PARTY POLITICS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 92, 19 April 1941, Page 11

PARTY POLITICS

PEOPLE'S ATTITUDE

ADDRESS TO NATIONALISTS

(By Telegraph—Press .Association.)

TIMARU, April 18.

- Addressing members of the National Party-in Timaru tonight, Dr, O. C. Mazerigarb, Wellington, said there was no doubt that the vast majority of the people in the country wanted a combined Government and the suspension of party politics. That desire had. intensified and become more articulate during the past few weeks since our ;':troops were now definitely in the firing line. .

■*,■■ One could not help feeling that the ;'Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, fully realised the desirability of forming a truly Inon-party Government and postponing ; the elections. His difficulty in the matter was that he felt •himself bound by the shackles which were imposed on [him by the Federation of Labour and ithe Easter conferences of the Labour ;Party.

*•A wise statesman would give a lead ,$o the party in the matter and not subto the dictation of those who were imoving remits in favour of the repeal of conscription and such other methods k as the Government had adopted. In .response to the known desires of the people, all he could do was to offer =the compromise of a War Cabinet which was a compromise far short of what-people really desired.

.- When he had been brought face to dface with the necessity for making a on an offer of co-operation by the Opposition his answer was to procrastinate and that procrastination was dictated by the selfishness of his -colleagues who desired to cling to office ■and of a group of supporters whose chief aim was further socialistic schemes in the grave situation facing the country.