UNION OF PARTIES

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 93, 21 April 1931, Page 10

UNION OF PARTIES

IN NATIONAL INTEREST

PROPOSALS NOT DISCUSSED

ONUS ON LEADERS

The representations made to the Leaders of the Reform and United Parties last week by a deputation of "Wellington business men.urging the desirability of a fusion of the two parties in the interests of sound legislation have not been discussed officially by meetings of the. Government and Opposition factions, but. the proposals are naturally exciting comment in political circles. It seems probable that if the suggestion reaches tire stage of being considered by the respective caucuses, nothing is like-! ly to be done before the termination of the present session,, but that members ■will be given the opportunity to give it mature and deliberate consideration, in the coming recess. Outside the political sphere, the choice of. the term "fusion," implying the sinking of present party identities in a common party, is regarded by many people as unfortunate. It is said that the real desire of those .who are petitioning for an amalgamation is not so much that the present party principles should bo irrevocably thrown overboard, but that a National Government should be formed to tide the Dominion over the present period of distress cruised by outside economic influences. Hopes are expressed by influential men who appended their.signatures to tlie.joint letter presented to the two party leaders that earnest consideration will be given to their representations, and they expect the two leaders to submit the proposals to their parties. In addition to the representations made in Wellington, similar proposals arc being forwarded to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition from other centres of the Dominion, and from other interests than purely business concerns. MIXED OPINIONS. From inquiries made amongst members concerned, it seems that opinion on the advisability of the two largest parties in the House of Representatives uniting forces under the one banner is very mixed. It is said that the views taken by Reform members are very evenly divided, some being favourable to,, fusion negotiations because of the need for establishing a stable National Government at least until the present economic difficulties have been overcome, while others'arguo that there is no .reason, why the, party should not go forward adhering faithfully to the principles of its foundation and avoid sinking its identity with a party to whicli it has. long been opposed. On the United Party side of the House it is understood that a considerable majority is favourable to an.amalgamation of party interests. Direct negotiations with a view to a fusion were, carried on for some time after the death of Mr. Massey, but without success. It is said, however, that .many who wer.o lukewarm concerning the proposal, at that time arc now wholeheartedly in favour of it, and, moreover, that this change of view is most apparent amongst professed supporters of the-Reform Party. REFORM OBJECTIONS, Adverse Reform opinion is based on varied reasoning. One member who was approached took the vie>v that the Government was discredited as the result of its abnegations .of the policy on which it was elected, and that it must Buffer defeat at the next General Election, and that a fusion would simply hasten the advent of Labour to office. He. foresaw another difficulty which he regarded as insurmountable—that of selecting candidates at an election. He anticipated that as soon, as negotiations were opened for the choice of candi : dates old differences would inevitably arise and it would be impossible to come to an arrangement that would give satisfaction to both sides.' Similarly, when • the first General Election after the fusion was approached, what would be the basis of arrangement as to what sitting mqmbers should stand down? Another' Reform, member" said' he believed the. majority 'of his ' colleagues wished to see a much greater ..desire for fusion exhibited from community sources, and particularly from supporters of the Reform Party,, before, they would feel justified in ."giving.'any'consideration, to', the proposal. So far, he said, the only suggestions had 'come from a comparative handful of signatories. A further opinion from the Opposition side of! the House is that after the next General Election the necessity for. fusion.will have been solved by the decimation of the resent Government. DIFFICULTY OF LEGISLATING. Supporters of, the suggestion on both sides of the House take somewhat similar lilies of viewing the question. United Party members who are favourable see the need for amalgamation of forces,'chiefly .owing to the' difficulty of legislating to the benefit of the country while three parties of fairly, even strength . are ranged against one another.- The difficulty of t.lje present party position is naturally felt most by the' Government, and it is being argued that as the country is-passing through an emergency somewhat .similar to that created .by the Great War, there is justification for the formation of a National Government,'to work in the general interests of the country,- and discarding party, interests, ■as was done during the war period.. INDEPENDENT VIEWS, The opinion of. those who profess no adherence to any party is.of interest. One or two of the six .Independents have previously advocated a fusion or! the Reform and United Parties, mainly because they can see no real policy line of demarcation between them. It was pointed out ■ to-day by a gentleman whose views in the House are always listened to .with interest that there is a virtual fusion of the Refori.i and United Parties to-day; at any rate, there was an understanding 'between them with a view to avoiding a General Election, and he regarded that as much the same thing. The Leader of the Opposition had refrained from moving amendments hostile to the Government, and obviously an arrangement had been made between him' and the Prime Minister outside the House for certain amendments to bo agreed to by the Government. If, the two parties •.actually joined forces the Labour Party, would become the official Opposition, and its advent to the Treasury benches would be hastened —not that.he believed (hat that would be the national calamity many people thought. Ho believed that, hi the present crisis the people were tired of party talk, and that for that reason there would be more Independent members in- the next Parliament. Another .Independent member said lie would view with pleasure the formation of a -National Government, if only temporarily, but he discounted the possibility of ■ a.definite fusion on account of the obvious difficulties in the way of ".sharing the -plums," as he put it; negotiations wore liable to break down over the. question of the leadership and the allocation of portfolios. MR. POLSON'S OPINION. That some satisfactory working arrangement should be arrived at between the Reform and United Parties, even to the extent oE fusion, was- advocated by Mr.. W. J. Poison, M.P., Dominion president of the Farmers' Union, during

a brief incursion into party politics, when addressing tho Lepperton branch of the union on Saturday night (says the "Taranaki Daily News"). He made the remarks, he said, because he was not speaking in his own electorate. Of the three parties in the House, said Mr. Poison, two were working along sound lines, realising what was necessary to bring New Zealand out of the present national crisis. They were determined that New Zealand should pay its way, and determined also not to entertain inflation. There was another party that believed in the doctrines of the men who were ruining New South Wales, men who preached the repudiation of war debts. His opinion was that tho two sound and moderate parties, between' whom there was not much difference in policy or opinion, should make some satisfactory working arrangement so that the country would be governed on sound lines. That, he thought, was the wish of most moderate groups in the country, who were anxious to see the good name of New Zealand maintained. With a working arrangement, if not an actual fusion, between Reform and United, the country | would be able lo vote aye or nay at tho next election instead of dividing the value of their vote by having two sections to vote for. In reply to a question, whether he would favour fusion between the parties, -Mr. Poison said he would be propared to go as far as that. Indeed, ho saw no.reason why it should not be possible. He pointed out that of the seven points laid down by Mr. Coates there was. only one that had not been already adopted, and that. was the South Island Main Trunk railway, and he thought one reason-for that was the difficulty of absorbing the large number of men that would be thrown out of employment if it were stopped. That was tho only important matter separating the parties at present.