FUSION FAILURE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 17 July 1925, Page 6

FUSION FAILURE

NORTHERN COMMENTS

The appended (references to the fusim failure- .ire from like Auckland papers

THE FAILURE OF FUSION’*

It is evident from (ho s ; a tome .its tust-i? nt the House of Represent at A -s licit the fusion negotiations have fur the time being broken down, comments the Naw Zen la till Herald. Clearly Air \\ i! - ford and his followers were in a hurry to complete the formation of a united party. It is equally clear that Air Coates and a majority ol those supporting him are in no hurry. Probably both attitudes reflect the hopes and fears of the respective parties in view of the coming election. To the general public it will be apparent that the parties are not yet at tin l fusing fV'itil. Mr Milford is full of zeal, but there is a "now or never' - tone about his approaches which is wholly impracticable. Air Coates is professedly willing to discuss further de'aiis. but it can hardly be said that he has shown great enthusiasm to open the way for such discussion. Obviously if there is to bo fusion it must be based cm something more concrete Phan the. superficial overtures reported to-day. Air Wiiford says, "If our party is to join a new party it must lie formed as a. new National Party with a policy that can be agreed upon, and which is. progressive.” A genuine effort at fusion would have begun along the line of seeking such an agreement. To unite first and then sock common ground would be to take the risk of a subsequent breach —a risk no responsible lender could bo expected to accept in face of an election. This is the .crux of the situation. Are the parties able to agree on a. common policy? If not any union that might be attempted would be it- futile, pretence. If the possibilities arc there the parties have the whole session before them and the door should not be "'banged, bolted and barreel.” Without doubt Air Coates has closed the door for this session. Neither his actions nor his reasoning can be said to go further than that, and up to that point lie has amply justified himself. It remains, however, for him to say whether lie regards policy agreement and consequent fusion as it possibility. Onlv in the event of the first condition being fulfilled is it worth while throwing the door open. "NO FUSION'’ .Fusion is the result of heat, and if an attempt to fuse two elements together fails it is because the heat is nut strong enough for the refractory material. comments the Auckland Star. It. has not been strong enough to fuse the Reform Party and tho Liberal Party into one. It would perhaps be more accurate to say that the beat applied, as distinct from the beat available, has uni been sufficient. Me have never believed that fusion was wise, and we have from the first suspected that there was less sincerity in the negotiations than was indicated in reports. Those who thought tlliat fusion was a simple operation ignored factors that sihould have been plain to all, from the history of the parties to the arrangements already made for next election. According to the statements made by the Prime Minister and Mr Wiiford yesterday both sides wish for union, but they have not been able to agree about terms. It was stated that Air Coates had declined to agree to immediate teconstruction of the Government, and Air Milford had regarded this as banging and bolting the door to the creation of a National party. Mr Coates maintained that lie had no mandate from the people to merge his party into a new one—a point that will have- already struck many voters —and his proposal was—at least, so we read it—that the Liberals should help the Government this session, and, at the elections at the end of the year the two parties should go to the country as one. Air AVilford could not commit himself to such a course. We do not think the Liberal Party should join with Reform, but if it does it must do so, in Mr Willard's words, cm terms that include an agreed on progressive policy. Reform cannot expect Liberalism to join unconditionally. We may take it. however, that a goad deal -inure happened during the negotiations than is mentioned in the statements of the leaders. There was, for example. political policy, about which little was said yesterday. The Government, party was apparently unwilling to agree.to electoral reform. The statements [Jilt an end to a situation that had lasted too long. It was unfair to all the three parties, and was interfering with the conduct of the country’s business. The Prime Minister is now free to adopt whatever policy lie chooses. 'J'lie doty of the Liberals is what it. was before, to maintain the traditions of Liberalism, and to offer the country something that is niAUier Conservatism nor Socialism. It will not, however, succeed with a policy of mere negation. It must have a constructive policy of its own, and it must be led with energy and vision.