POLITICAL SITUATION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 117, 21 May 1925, Page 6

POLITICAL SITUATION

NEXT WEEK'S CAUCUS

REFORMERS AND LIBERALS

THE AMALGAMATION ISSUE.

Interest in the political situation is not "diminishing, but is rather becoming intensified as-.the time .'draws near for the caucus of-the -Reform Party ou Wednesday next. It is fairly generally assuriied that there will be practical agreement on the choice of the Hon. J. G. Coat.s as leader of the party, but, of course, there are other issues which will be raised, the most important of which will be the' question of devising .ways and means of bridging the gulf at present separating the Reform and Liberal Parties. This is a matter which will undoubtedly receive the most serious consideration, but the impression prevails that it will be possible to get through the business of the- meeting in the one day.

In.ipoint-.of..fact, it.is.considered, likolv. in. Reform .circles.'.that the question .o"f .the party leadership will be disposed of without a great dual of difficulty, certainly with far greater ease than that of finding a basis on which the Liberal and Reform forces can be brought into the one camp. A prominent Reform member stated to-day _■ that there was really not much attaching to all the newspaper comment upon the possibilities of the selection of .the Hon. W. Downie Stewart as leader of the parly, as at no'time had his claims to the position been seriously considered by the majority of the members of the party. Mr. Stewart, it was maintained, despite his high intellectual qualifications, had been ruled out of the running because of his lack of decisiveness in coming to • decisions. By the more progressive .sections of -tho Reform Party Mr. Stewart was held to be too conservative in thought to be capable of meeting the democratic tendencies of tho times •with that quickness of action which was so characteristic, of .Mr.. Coales.

But, apart from the leadership issue, •what is now giving the subject of most .serious., concern was' stated to be the possibilities of. Reform-Liberal linking up. One view put forward from the Reform side was that this was a matter which could not be rushed hastily simply as a matter of expediency for combating Labour. Crucial differences in the policies of the Reform and .Liberal Parties were not greatly apparent, and from that standpoint there did not seem to be any really very vital objections to amalgamation, but there were other points involved which could not be settled without long and deep negotiation. • To that extent it was thought preferable that the matter might well be left to the electors to., express their opinion upon ■ at the General Election.

.It was-admitted that-for the two forces-to become as one it would be requisite to work upon a policy that was sound and progressive, but that how to achieve unity would be a matter for suitable discussion between members on both sides during the course of the coming session. Apart from questions of Cabinet appointments and such like, there, were questions to consider in ■which mure than merely the members of the present House of Representatives were concerned. Outside interests had to be taken into account also, and not the least important was that of the selection of Parliamentary candidates, especially, where, the' aspirations of persons now known by their respective .Reform or Liberal fabels had to be reconciled. ' . . : '

For this reason alone it would, it was considered; be better that the question of pressing for an amalgamation of the two main political parties should bo left to, tho people to decide, and that, for that reason, the mere possibility of a defeat of a Reform Government on a nooonfidence amendment during the coming session was of no great -moment, see-, ing tbnt, being the ordinary year for the General Election the Governor-General would probably grant a dissolution immediately instead of sending for the lader of one of the parties in Opposition to form a Ministry which would have no chance of more than the briefest survival.