MR T. M. WILFORD

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12196, 22 July 1925, Page 9

MR T. M. WILFORD

, T 5 AND THE NEW PARTY “CHANGING TIMES AND CHANGED CONDITIONS” “NO ; BARGAINING 'FOR OFFICE” Mr Wilford, Leader of the National Party, in addressing the executive of the Hutt branch of tho National Party, gave the reasons for the formation of the party. "The absence of a majority of any party in the Hou6G of Parliament to-day has produced the worst possible examples of tbe three-party system, ” he said. "As I 6aid in my letter of June 4th, necessary legislation, through the absence of a party with a majority, often cannot find its way on to the Statute Book. The offer of our pary to the Reform Party recently to form a National Party was turned down by the . Prime Minister, who wrote, inter alia, on July 7th last, that, for many reasons he did not think the formation of 'a new Government was practicable at the present time. That decision we had to accept, but we all felt that such a decision would not meet the wishes of the electors of New Zealand, and, moreover, that it did not express what the country requires. SELECTION OF MINISTERS "We felt that the continuance of the Liberal-Labour Party as such would not help in the formation of a National Party, for we could not expect, after our experience of the negotiations, any move forward jn the desired direction, notwithstanding the fact that we had offered, if a National Party was formed, to leave tho whole of the selection of the Ministers for the new party in the handß of tho Prime Minister. This the Prime Minister cannot deny. We took this 6tep to remove any suspicion that bargaining, for office in the new (government was an obstacle to tbe movement. "We'had before us the caucus resolution ofvthe Reform Party, viz., that that party desired fusion, and when we were told, that it was impracticable after receipt of vthat 1 resolution, we felt compelled to take the step that has been taken. The alteration of the name with a national policy will enable us to got away from the old party lines, and we believe that the alteration • will .help to end the faulty three-party system which we had in the negotiations been trying to eradicate. We intend, in due course, to issue a national policy which we .hope will attract all shades of political thought except those who are opposed to the maintenance of constitutional government, and believe from the announcements of all parties in Parliament that in these days,liberal principles must be the driving force in any National Party. A National Party will hot be manacled to yesterday, but can move forward to meet changing times and changed conditions. We want to make our Parliament a great National Committee attending to the affairs of the nation as ’they-would to their .own. We are out to create the friendly society spirit in polities, and would welcome the assistance of any men on the Reform : side who will help us to do this. We want to help create friendly relations between, Capital and Labour. We believe that .monopoly lies behind the great in;croase id the,coot of living, for a command of prices has been established by small group?, -of persons or great industrial combinations, and that competition, ‘the jgreat regulator of price, has at times [been 'practically shut out. In a Nationthe suspicion that there ie un- - fairness in the acttjnl daily difficulty of making both ends meet, we would endeavour to remove.

: • - WHAT CAN BE DbNE "Business meiy want peace and wish to have a ; chance to prepare years ahead for develop 7iient, and not to be the 'of Government whims daily. We "want' to see whether big business has entered politics and is subsidising it like we have read of in other countries; we want to stop big business controlling politics. We realise that science, machinery* and invention have made radical changes, which must be considered and provided for, former theories may have to go and old practices may have to bo scrapped. We. think a National Party can prevent the building up of profits for trusts at the expense of the people. With a miaority Government this cannot be done. "We want to see a stable position and economic safety, and while we require development, wd do not. require it at any price. . "We want to see the National Party going,, ahead with no old scores to be paid off, and no resentments to be satisfied, and no revolution, to be attempted. "All who wish to work in the common interest should help us. Let us try and bring) under the National Party ail classes together upon a platform or ac- , coramodafion and common interest. Many people by force or habit vote a particular way for a particular party. We want thosei people to join with the new party which will have the kindest sympathy with every projeofc. of social betterment, "A, National Party should break up any partnership between money and pcfwer, and in. that way’lies the gate of liberty.- In . fact, under a National Party, all could work for the whole of the people, not some of the people/* PRIME MINISTER’S FREE HAND Speaking at the same meeting, Mr G. W. Forbes (Hurunul) said that the motive that actuated the Liberal Party in entering into the fusion negotiations with the Reform Party was a sincere desire to *soo a strong, stable Government, formed which would be able to carry out a national policy and not bo at the beck, and call of individual members, demanding that local interests bo placed before national ones as had been the administration of the present Government owing to its insecure hold of office. The final decision wris left to the Prime Minister, and with the very rolls’ offer of.the' Liberal Party in front •of him, that on tho formation of a new National Party l)e would be given a free hand to appoint, whom he wished to his Cabinet, surely that should answer the charge that tho Liberal Party were after portfolios. "lii view of the dissatisfaction throughout the Dominion with tho three-party system and its weakening of Parliamentary government/' said Mr Forbes, “it is to be regretted that the Prime Minister should havo failed to rise to the occasion and ended party divisions, but it is now evident that he is not the national statesmen that the country hoped had been discovered. "The party felt that the desire of the people for a strong stable Government should not be thwarted by the Prime Minister's irresolution and lack of vision, so the decision to proceed with . the formation of tlm now National Parj:y which they had asked the Prime Minister to undertake was come to, and ns a proof that they desired to bury old party differences, they had named it the National Party, and intended to make it national in its aims and character." He was sure the people of New Zealand would welcome such a party. BEg/t /PftINCIPLES OF LIBERALj,.I ISM EMBODIED A. Murdoch nVTn'rsdcji) said that 'many /old Liberals might at first sight .deffiaro .the change of name, hut. he felt confident that when they understood 'the aim of their Parliamentary tdpresentatives was to create-a party which would- have the widest possible appeal npd would ombody all that .was .best in !tho. nrinciplos of Liberalism, they-would he thoroughly satisfied. Hp . *nTd that ‘the Present financial pnsjtinn 1 -of the rOuntry’ must rouee" any . tb'rnking man grave concern,' Und'witli all the borrow-

ing, the necessities of the people requiring houses wero far from being realised. Ho expressed his disappointmnt that the Prime Minister should have failed to measure up to the standard of his position-. CHANGE of name approved The meeting carried the following resolutions:— "ThaF tltis meeting of the Hutt branch of tlie Liberal-Labour Federation wishes to record its entire approval of the decision of the members of the party in Parliament to. create a new party, to be known as tbe National Party, with national aims anci policy. "This meeting of'the Hutt branch of the Liberal-Labour Party regrets that the Prime Minister should have refused the generous and unselfish offer of the Liberal-Labour Party to join with his party in the formation of a National Party so that a strong, stable Government could be formed".