NATIONAL PARTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 139, 14 May 1936, Page 8

NATIONAL PARTY

IMPORTANT CONFERENCE. CONSTITUTION ADOPTED. (By Telegraph.—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, May 13. gathering of over 250 dele--1 gates from all parts of the Dominion decided, in conference to-day, to form a New Zealand National Party and adopted a constitution which, it is explained, will throw I tho door open to all who are pre- ! pared to put their faith in sound | finance and private enterprise. All the members of the present Parliamentary Opposition were either present or accounted for, including lit. lion. G. W. Forbes, lit. Hon. J. G. Coates, representatives of the former Reform, Liberal and United organisations, and others not previously concerned with party activity. , Mr C. H. Weston, K.C., who presided, declared that, the present was a favourable opportunity to unify all the people of the Dominion who were opposed to the present Government and to take stock of party organisation. Air Forbes expressed the hope that this large and representative gathering would serve as a warning to the Government not to proceed too far on the road to Socialism. The new party name was unanimously approved. CONFERENCE CONTINUED. DRAFT CONSTITUTION. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Alay 13. At the conference of delegates when stops were taken to form what is to be known as the New Zealand National Party, the work of junior branches was discussed in tho evening following addresses by Alcssrs C. N. Armstrong (Wellington) and B. Kingston (Auckland). The conference will he continued to-morrow when the constitution will he adopted and further addresses on appropriate subjects given. In the afternoon the conference was engaged in settling the draft constitution and rules which had been framed for the organisation of electorates and in discussing methods to he adopted in the selection of candidates . for both rural and urban constituencies. LEADERSHIP QUESTION. NOT YET CONSIDERED. (By Telegraph.—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, Alay 13. The New Zealand National Party Conference here to-day did not deal with the leadership question, though this must have been much in the delegates’ minds. They discussed the matter privately, showing that there is some concern over the present condition of tho almost divided leadership in Parliament. However, this is regarded as a problem for the future. The immediate question which is being handled is organisation in the country under a national executive, and the president, who will not be a member of Parliament. Then later, possibly more than a year lienee, the leadership question is expected to be raised botween the national executive and the Parliamentary group and a definite decision reached regarding a leader who will carry tho Opposition' banner at the next election. One interesting feature was the number of defeated National candidates who showed their unflagging interest in jiolitics by attending the conference. THE AUCKLAND DELEGATION. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Alay 13. Over sixty delegates left Auckland to attend the National Political Federation Conference in Wellington, repre- ! senting each of the 23 electorates in ] the district, also the provincial executive women’s committee and the Junior League.