PARTY TROUBLES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22579, 18 November 1936, Page 12

PARTY TROUBLES

OPPOSITION DIVIDED LEADERSHIP ISSUE SIR G. WILSON RESIGNS DISSENSION IN RANKS The resignation of Sir George Wilson from the office of president of the National Political Party was announced officially yesterday. This development, which follows closely on the tense political situation which arose from the resignation of the Pt. Hon. G. W. Forbes as Leader of the Opposition, is expected to have an important bearing oil the future of the Opposition in Parliament.

In announcing his resignation yesterday, Sir George said a state of affairs had been reached in the activities of the party which made his action definite and irrevocable. " When the Parliamentary members of the National Party chose the Hon. Adam Hamilton as their leader at the close of the session recently," Sir George said, " assurances were given that there would be absolute loyalty to the new leader. The selection of .Mr. Hamilton was subsequently endorsed by the Dominion council of the party, which met in Wellington at the same time.

" Political Manoeuvrings " " I now find that a loyal following for Mr. Hamilton is not assured. As; recently as last week there was an effort in Auckland to have the matter of leadership reconsidered, apparently with a view to replacing Mr. Hamilton by Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P. for Egmont.

" The party, as constituted, chose Mr. Hamilton and owes him undivided loyalty. Personally, I cannot and will not be a party to these political manoeuvring*, and, although my best efforts have been put forward to build up a sound political organisation on sound Conservative lines, I now feel that those efforts cannot further be of use to the National Party." Sir George declined tg discuss publicly at any greater length the events leading up to his resignation, but from other sources it is gathered that a crisis occurred last week at a meeting of the divisional council of the party in Auckland, when a resolution was carried requesting the Dominion Council to reopen the quebtiou of leadership. Differences More Marked

The resolution, it is understood, referred to the " cold reception " given in Auckland to the selection of Mr. Hamilton, and to the preference of supporters of the party for Mr. Wilkinson as the new leader, owing to his former independence from both the Reform and United Parties. Even before the caucus at the close of the session of Parliament, the choice of a successor to Mr. Forbes had given rise to considerable differences of opinion among members of the Opposition, and there were times when the differences between former Reform and United members became more marked than ever before. There was a particularly frank discussion of the position at the caucus last month, and it was thought that this would clear the political air and allow Mr. Hamilton the opportunity to weld the two sections of his party into a permanent alliance. However, subsequent events have proved that a cleavage still exists, particularly as it is stated that at least one member of the Parliamentary party has been taking an active part in the attempt to have the leadership question reviewed. Possibility of Split,

Those in touch with the political situation do not attempt to disguise the fact that if the movement to jettison Mr. Hamilton almost before he has assumed office in favour of Mr. Wilkinson spreads to any extent there is a very definite risk of a split in the Opposition. Some Reform members are even of the opinion that a break would be desirable. Tliev hold that their partnership with the United Party has never been a success and that the alliance brought about by the critical situation in 1931 should be dissolved, thus bringing to a close a case of adversity making strange political bedfellows. When the Coalition was first formed in 1931, many Reform members and supporters were against the proposal. However, the union was made and it is a matter of common knowledge that the Rt. Hon. J. G. Qoates and his colleagues, representing the Reform section of the Coalition, bore the greatest share of the heavy administrative burden during the difficult years of the depression. Events After Election

After the defeat of the Coalition Government at the general election last year, the question of leadership of the Opposition immediately arose and it is believed that Mr, Forbes considered that, as retiring Prime Minister, he had an automatic claim to the position. According to reliable reports Mr. Coates, at a caucus immediately following the resignation of the last Government, pointed out that members of the Opposition were still members of a Coalition, the attempt to weld permanently the Reform and United parties not having been made at that stage. Mr. Coates held that the question of leadership, in the first place, should be discussed between Mr. Forbes and himself, as the heads of the respective parties, but this course was not followed, and Mr. Forbes assumed the leadership. Change in Attitude

At the close of the session a meeting of the provisional Dominion Council in Wellington decided that Mr. Hamilton would prove the most acceptable successor to Mr. Forbes. It was generally considered that the matter would be amicably settled along these lines, but it was not long before a marked suggestion ot intrigue became apparent in Opposition circles. Mr. Wilkinson accepted an invitation to join the Opposition and immediately a group of former United members put him forward as a candidate for the leadership. For some weeks there was an air of restiveness among members of the National Party. Prominent Reformers determined that thev could not accept Mr. Wilkinson as their leader, and there are grounds for believing the threat of a split was only removed when the choice of Mr. Hamilton was made. Hopes that this would mean a permanent healing of the breach have not materialised and in the light of evidence that a section of the party is still trying to engineer its own plans it would not be surprising to see marked changes in the constitution cf the Opposition.