BALANCE OF PARTIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18325, 15 February 1923, Page 8

BALANCE OF PARTIES.

i NECESSITY FOR COALITION. REFORMER URGES FUSION. ELECTION THE ALTERNATIVE [Bt IELEORAPH.--SPECIAL REPORTER.] ; WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The case for a fusion of the Reform and Liberal pasties as the only alternative to another general election was argued in WW House of Representatives to-day by Mr. A Harris, Government member for Waitemata, who continued the debate on the double-barrelled no-confidence amendment. * '■ ■• '■ _ There was a stir on the Opposition benches when Mr. Harris asserted that the Liberal Party consisted of 18 members and the Labour Party of 16. Both leaders queried the computation, and Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) said that Mr. Harris' arithmetic was bad. The member for Waitemata explained that when he credited, the Labour Party with only 16 members he excluded the member for Manukau, Mr. W. J. Jordan, who had declared over and over again on the public platform that ■he was not the official Labour candidate, but the selected Labour candidate. '"You don't understand anything about it," said Mr. F. N. Bartram (Grey Lynn). Mr. Harris said that to his mind there were only two possible solutions of the present problem. The moderate sections of the House must fuse, forming a strong, stable Administration. Mr. Wilford: Under whom? Mr. Harris That is a matter for consideration and for discussion and decision. It is not for mo to express an opinion.

Three-party System Condemned " My opinion is," ho continued, " quite honestly and sincerely, that this is not the time for three parties in the New Zealand Parliament. The Reform and Liberal parties must come together to combat extreme Socialism or there must be another election. What was the issue before the country at the elections? Was it not—as put by both the Reform and the Liberal parties—constitutional government or revolutionary Socialism? That is the issue on which the electors decided. There is not enough difference between the Reform and Liberal parties to keep them apart." Mr. Wilford: He says we are revolutionary socialists. Mr. Harris: Who? Mr. Wilford: The Minister for Agriculture. Mr. Harris: I am not responsible for the opinion of the Minister for Agriculture. If there are any revolutionary socialists in the Liberal Party my advice to them is to get on side as quickly as possible. On the other hand, if the Liberals are as liberal as the members of the Reform Party, and I believe many of them are— Mr. Wilford: They wouldn't have to be verv Liberal. \ Mr. Harris: Then obviously the two parties should come together. Narrow Line Between Parties. " Are there any marked differences in the policies of the Reform and Liberal parties!" Me. Harris asked. It is true that the Liberal Party brought down two platforms, one advocating proportional re presentation, which I have no hesitation in saying they don't want to-day and there is their advocacy of the State Bank With the exception of those two matters the party platforms were identical. It appears nothing less than suicide- for the two parties to remain apart. Mr. Massey: Fratricide. m Mr. Wilford: I should call it justifiable homicide. ' ... . . Mr. Harris: Both parties by remaining apart are playing into the hands of the Labour Party.:.* It they do not combine in Some way or other within six years, or possibly within threo, the Labour Party will be in power in New Zealand. Mr. Massey: I quite agree with you Mr. Harris: I express that as my peisonal opinion. I believe tfie result cannot be anything else. If this is so it is the duty of the right-thinking people in the country and in Parliament to make it impossible. A certain amount of compromroe on both sides would be necessary to effect a union, but I am quite suro that if the members of the two parties will recog nise that their first duty is not to themselves or to their party, but to the country, they will not find the difficulties of compromise insuperable. * ;■

Another Appeal to Country

"I believe," Mr. Harris continued, '* that the Reform Party has everything to gain from another appeal to the country, but it is possible that as the result of a second general election no • radical change will take place. Can the country afford to waste £60,000 on an election! Exceedingly strong resentment will be felt in the country against any party that forces a general election at this timp " Mr. H. Atmore (Liberal, Nelson) : Then what are you talking about it for Mr. Harris: I am not advocating it. but you have either to effect a . fusion or have an election. I am not speaking on behalf of the Government. 1 want to make that quite clear. It is true that the Government caucus decided to leave the way open to negotiations with the other j party. That was decided by a majority of the party. The Government party ; proved its sincerity by leaving the way | open. •■,•■'.' "There is a necessity," concluded Mr. Harris, " at this critical time for a sane ! and sensible Liberal Administration to ; combat the ) evil influence of extreme Socialism. I suggest that both parties should get together by their nominees'and see if there is a possible basis of union. If it is impossible they must face another election, but I don't believe it is impossible. The Reform Party to-day can carry on and have a majority when the division bells ring. That will be shown." A Liberal on the Position. At a later stage in the debate, Mr. S. G. Smith (Tamnaki), discussing the question of the fusion of parties, declared that the resolutions, passed by the Liberals were dictated '"by a desire to serve the country before party. The Liberal watchword was "country first." He ridiculed the idea that revolutionary Socialists were ever going to .govern the Dominion, but, if they did rise to that degree of power, they could only do so by the votes of the majority of the people, and, if the majority of the people wanted a revolutionary "Socialist Government, they had the constitutional right to create it, and no one had any grounds for complaint. Mr. Smith blamed the Premier for not making a frank statement as to what he proposed in view of the political crisis. Certain resolutions had appeared in the newspapers, but no proposals had been put before the Liberal Party. Mr. Massey: You have slammed the door in my face, and I accept that. Mr. Smith said he knew nothing of the door being slammed, but, if the Premier had appealed to the Liberals to secure a sound, stable Government in view of the many emergencies which had to be met during the next few months, he had no doubt arrangements could have been made to enable the Government to carry on. As, however, no such arrangements had been made, he proposed to vote for the amendment moved by Mr. Wilford, but aaainst that moved by the member for Buller, Mr. Holland.