The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1927. THAT NEW POLITICAL PARTY!

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10413, 21 October 1927, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1927. THAT NEW POLITICAL PARTY!

It is interesting to learn.' on the authority of the Hon. A. D. McLeod, president of the Reform party, that the new political organisation with which Mr Davy is so prominently associated, is not likely to gain any recruits from Mr Coates’s supporters in the House. This new party, which is styled the United New Zealand Political Party, had its origin, us> is well-known, in Auckland and efforts have lately been directed to the question of establishing a branch in "Wellington, but with what degree of suceessi is not known. Nor has much leaked out concerning the activities of this new party in the South Island. What everybody is anxious to learn is, of course, whether anybody who is today, or lias ever been, conspicuous in the political arena has linked up with the now organisation. It isi highly probable that Mr McLeod is correct in his guess as to who comprise the backbone of the much-talked-of new party. . To everyone it is well-known that, when the Liberal party lost its grip on the country, a great -many of its supporters went over to the- Reform side. Why they should have done so does not require to be discussed at length Experience shows that a strong new Government, invariably attracts to its banner a lot of people who have not been satisfied with the efforts of the deposed party. The loyalty of such people' can. however, never be relied upon. It is, of course, a matter of common knowledge that the late Mr Massey, on getting into office, soon gained the- support of many prominent electors who had previously been avowed Liberal supporters. Mr Massey, however, failed, ultimately, to hold a large proportion of these recruits, but Mr. Coates, invhis turn, swayed them back to the Reform party. : As Mr McLeod says, these people belong to a class which has. no abiding place politically and it can be taken for granted that, originally, they were Liberals. Whilst h<y professes, however, that the Reform party has .no reason; to. bo alarmed in connection with the new movement, it is ■ obvious that this new party has not a little financial backing, otherwise it would have been impossible for it (o have entered upon an extensive advertising campaign and- to continue organising on a fairly wide scale. If it i-eally has substantial prospects, however, it is passing strange that it has . not yet secured the ' active sympathy of . any member of the present House. . As far as is known, not a single member is openly espousing the hew political cause.