Manawatu Evening Standard. WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1925. THE LEADERSHIP.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 142, 20 May 1925, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1925. THE LEADERSHIP.

It augurs ill for the success of the Liberal-Labour Party as at present constituted that the journals which are supposed to be more intimately associated with its fortunes seem to be turning their face in any direction, but towards the member for Hutt. It will, of course, be within the memory of most of our readers that the Southland News some months ago declared that “Mr Wilford was a failure, as a leader, as Sir Joseph Ward had been before him.” It was for no great love of the Reform Party, or its then leader, that the News made that pronouncement. On uhe contrary it was looking for a new leader upon whom it seems to have had its eye at the time. But, whoever that gentleman may have been, nothing was subsequently heard of him, and it is only now that the Southland News, coming out into the open, seems to have discovered in the Hon. Mr Coates the new leader whom it regards as fitted to lead the fortunes of the Liberal Party in this Dominical. And, by a remarkable coincidence, other Liberal journals are coming to the front with a similar suggestion, apparently heralding their belief that, now 7 Mr Massey has gone, his very able lieutenant should throw over the party with which he has been so long and so honourably associated, and come out as the leader of the Liberals. From what we know of Mr Coates, we cannot bring ourselves to believe that he would do himself so much discredit as to desert his friends, and associates after being so long a time, with them. There is really so little, from the political standpoint, to choose between the policies and political programmes of the Reform and Liberal Parties that it would almost seem the so-called Liberals journals are looking for away out of .the dilemma in which they have placed themselves by their almost persistent refusal to recognise that, discarding such vicious things as the “spoils to the victors” policy and political patronage, the Reformers have translated into political action all the best points of Liberalism—that they have become, indeed, as Sir John Findlay described them in 1914, “our only true Liberals”—arid improved upon the legislation of their predecessors in office to such a degree as to leave it almost unrecognisable. With the Liberals it is evident that opposition to the Reform. Party, as led by Mr Massey, had become, prior to tho latter’s death, more a question of men than principles. Now that the great Reform leader has gone to his rest they would like to dismiss, as an unhappy memory, the face that men, more Liberal in thought and action than themselves, have been at the head of ,the country’s affairs for the last twelve years, and have brought it through its difficulties in a fashion they could not have bettered. The outstanding feature of the political situation, as we see it, is the almost universal desire, that the rival political parties shall come together to present a united front to tho Socialistic Labourites who are making a big bid for office, and who, taking a leaf out of Mr Wilford’s book, have been sounding the soft pedal in their political campaigning in the endeavour to convince the public that they are not nearly so “Red” as their opponents, and the newspaper press in particular, depict them. Unity of counsels and action amongst moderately-minded men is essential if the' extremists are to be kept w-ithin bounds. In a threeparty contest the result depends very largely upon tho party organisations, the chances being in favour of the best organised. That position seems to have been obtained by the Labour Party, which commands an almost solid vote and places only one candidate in

the :ield for each constituency. Its members are so well-disciplined that they are not likely to oppose the party candidate in any electorate, for they know 7 that, to do so, would mean political ostracism so far as Labour -is concerned. There may be, as some people would say, little or nothing in a name, and it w r ould lie a good thing for the country if Reformers and Liberals could come together and form a united party under some name which would suit both. The day has gone by upon which the remnant of the Liberal Party could claim exclusive righls do the name by which they call then-selves. So far as the Reform Party is conceimed, we take it that the question of its leadership will be settled at the caucus meeting which is to !;<» held shortly, and we are satisfied that, whether Mr Coates, Mr Dow lie Stewart, Mr McLeod, or any rithe • member of tho party is chosen by the majority, the minority will fall into line und support the new leader. They would be recreant to their principles if they did otherwise. Between tho Reformers and the Liberals, as we have said, there is very little to choose, and it is fairly apparent that, so far as tho leadership of the latter is concerned, a very considerable section of the party press takes the view that their present leader, the member for Hutt, is unacceptable. That fact should make a solution to the leadership question, so far as both parties are concerned, an easy matter if Mr Coates is chosen, in association with Mr Downie Stewart, as the new leader of the Reform Party. So far as the Country Party is concerned, we cannon but regret that the misguided gentlemen who are responsible for its polilical activities, should have intimatad their intention of running a candidate for the Franklin seat in succession to Mr Massey, when neither the Liberal-Labour nor Labour Parties are showing any signs of nominating a candidate against the gentleman who will be selected to carry the Reform banner. There is even less excuse for the existence of the Country Party than for the continuance of those political antagonisms which were suspended during the Great War and shor Id have been buried at its close, so f lr as the Liberals and the Reformers were concerned. Their continuance is not due to any unwillingness on the part of the latter to work with the Liberals, but is duo to the expressed determination of the lastnamed to hold themselves aloof from the Reform Party, unless they can secure their own way. CHIEF POST OFFICE.

The announcement made in the “Standard” yesterday of the elevation of the status of the Palmerston North Post Office to that of a chief post office is a tardy, but none the less welcome recognition of the importance of ibis town as a post and telegraph centre on the part of the PostmasterGeneral and his chief advisers. Mr A. T. Marlnnan’s statement on this matter to the Citizens ’ Luncheon Club yesterday certainly came as a bombshell, for the subject had not received a great deal of prominence in recent months and tho departmental reply to all requests for a chief post office—invariably that Palmerston North had all the advantages of such an office and that there was no adequate reason for the change—had become so stereotyped that tho matter seemed relegated to the distant future. The persistent efforts of the member for the district, backed by the president and members of the Chamber of Commeice, particularly Mr J. M. Johnston, an ardent enthusiast in this matter, have borne good fruit and the step is another milestone on the road of progress along which we are travelling. Palmerston North’s geographical position is one of its chief assets, and as the capital of a rich area of agricultural land, tho town must one day become a very large city. The additions to tho present Post Office bui ding, to cost from £12,000 to £l£,ooo, reflect the great strides made by this centre in recent years, and though the department estimates that they 7 will meet all requirements for from fifteen to twenty years, no surprise would be occasioned if a much larger post office is required a decade hence. Reference to Mr Markman’s Statement shows that the new Chief Post Office is to serve a wide and prosperous area, embracing several townships such as Levin, Feilding, Danenevirke, Pahiatua and Woodville, so that the importance of the new district is at once apparent. Though the alteration in status involves a good deal of extra work, Palmerston North has in Mr Dawson, to quote Mr Markman, a “very capable postmaster,.who will give the best possible service,” so that this office should make even greater progress in the future than that recorded in the past.