Grey River Argus TUESDAY, October 9. 1934. THE DEMOCRATIC “PARTY."’

Grey River Argus, 9 October 1934, Page 4

Grey River Argus TUESDAY, October 9. 1934. THE DEMOCRATIC “PARTY."’

An Auckland correspondent, professing to be a mouthpiece ol the so-called Democratic Parly, makes in another column what might appear Io he an antagonistic comment upon the remarks of the Reform Party leader recently regarding the statements .of Air Davy. The possibility that there would be inivch. “ratting” from the Reform ranks was evident enough to everybody before there was any talk of a new Party, but the news of such a party does not mean a realisation of this anticipation. More probably, it is a ruse actually to counter the effect of a political landslide. Our correspondent says Air Coates’s criticism of the Democratic Party' proposals is only camouflage. So it may' be, but so also in all probability is

the letter under notice. That an.v political debate between the Democratic and Reform elements will be only a. sham light i.s a pretty safe guess. So far the

only voucher for the .Democratic Party is Air Davy, whose political record is such as to suggest the presence of a nigger in the woodpile. The Government and its followers are well aware that the next election will see a tremendous turn over of votes, and what they fear is that it will be entirely' to Labour. The Democratic Party—of which, so far, the only guide, philosopher and friend who owns up to such a role is Air Davy—probably will prove to be no more than a tangible expression of this Coalition fear. It is not to be forgotten that Air Davy has won his spurs as a political propagandist and advertiser. lie was identified first with “Coates and Confidence,” or “Coats off with Coates”; and then came to the fore in the glare of the United Parly’s gold ln-ick. I he seventy millions. At last general elections Air Davy starred as Coalition advertiser with the cry “Follow the Mother Country,” and it would be interesting to ask him to-day' if he reckons that cr.y has proven as misleading as the gold brick or the “man who gets things done.” Whoever has devised the Democratic Party and the credit may be entirely owing to Air Davy, reckoned obviously' that nobody’ could be now expected to accept an.v pro-Coali-tion slogan of any imaginable | sort. The idea is that if Labour I is to be prevented from sweeping

the country next year, the one and only' decoy for voters must be something looking far more like Labour than like the Coalition, but something at the same time which is mere camouflage for the Coalition. .Messrs Coates ami Goodfellow has staged a difference' of opinion ,on the question of where the most money is obtainable to subsidise those interests whose profits directly ami otherwise come out of the export trade. The pretentious silence of our correspondent to day regarding the “Democratic expedient to provide minimum prices for exporters suggests that it is only a fiction to fool the people. The big idea is no doubt to use a change of political label as a vote-catching dodge. It is ex. peeted this will work from a persuasion among certain people, that in voting for a “Democratic” candidate they would be voting to oust the Coalition. However. people should remember that • recently the GoodfellowCoates “difference” was staged in the North Island in a theatrical manner, a fluent entertainer. Air A. Russell being prominent. On that tour, there was declamation against the Government, and it may safely be inferred that the object was to give the colour of spontaniety and sincerity to the Democratic Party. The readiness of Air Coates to treat the propaganda of Air Davy as being ' the genuine evidence of a new party' is not offset by the remark of Air Forbes that he has meantime no criticism to offer. The most, disappointed people in New Zealand if the Democratic Party proves to be a dud will be the (’oalitionists.