NATIONAL PARTY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 21 July 1925, Page 9

NATIONAL PARTY.

ENDORSED BY HUTT LIBERALS.

MR WILFORD ON FUSION

ALSG THE NEW PARTY

(BY TELEGRAPH. PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, July 21.

Mr T. M. Wilford and .several members of his party addressed a meeting at the Hutt last night, when the following resolutions were agreed to: “That this meeting of the Hutt branch of the Liberal-Labour Federation wishes to record its entire approval of the decision of the members of the party in Parliament to create a. new party, to be known as th© National Party, with national aims and policy.” “That this meeting of the Hutt branch of the Liberal-Labour Party regrets that the Prime Minister should have refused the generous and unselfish offer of the Liberal-Labour Party to join with his party in the formation of a National party so that a strong, stable Government could be formed.” Mr Wilford, Leader of the National Party, in addressing the executive of the Hutt branch of the National Party last night, said that the National Party should break up any partnership between money and power, and in that way lies the gates of liberty. Under the National Party all could work for the whole of the people, not some of the people. He denied that the Liberals bargaining for office in any new National Government formed by Mr Coates was the obstacle to fusion. Mr Coates, was to have an absolutely free hand to select any Ministers he pleased.

“LIGHTNING CHANGE ARTISTS.” MR. WILFORD’S RETORT. ‘‘The Prime Minister,” said Mr Wilford,” was on very dangerous ground it Palmerston North when he spoke of “lightning change artists.” We do. not forget his lightning change in 1912, when early in that year he voted confidence in the Liberals against Reform, and a few months later made a lightning change and voted conlidenee in Reform against the Liberals, and the nublic will always remember his lightning changes and side-stepping in the fusion negotiations. He stated in those negotiations that his party was in favour of fusion, but when I said it should take place immediately he made a lightning change and said he must carry out Mr Massey’s programme first, and that lie would then consider a date -train. When I pointed ont to him thtt he had his Ministers’ resignations in his nocket for reconsideration, lie changed his attitude in a. moment and stated that reconstruction was not practicable, though how you could 1 have fusion without reconstruction was a mystery to me, and finally, when I told him we would leave the question of portfolios on reconstruction entirely to him, he made a lightning change' and declined absolutely to reconstruct. Surely it is dangerous for the Hon. Mr. Coates to talk of lightning change artists. He has certainly heen plasticine in the hands of a few of his party.”