THE UNIONIST PARTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13862, 27 March 1907, Page 5

THE UNIONIST PARTY

SECTIONAL DIFFERENCES,

SPEECH BY MR AUSTEN CHAM. UKKLAIN.

Prtss Association—Ey Telegraph—Copyright

LONDON, Match 26. (Received M.udi 26. at 10.19 p.m.) Mv Austen Cliambeil.ini, speaking at Addington, described the Unionist FrecUadb Club as a meie stage army, having leaders but no followeis. lb was time those lesponsihle for the club should ask themselves whether they still defied to bs associated with tlio Unionist paity. Was it fair that men should stay in the paity simply in order to oppose its policy, and fiom -within its lanks to acenso the majority of introducing anarchy and confusion?

The Unionist pity lias liron qilit up into at least three sections o\er the tariff leform question—the Frcctiadcis, tho suppoiters of Mr Balfour's retaliation policj, and Iho Fiscal Forneids, as the out and-ont (and reformois haio been called. Strong efforts aio now being made to leunite tho party. Referring to this matter tho Pall Mall Gazette leecntly staled: ' Mr Balfom's speech at Hull has left few visiblo traces of paity dissatisfaction, and tho only gtumblo to be heard is that he allowed tho attack-! upon the Ccntial Office to leinain unanswered. Probably he felt that it was better to Icavo tho uoik of tho new Chief Agent to justify itself than lo mcreaso tlio discomforts of coniibvoi=y mound an. arduous and delicate official post. Tariff Reformers, however, can cot their minds peifectly at ic?» as lo the lines of party administration to bo followed by Mr Perei\al Hughes. Organisation is a laigo enough sphcio in itself lo pie\ent anyone from attempting to tlcHeob policy in his spaie moments, and undei tho new A£cnt tho impiovenient of party machircij- will bo pioscculed without the slightest entanglement in sectional differences. For these assuranics wo haio tho highest authority, and ihej .should enable the Fiscal Forwards to nuisuo their campaign without either occasioning or falling uctims lo misunderstanding."