FUTURE OF COALITION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 251, 20 September 1934, Page 6

FUTURE OF COALITION

MEMBERS INQUISITIVE. DESIRE FOR CAMPAIGNING. (By Telegraph—Special to. Standard.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 19. There are no signs that the Coalition forces are disintegrating, but there are many indications of concern among members who support the Government as to the future of the combination. It is about two months since Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Leader of the Reform Party, promised his supporters that there would be a consultation as to the future relations with their Unt.ed Party colleagues. Circumstances interfered with the holding of the meeting, although a date had been fixed. Since then the United section of the Coalition have raised the question with Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, but no positive action has been taken by tne Reform element. A further reminder of the importance of an early decision was provided in the recent selection of all the Labour candidates for Dunedin and adjoining seats. Government supporters are inquiring what is to be done to meet this political activity, and the answer is that a lead must come from the Coalition leaders. A definite agreement to form a National Party would, it is stated,. be. at once followed by active organisation in the constituencies in the Government interest and the selection of candidates from aspirants who at present are in doubt whether to call themselves United or Reform or designate themselves Independent, in which event supporters of the Coalition would not be friendly to them. Lobby discussion shows that there is a fairly widely held opinion that as the Prime Minister has declared it unthinkable that the present allies could be . fighting each other at the next election the move is with his coleader, Mr Coates, who by his inaction lends himself to the suggestion now current that he will wait till the last moment in order to drive a hurried and perhaps hard bargain. It has been anticipated that activity on the part of Mr Coates would have been precipitated by the presentation to him of the memorial signed by a majority of his supporters in the House. The recent indisposition of Mr J. Hargest has delayed the collection of signatures to this document, but it is reported that the member for Invercargill, who is back in the House, intends shortly to set the memorial in circulation among the Coalition rank and file. i CABINET RECONSTRUCTION ? There is a fairly widespread opinion that the Ministry is due for reconstruction by the retirement of at least three of the present Ministers and the bringing of Cabinet up to full strength by appointing not only three to. fill the vacancies but two additional Ministers to share the load of an active progressive policy. One section or the Government supporters not divided by old party lines is thinking of presenting to the leaders a signed proposal for joint campaigning at the general election, with an undertaking that in the event of success .the party as a whole should make a decision on the question of leadership. Another factor which Ministers may have to deal with is the opinion in the constituencies, and this may lead to independent action to force an early decision so that time will be available for local organisation. Opinions gathered from a representative selection of the rank and file of the Coalitionists show that they do not seriously fear a break, hut that they are more troubled over the. possible handicap of too late a decision from their leaders to definitely close the ranks and secure once more the joint help in the constituencies of the former supporters of both the Reform and United parties. REPLY TO THE LEGION. An interesting sidelight on the general political position is speculation as to what has happened to the Government’s reply to the New Zealand Legion’s suggestions for a Unity Party and electoral and local government re'form. The Government’s answer was prepared several weeks ago, because its general nature appears to have been communicated to the party caucus and approved. The Prime Minister was subsequently asked to provide the newspapers with a copy, but he explained that the question of publication would he left to the New Zealand Legion. It is highly unlikely that there has been several weeks’ delay in transmitting these interesting answers across the few hundred yards separating the Cabinet from the headquarters of the legion, but, whatever the reason, they have failed to reach the light.