Nelson Evening Mail THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1925 FUSION NEGOTIATIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 16 July 1925, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1925 FUSION NEGOTIATIONS

WE think it would have been far better had the Prime Minister stated clearly at. the outset of-the fusion negotiations that while the Reform party wavs prepared to open the door for the Liberals to join ; them at any time, it would not bo pre- ; pared t.n form a hew Government at the | present juncture before members had i fnily discharged their obligations to the j electors at the expiry of their term of oibce. Mr Coates maintains that the door is open for all those who beliove in a strong and stable government with a.

piogressively national policy to give a helpful support in passing through the House such legislation as is necessary in the interests of the country “and when that work is completed we can go to the country alter the dissolution of the pre<'iimt Parliament as a Constitutional or National Party with a policy which will he announced at the proper time and which will conserve the pence and prosperity of the Dominion." Mr Coates did not. think that the immediate reconstruction of the present Government anil the formation of a new Government from ’noth parties wore practicable at the present juncture. This, we take it, is in the main what the Liberals desired and as I here was no giving way on the point by either sale, the negotiations camo to an end. Certainly the Reform party has not made the way for immediate fusion easy, but Mr Cotiles takes his stand on the fact- that- it. is his duty to carry on the policy of his predecessor until the members go to the country again a few months hence. The question is whether Mr Coates will be prepared to “reconstruct’ ’then. Mr Wilford has emphasised that, the. Liberals were prepared to leave to the Prime Minister the constitution of the new ministry, but under the present system which is not challenged, any Prime Minister must have that right. No one desiies a coalition with all its possibilities of stalemate and confusion. There is so little dividing the. two parties that

their existence as separate entities is in no way *jus»litie-.1. The most hopeful outlook is that fusion is not dead and that

realisation i?> simply a question of time