NEXT WEEK'S CAUCUS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 118, 22 May 1925, Page 8

NEXT WEEK'S CAUCUS

EOSITION OF INDEPENDENTS

WILL THEY ATTENDI

Ever sinca last election the Reform Government' has been in a precarious position, in that it has depended for a continuance of offioe on the votes of Colonel Allen Bell and Messrs. G.. Witty and L. M. r Isitt.

So fair as these gentlemen are concerned, "the- Government may', be said to have existed, with a:"majorityof three opponents;,",for.Messfs." -Isitt and 1 Witty were Liberals, and at the last General Election' Colonel Bell defeated the Hon. iVernon Heed, M.L.C., who stood as the official Reform candidate for the Bay of Islands. Mr.; Witty has. since the election stated 'that" he ~ would not follow Mr. Wilford as Leader of the Liberal 'Partyj Jjut Mr. Isitt has declared himself to-be a Liberal still, although refusing to vote against the Beform Government and thus running a risk of putting the extreme Labour Party in a dic-tatorial-position.

Mr. jsitt has-npt attended the Liberal•Labour Party's caucuses since giving hi» pledge,, arid in the absence of any public statement as to." his voting. intentions next; session, the question arises whether he will respond to tho invitation to be present at the Keform caucus next Wednesday.. .. The language of the invitation is wide enough to allow of his acceptance, for. the meeting is to be one of "those members of the House of Representatives who have supported Mr. Massey"s Government during, the present Parliament." It is stated that Mr. IWitty, will, be" present, and it is believed that Colonel •Bell will attend also. Both Colonel -BelUand Mr. Witty have stated since Mr. Magsey's death that their last General Election pledges regarding voting on a no-confidence amendment still stand.-

In view of happenings last session and more recent developments, it will be a matter of some-, interest to watch whether Mr. W. .D. .Lysnar; member for . Gisiborne, will attend the caucus, especially as-it-was -anticipated some little time ago that Mr. Lysnar would adopt a hostile,, attitude,, to, the Reform Government next 1- session- because of what he . conceived' to' be its attitude towards trusts. Of 'course,''.if some arrangement between ■the "Liberals and Reformers is reached during the next few weeks for carrying on the session, Mr. Lysnar's . attitude would not very much matter. . . Butj should- it occur that the Reform Party was defeated for the Franklin seat, a contingency regarded as very improb- ' ablej:' and that- Mr. Lysnar took the responsibility of voting against the Government, assuming the- position of parties remains the same as it is to-day, then an, early -General Election would be'^assured.'".The" general opinion, how-' ever,' is! Jhat as an early; election is not favoured'by manyj if any,- members, the session will take the ordinary course of a pre-'General:Election, session, and not. be a very long one. ■:.-•. ' ; - -