WILLING TO MEET

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 130, 5 June 1925, Page 8

WILLING TO MEET

REFORMERS AND LIBERALS

PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY TO MR, WLFORD THREE MEMBERS FROM EACH SIDE 'After a meeting of-Cabinet the Prime Minister (the Hon. .T. G. Coatcs) this afternoon issued the reply to the letter of the Liberal, Leader (Mr. T. M. Wilford), suggesting that a Committee should be set up representative of the I}e= form and Liberal Parties to discuss the question of amalgamation. In his letter to Mr. Wilford the Prime Minis* ter expresses the willingness of his party to proceed to a conference, but suggests that there should be only three members on each side. The Prime Minister's letter is aS follows :— sth June, 1025. Dear Sir, —I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, and to thank you for the expression of views which it contains in regard to the suggestions that have recently been made i for an amalgamation oE the two main political parties. May I say at the outset that there never has been at any time a thought on the part of those who support the Government that such I an amalgamation should take place only for the purpose of fighting Labour. I know that among the ranks of the workers are many who support us, and the Government's concern in its administration of the public affairs of the Dominion is to give equal opportunity to every section of the community. What I understand is rather to be .aimed at is the joining up of our forces in order to present a. more j united front against that section of the people who actively espouse I extreme Socialistic or Communistic ideals, the adoption of which, I am ! firmly convinced, would not be in the best interests of the Dominion. i I have already said thai the Government will give earnest considI oration to any proposals that may be made with the object of finding a practicable modus operandi between the two parties, and perhaps I had better quote for your information the official minute of the decision arrived at when the question was discussed at the meeting of Reform Party members of Parliament recently'held in Wellington. It is as follows:— " " Suggestions for a Irieudly conference which have been received by the Government from a representative of certain members of Parliament of the Liberal Party were considered by the meeting, and it was resolved that the Reform Party is willing to enter iipon such a conference as has been sug« gested. It was left, to the new Leader to make the necessary arrangements. I may say that on the 3rd instant I took steps to communicate this decision to the representative of the Liberal members of Parliament through whom the suggestions had come, and I proposed that such conference should consist of three members from either side to meet at Wellington, at a date to be subsequently arranged. It was presumed that you were cognisant of these steps, but if not, then I have pleasure in reiterating to' you as Leader of that party our willingness to proceed to such a conference, and that it •would probably facilitate the necessary preliminary consideration if the conference wcr^ limited to three members from either side. You will recollect that this was in effect the proposal conveyed to you by the Prime Minister in 1923, with, the added suggestion that the Leaders should be excluded from such a, conference. Yours sincerely, .'(Sgd.) J. G. COATES.