REFORM MEMBERS MEET

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18296, 12 January 1923, Page 6

REFORM MEMBERS MEET

POLITICAL ISSUE DEFINED. POLICY TO BE FOLLOWED. INVITATION TO LIBERALS. STABLE GOVERNMENT NEEDED. [BT TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. The first post-election meeting of Reform members of the new Parliament was held in Parliament Buildings to-day, occupying the whole of the afternoon. "The meeting was a great success/' stated the Prime Minister. "The party consists of 58 members. Of these 35 were present. The other three were accounted for and were Messrs. W. D. Lysnar (Glsbome), Tau Henare (Northern Maori) and H. HV. Uru (Southern Maori). In the case of Mr. Lysnar, he would have had to leave Gisborne last Friday in order to bo present and could not get back until next Saturday night except by undertaking the expense of a specfa* motor journey." All the absent members sent suitable messages, which the Prime Minister read to the meeting-. Mr. Uru is ill in Christchurch Hospital. Mr. Tau Henare was unavoidably detained in Auckland, and Mr. Lysnar was excused attendance on account of the length of time he would be away from his home and business. The meeting unanimously agreed to the following resolutions: — 1. Parliamentary members of the Reform Party, while regretting that the party was not returned with greater strength, are not in the least discouraged, and intend doing their duty as before in Parliament and out of it on the lines which will best promote the prosperity and general interests of the country. 2. They desire to express appreciation of the fact that at the 1922 elections, the electors gave Reform candidates nearly 73,000 votes more than at the previous elections in 1919, while the increased vote for Liberal candidates was 10,999, and for Labour 11,723.* 3. The most important question at issue under the existing circumstances is whether the doctrine of revolutionary socialism should be tolerated in New Zealand. This conference is of opinion that giving effect to, or even attempting to give effect to, any such doctrines or policy would be disastrous to the country, and should be resisted by every constitutional means in the power of right-thinking citizens. 4. In view of recent happenings, this conference is of opinion that the line of political demarcation in this country should be between those citizens who, on the one hand, believe in progressive, enlightened, and constitutional democracy and, on the other, those who favour the policy of communism or extreme socialism. The conference is also of opinion that the three-party system leads to instability of Government at a time when a strong, stable Government is urgently necessary. 5. This conference desires to state its conviction that the Reform Partv has everything to gain by a further appeal to tho country, but'it hopes that another general election may be avoided; at all events, until the financial position becomes more definitely assured and the depression has quite passed away. It will welcome .my equitable arrangements by which those members of Parliament who are opposed to communism may be brought together with the object of expediting the country's business and keeping in check any section who favour principles subversive of the best interests of the Dominion.

6. This conference, recognising the Prime Minister's long and honourable political record, expresses its continued loyalty to him and pledges itself to stand by him in his endeavour to carry, on the affairs of th«? country, believing him to be at the present time the «ian best fitted for the position.