NATIONAL PARTY OFFER

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 107, 8 May 1931, Page 8

NATIONAL PARTY OFFER

SUPPOET FOE ME. FOEBES

ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING '

(By Telegraph.), (Special to "The Evening Post.") PALMEESTON N., This Day. The interest aroused in tho discussion . jover the Prime Minister's proposal for ;the formation of a National Party was by the large audience which gathered in Palmerston North, last evening at the instigation of the. Chamber of Commerce to discuss Mr. Forbes's offer. Civil servants showed that they intend to make politics more interesting this year by being present in considerable force. They moved an amendment to ,tho motion before' the meeting and generally made things lively during question time. Mr. M. H. Oram, president of» tho Chamber, who was in tho chair, declared that there was all tite more need . for the meeting since Mr. Coates had declined tho Prime Minister's offer: it was necessary that, Mr. Coates should know the feelings of the people themselves on such an important matter. The .last word on fusion' had not yet been spoken. Tho ' Prime Minister's offer1 had stamped him as a statesman of the very highest order—(applause.) I —but ( Mr. Oram said he felt that . there would be great disappointment in the reply Mr. Coates had, made. [(Applause.) While he had offered x assistance in carrying through legislation, he had also made it evident that party strife was 'likely to be more bitter—a thing the country wanted to avoid. What could be done with the assistance of the Reform Party could be done much better by the two parties united. The work of the country 7 could be best accomplished by a Cabinet of the ..<• best brains the country could pro- , yide. (Applause.) 'Another vital point was the need to raisetho prestige of New Zealand immensely throughout tho world. A National party would do this—(applause) • —and a knowledge abroad of a stable Government in Now Zealand would increase tho Dominion's credit, j ' SIR J. PARR. CRITICISED. "~v The principal speaker' was Mr. W. «T. Poison, M.P., who dealt with the subject along the lines of his address to tho Farmers' Union Executive in Wellington. Ho strongly criticised tho opinions of Sir James Parr, whose arguments' ho characterised as ridiculous. Sir James Parr's opinion that fusion / would wreck the Eeform Party was laughable. How could it wreck such •'a-party? , * This is no time for political bar- . gaining, and neither Mr. Coates nor anyone else has anything to fear from fusion, declared Mr. Poison amidst applause. There cannot be any great divergence between the parties, but in any case Mr. Forbes ! ; lias offered to wipe the slate cleani I nave never heard of such an ofler before. .What more does Mr. Coates want than a 50-50 chance? he asked. [(Applause.) Mr. Poison said he believed the members of the Beform Party were going ,to take a hand, in the discussion before long, and maybe more would be heard of the issue. The speaker deprecated uncharitable criticism of tho pro"posal like that offered by Mr. J. A. lYoung, M.P., who had said it was a move to extend the life of Parliament. 'No such suggestion' had been made. Mr. Young had'also made other statements that he must now be sorry for, .and to which the Eeform - Party, the speaker/felt, would not subscribe. The situation would be made much more dangerous •if the three-party , system were allowed to go on. Mi-. Coates's proposals were something in tho nature of an armed truce until election day. ."WISER COUNSELS WILL - . , PREVAIL." "I believe that wiser counsels will prevail," said Mr. Poison, "and I'believe- that it is the duty of the ; citizens of this country whp^ have its good name and prestige at heart to come together in this crisis and to . stand to- . gether for the good1 of the- nation at large." (Applause.) > ■ The Mayor (Mr. A. J. Graham), in moving the main motion of the evening, said there had come a, clarion'call for much heroic self-sacrifice and a clear recognition of the ,truth that unity was strength.. There.had come also- the determination to let those in authority know that country must come before party. (Applause.) Tho time had now arrived for fusion, so that a solu-, tion of the many problems before the country could b,e secured. There should be a definite- expression 'of opinion on the matter, and he was convinced that the only possible way to meet the situation presented was by the establishment of a Government fully. JBquipped' for that purpose. The Mayor then moved:— : ; That this meeting of representaI tiv© citizens of Palmerston North and i district,^having considered the suggestion made by the Prime Minister and the manifesto, issued by 'the Bight Hon. J. G. Coates, is of opinion - that, in order to ensure security, to. ■: engender confidence, to enhance the country's credit, and to avoid any I . possibility of political chaos and confusion, there should be formed from ■'the existing political parties a Na--1 tio'nal Government to carry the country through .the present crisis. „ "I am convinced that if such a Government is formed it will bo a strong one from which the' country ■will gather a new vision and be the forerunner of prosperity to our shores." (Applause.) A GRAVE SITUATION. The motion was seconded by the president of the Dairy Farmers' Union (Mr.- N. Campbell), who issued a warning that the pooplo of Now Zealand did not fully realise tho gravity of the situation, and that unless some definite scheme was formulated and put into effect immediately chaos would result. .There was' nothing for it but a fusion of the moderate sections, which must como together to pull the country through its difficulties. Certain eco- ■ nomies had been effected and salaries had been reduced, but with tho-low prices obtaining for primary produce the people would have to prepare for further drastic reductions before tho position improved. : ] An amendment was put forward by a member of the Civil Service:. - ' That this meeting endorses the action of Mr. Coates in refusing to coalesce at the present juncture, as ' fusion would not do away with party politics. The amendment was defeated by a large majority, and there was an overwhelming vote in favour of the motion.