THE OPTIMISM OF MR FORBES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 17 March 1928, Page 4

THE OPTIMISM OF MR FORBES.

Mr George Forbes has been reported as stating in Dunedin that he anticipates an early election this year and “is making preparations *aceordingly.” He has given it out that while in the capital of Otago he is meeting (Liberal supporters and “dissatisfied Reformers ’ ’ and, it is to be assumed, he wishes the public to understand that these people are flocking to his banner. In the .course of a statement to the Press expressing hopefulness of “getting together a strong party in the place of the Government, which has lost the confidence of the country,” Mr .Forbes gives utterance to a statement which one would really not have expected to come from him under all the circumstances surrounding his political record. “They (the dissatisfied Reformers),” he said, “realise that the Reform Party has outlived its usefulness. Opportunism is now their keynote!” The exclamation mark is our own and all things considered, we think it is fully justified. The electors will not need reminding how large a part opportunism played in the career of Mr Forbes, onice a deputy leader of the remnants of the Liberal Party, then, when there was scarcely a remnant left, the leader of the same forlorn little band under a new name and now, when there is only one Liberal left in New Zealand —and he is not Mr Forbes —a Nationalist who is willing to become a New Zealand United Political Party Organisationis't if the inducement is sufficiently good. 'The re-ference-to ‘‘opportunism” was indeed an unfortunate one. Mr Forbes has also given the electors of Dunedin some other highly illuminating opinions about the political situation. For instance, he states that Mr Coates is “very optimistic” if he thinks he is going to carry on with his party in its “present dissatisfied state.” Opinions regarding what constitute sufficient grounds for optimism differ of course between parties, especially in the months preceding an election, but we believe that the optimism of Mr Forbes is something to marvel at much more than the confidence of .Mr Coates. Looking at the subject quite independently, we should say that we would be optimistic, too, if we were in Mr Coates ’ position, with a strong party in the House and the opposition other than Labour threatening to divide itself into all manner of fanciful groups for the [forthcoming (election. ‘The source of Mr Forbes’ optimism we find difficult to define. It is true 'that he can find people up and down the country who are dissatisfied with the economic conditions and prone to blame the Government, but can he find anywhere a determined and solid opinion forming behind any one of the other parties which threaten to come into the arena next election? It. is apparent that the issue is going to lie more than ever between Labour and Reform, with the former benefiting by every division in .the ranks of those who do not desire that Labour should rule.