COUNTRY FIRST

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 22 November 1928, Page 4

COUNTRY FIRST

IN the latest see-sawing of candidates at last week's poll, Labour has gained a seat from the Reform Party in Wellington North, but has lost Dunedin South 10 the United Party. At time of writing, therefore, the Reform Party has 28 in Parliament, United 27, and Labour 19, while there are five Independents and one representative of the Country Party. Five, if not the whole six lastmentioned will vote with Sir Joseph Ward, so that on a no-confidence motion he can count on 32 supporters apart from labour's 19—all pledged to vote against Mr Coates. Sir Joseph Ward has reiterated that only two courses are open to Mr Coates: lie should either resign and advise the Governor-General to send for Sir Joseph, or he should call Parliament, together and test the position. We cannot, see why Mr Coates should resign immediately, for on actual membership of parties, Reform still has the strongest representation in the House, although it stands defeated. Official fusion seems to be out of the question. Prominent supporters of the United Party, however, express confidence that a certain amount of unofficial fusion will take place, in favour of Sir Joseph'Ward—sufficient to enable him to cany on without any bargaining with Labour. Even if he surmounts that initial obstacle, Sir Joseph will still have the hardest part to perform—to fulfil his glittering wholesale election promises. At any time now we should hear Mr Coates announce the course of action he intends to pursue. He has undertaken to place the welfare of the country before anything else and to "do the right thing." "'They will not be able to say that we have not played the game," he said this week. We feel confident and believe that the country as a whole does, too, that Mr Coates will "play the game."