The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1928. AN EASY RECRUIT FOR THE UNITED PARTY!

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10733, 2 November 1928, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1928. AN EASY RECRUIT FOR THE UNITED PARTY!

There can be no question but that Mr, Coleman hit thq nail right on the head when he suggested at his City Hall meeting that Mr. Clayton could have had no idea as to what would be the policy of the United Party when he agreed to bo its nominee for the Gisborne seat. If it were not for the fact that Mr. Clayton has, indeed, not denied the charge made against him that his main object' in becoming a candidate for this electorate is to assist in a movement—and it is a futile movement—to have Mr Lysnar defeated —apparently, at any political price—much amusement might be created in connection with his decision to “rat” on Reform. Already, the point has been stressed in this journal that Mr Clayton’s only excuse for leaving the Reform Party three years ago was that Mr Lysnar refused to place his political future in his hands and that of a few other personal enemies on the Reform executive. If, of course, Mr Clayton had had reason to believe that his association with the local branch of the Reform League was highly appreciated he would, no doubt, have avoided giving Mr Lysnar the satisfaction of seeing him behave like a spoilt child over tho matter. Snell an action was quite good evidence as to the lack of depth of Mr Clayton’s political convictions! But if still better evidence in that regard were required, it might easily be found in the fact that, in order to gain a party label for the forthcoming election, he agreed to follow in the person of Sir Joseph "Ward a leader whom he had despised, politically, in the past and to swallow any policy—no matter how fantastic—that might, subsequently, be evolved by Sir Joseph Ward’s wonderfully versatile, mind. It would be quite idle for Mr. Clayton to suggest that he know all about the “Millions Scheme” before he agreed to nomination, seeing that the facts are all against auy such contention. That he was just as ignorant, on the matter as the other United aspirants is well supported by the public confession of Mr John Loudon, who had consented to be the United Party candidate for the Chalmers seat, but who, on learning about Sir Joseph Ward's “borrow, boom and burst” proposal promptly sent in his resignation of the position. Mr Loudon, who, by the way, proved perhaps the best financier the City of Dunedin ever had for Mayor, says distinctly in the press that the first indications of what the United Party policy would contain appeared in Sir Joseph Ward’s speech at Auckland on October 16! “My reason for withdrawing,” says Mr Loudon, “was because I eould not conscientiously subscribe to the borrowing proposals contained in Sir Joseph Ward’s speech.” Mr Clayton, it will be recalled, was asked to stand by the United Party on Oct. S and he

consented to nomination or. Got, 12. Plainly, ho did riot know what would be in the policy which ho would have to make out. later on, was his political creed, for the purposes of the pending contest. It was thought, in some quarters, at the time he was invited to stand, that he would he shrewd enough to make some reservations. but he, foolishly, allowed the psychological moment at which he could have made any reservation to pass!