The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1928. MR. FORBES IN A QUANDARY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10507, 10 February 1928, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1928. MR. FORBES IN A QUANDARY.

The leader of the National Party and. incidentally, also of the new party, tho U.N.Z.IX, seems tp have been rather unfortunate in selecting the “Queen City of the North’ as the centre in which to deliver a recess political address. As is known, Labor?tes in Auckland can always he depended upon, to roll up in force to a political meeting and, what is more, they are nothing if not both aggressive and curious. Jt appears Mr Forties’s audience was not exactly thrilled with his characteristically tame onslaught on the Government ; it had too much of the tone usually adopted by the “outs” when attacking the “ins.” Mr. Forbes, in short, whiled away his time in telling the gathering the old, old tale that the party in power had outlived its usefulness and that the day had come when another party—liis, of course—should he given a chance to handle the reins of Government. As the hulk of his auditors were Lahorites, - they did not mind how much he abused the Government, hut- they indicated, in quite unkindly manner, that Mr Forbes’s multi-colored and attenuated team would riot,rin their opinion, he anything like a.Si wise an alternative choice as the Labor party for political promotion. They then, it would seem, set about'to make sport of the Nalionnl-D.N.Z.P'. leader by challenging him to tell the gathering something about the policy which lie intends to put forward during the forthcoming campaign. Mr Forbes didn’t say that he. didn’t know, hut ho left the impression that his policy was so immature (hat it would he unwise to attempt to enunciate it. In plain truth,-Mr Forbes refused, point-blank, io oblige his interrupters and, as a consequence, his address fell' decidedly flat. There was really nothing at all that was new in what the National-U.N.Z.P. leader had to say. Everybody realises that the Government is hard up against a number of problems that owe their birth to the world-wide disturbed economic conditions. If. however, it were to accept Air Forties’s advice at- the present time its dilemma might easily he converted from had to worse. The NationalU.N.Z.P. leader rightly suggests that heavy immigration in recent years has helped to accentuate tho unemployment problem. But his viewpoint on that matter may be described as arising from being “wise after the event.” Air Forbes never could claim to he anything of a national financier and. therefore, what he had to say on that subject cannot ho expected “to cut 'any ice.” As to the main panacea" that he advocates to hasten the return of a larger measure of for this Dominion—more land settlement —he most conveniently forgot to mention how such a desirable state of affairs might he brought about. The Nntiorial-U.N.Z.P. leader cannot expect to make any headway in connection with his recess campaign unless he can bring forward some practical suggestions that will make a wide appeal.