22, 1935.