The Dominion THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1923. THE POLITICAL SITUATION

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 122, 8 February 1923, Page 6

The Dominion THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1923. THE POLITICAL SITUATION

To a certain extent the air has been cleared by the iesolutions passed by the Liberal Party at its meeting on Tuesday. The final outcome of the situation may still be uncertain, but the Liberals hare left no room for doubt that they are opposed to a fusion of the Re ; form and Liberal Parties.

The professed grounds for tho attitude of the Libeial Paity as set out in their resolutions are worth noting. They want (1) to maintain their separate identity as a. paity, ( ) to maintain the principles of true Liberalism; (3) they will not join with the Reform Party so long as it “continues to represent and bo mainly influenced” by the owners of large vested interests and controllers of monopolies. . One might almost think there was a saving clause in the last resolution. The Liberals will not link up with the Reform 1 arty “so long as,” etc. etc. It might be assumed that but for these alleged shortcomings of tho Reform Party the way would be clear to a fusion of some kind. ,•, ■ , It is quite clear, however, to those who follow political matters at all closely that this talk of the Reform Party being associated with largo vested interests and of the superior virtues of the paiticulai brand of Liberalism which is to be preached and promulgated by the Wilfordites is mere electioneering claptrap. Tho proof of this, if further proof were needed than the actual achievements of the two parties in recent years, is to be found in tho policies of the parties as placed before the electors at the recent general elections. Save on the. questions of a State bank and a change in the electoral system they were to all intents and purposes identical. Whatever the Wilfordites may say to the contrary, they know quite well that the assertion that the Government policy is not m the main as soundly Liberal as their own policy is mere humbug, and is only made to serve party ends. Since the Wilfordites must know this, then it is obvious that they are not sincere when they give the reasons quoted for theirl refusal to link up with the Reform Party and present a united front to the extremists. What then are the real reasons for their present attitude? . The one thing that does ring true in tho resolutions of the party caucus is the declaration in favour of the maintenance of the identity of the party as a distinct party. That resolution goes to the root of things. It means the Wilfordites are determined to place party first, -and in seeking to justify this decision they are forced to cast general aspersions on the Reform Party which they do not attempt to support with .specific proofs. This style of party warfare has been going on here for a long time now. Regardless of changing conditions the Reform and Liberal Parties have been attacking one another along old familiar lines, with stock arguments, many of which are long out of date. In 1919 Sin Joseph Ward crashed because he made a false- move, and in a time of difficulty placed his party interests first. His successor in the leadership of the Liberal Party is adopting a similar course to-day. The public are not likely to bo deceived as to the reasons which have prompted the action of the Wilfordites. They will not be likely to overlook the fact that the Wilfordites rejected the opening made by the Reform Party for a new alignment of parties without even affording tho opportunity for a conference between the parties to ascertain whether there was any likelihood of a satisfactory agreement being reached. That was a blunder, and it is probable that some members of the Wilford Party, and especially some of those who are on its outskirts, will, on reflection, realise this. The position now is that as a result of the attitude of the Wilfordites the three-party system is to be perpetuated, needless!#. That system, which divides what, is generally termed moderate opinion into two camps —Reform and Liberal plays into the hands of the Socialist-Communist group. Is that in the interests of the country? It may bo that it will be found there are a sufficient number of members in the present Parliament who realise thd unwisdom and the danger of splitting the anti-Communist forces to ensure that the Government will secure a working majority. Should this prove not to be the case, then the action of the Wilfordites must have the eitect of forcing on the country another general election.