PARTYISM AND APATHY

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 48, 25 August 1921, Page 6

PARTYISM AND APATHY

Mr. Statham states the new Party (National Progressive and Moderate Labour) will be glad to receive the support of any public men who will accept its political principles. This attitude is a yery fair one ; in fact, nothing could 'be fairer.' The presumption is that there exists in New Zealand a great body of people—including a number of politically talented men, unattracted by the atrophied Reform Party and repelled by the rabid extremists—who are 'willing to join in a middle party of progressive ideals formed on a basis of democratic constitutionalism. If such people exist, the platform and constitution of the new party provide them with ar. opportunity to express themselves ; the constitution invites them, and any alteration of the platform -will lie with themselves. If it should turn out that there_Js no general response to the invitation, that negative result will not prove that the great body of middle people does not exist.' There will be, instead, a strong presumption that apathy and inertia still hold the mass of the electors, whose awakening may require a stronger jolt than depression and industrial unrest have yet applied. Some,, perhaps, will say that the appeal of the new party is unsupported by a suitable personnel; but surely the cure of that defect, if it exists, lies in the hands of the critics. The evidence that there is wide popular dissatisfaction with existing parties is very strong. But some new development may be needed to make it articulate.