REFORM AND LIBERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 28 October 1922, Page 7

REFORM AND LIBERAL.

! (To the Editor.) _ Sir,—One cannot but admire the courage and persistence of Mr. J, M. Murphy, of Patea (kindly add "Patea/' , Mr. Editor; there are so many. Mur-' phys) in coming into the fight when* so many on the Liberal side are desert-1 ing, and my Labour friend was de-! lighted when he saw the well-known' name. But to suggest that the ques-: tioner should have gone round to Mr. l Pacey for the answers to the questions'

—well, my friend says that the blush which must have suffused Mr. Pacey's modesty when he read the letter would have been good to see. Mr. Pacey of course, as is well known, is high up in the councils of the party, and no doubt versed to a certain extent as to their policy, but to ask him to answer the' questions was asking rather too much ' As a matter of fact I suggested asking the questions of Mr. Corrigan, but m? mend considered that would hardly be iair to a maiden contestant. He suggested instead that, as it was the umpteenth campaign of Mr. Astbury he would be the man to go to. Mr > Murphy is unwittingly throwing intel-; lectual bouquets at Mr. Pacey, who will i doubtless decline the proffered Compli-I ment, and Ido not blame him. I was'

surprised to read in to-night's Star that at Riverdale Mr. Astbury declined to answer the questions. It almost makes even an old diehard like me waver in my allegiance to Liberalism. Surely the questions can be answered. If some one doesn't answer them soon Reform will have another recruit, for truth to say the way in

which the old party is shaping, what with Isitt, Witty, Vigor Brown, Sir John Findlay and others deserting us is, to say the least, profoundly disconcerting. Somebody must come forward and give these questioners a drubbing, or I throw up the sponge Mr. Murphy predicts that Mr. Massey will go out- of office. Well, hardly, unless some more vigorous supporters than we have rcmnd here are forthcoming. Mr. Murphy, as I said before, is courageous, for he is the only one of our party whom I have heard make such a confident assertion. One paper, which up till recently could hardly be called a Reform paper, even went so far as to say this: "Tb do the Liberals justice, -they do not attempt to deny ■that they do not expect to oust Mr. - Massey, but as an effective. party we have wiped them off the slate as* completely as the country will wipe them off next December." This from a paper

thar used to coquet with the Liberal Party f Why, the end is coming to the world'? Mr. Murphy's picture* of the children from every race whom he guaranteed to father, with the"- help of deaf and dumb nurses, and who lacking environmental training would" have only hereditary instincts was indeed a most pathetic one. Poor little kiddies! As Mr. Murphy says, "it would be awful to contemplate..'' It would, indeed; be so awful' that the prospect almost moves me to tears. But to leave sentiment, Mr. Murphy, and get right down to bedrock, my friend asks me to put this question1 to you, seeing, as he says, that you deny that Reform has done the country any good: "Can Mr. Murphy name one important measure during this Parliament which Mr. Massey' has introduced" and passed, and which the Liberals as a body have voted' against?" Come" along*now, Mr. Murphy, don't let my friend crow over me.—l am, etc., .„ -J.__^ •;.