The Evening Star TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1928. AGAIN THAT FALLACY.

Evening Star, Issue 20022, 13 November 1928, Page 6

The Evening Star TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1928. AGAIN THAT FALLACY.

The three party system has agitated politicians and journalists in other countries than New Zealand. It is something that has to he left to work out its own cure. Often there is ultimately an amalgamation between the middle party and one or other of the two more extreme parlies. This has occurred in most of the Parliaments in Australia; but the process takes time. Even so, after the merging of two parties, there is sometimes a disposition for segregation to take place along different lines, as for example the formation of a Country Party by those who believe Freetradc to be imperative in the interests of the primary producer. One thing certain is that any attempt to force on a coalition before it lias any element of naturalness is unwise and destined to failure, probably productive of political chaos for a .time. That is the position in New Zealand -at present. There is well defined cleavage between the Reform and United Parties, also between the Labour and United Parties. If there have been any overtures to the United Party from one of the others to forfeit its identity by absorption, the matter has not been taken seriously. The alternative adopted has been to try and eliminate the United Party at tomorrow’s polls. The electors are being invited to believe that there are only two parties which count, and that any vote bestowed elsewhere is either a vote thrown away completely or a vote dangerously cast; because, from the one point of view, it may assist towards a risky experiment, and from the other viewpoint it may perpetuate reactionary government. But it is a fair question to ask those who are so freely bestowing dvice gratis on the process known as volesplitting whether either of their parties has shown enthusiasm comparable to that being evoked by the lately chosen leader of the United Party. The recent demonstrations at Sir Joseph Ward’s meetings, no matter what centre have been held in, are desig-

nat-ed as “a spectacular bid for fresh recognition ” after refusal “to accept th© sentence passed upon them by the community at two successive elections." At the last ©lection which Mr Seddon fought he swept the country, and Mr Massey found himself th© leader of about one-third as many followers as the United Party mustered in the last Parliament. But Mr Massey did not thereupon throw up the sponge. Mis bulldog pertinacity was ultimately rewarded by accession to power, and he remained Prime Minister until his death many years after. J.he Labour-in-offiee bogey is being worked by Reform tarty and its supporters for all it is worth and a great deal more, the intelligence of the electors must bo greatly under-estimated by those whoso mam argument for the retention of them particular party iu power is that it is the lesser of two evils, the greater evil, of course, being the dreadful spectacle of Labour at the helm for the first tun© in New Zealand. In the South Island particularly this is a plea which should carrv no weight at all. All along it has "been a desperate unceasing battle to persuade the Government to act as though Cook Strait did not constitute the southern boundary of New Zealand, whether it was a matter of main highways, shipping services, railways, or almost anything else.

In tho United P.arty in tbo last Parliament South Island members were prominent. Among tho local candidates for. that party now seeking parliamentary honours lor the first time are men who, we know, from their record of service in other spheres, would prove of «reat usefulness to the South Island, to Otago, and to Dunedin. Besides resisting northern aggression and monopoly they should prove tound legislators on general questions affecting New Zealand as a whole. Can anyone, for example, question Mr Taverner's grasp of affairs, both dominion and local, or his will and ability to make his presence felt in debate?' Such a successor is needed to Mr Suley, who was as assiduous for a quartercentury in conserving the interests of Otago as he was in other aspects of parliamentary duties. In local politics ho has had administrative experience weightier than that of either of his opponents by as much as the municipality of Dunedin is of more importance than the municipality of St. Kilda. But we are to swallow the doctrine that he and Mr Smith, Mr Walls, Mr Moss, Mr Bodkin, and others are participants in a forlorn hope, lighting in a lost cause, j Lf so, they are remarkably high-spirited and enthusiastic over the business. They have reason to be, for behind such demonstrations as have greeted their leader there cannot but be votes—votes which will not be diverted either to the "Right" or the "Left" by such ( specious arguments which have been put forward. It is a difficult as well as a stupid thing to try and persuade a person absolutely glowing with health that he is dying rapidly on his feeteven if he is not already dead.