POLITICAL SITUATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19500, 8 June 1925, Page 8

POLITICAL SITUATION.

QUESTION of fusion. PARTY NEGOTIATIONS. s_ MR OF MYSTERY. (From Or® Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, June 7. There U a certain amount of mystery surrounding the negotiations of the Liberals (With the. Reform Party in regard to fusion. As far back as May 27 it was announced that the Reform Party had been approached by a representative of certain members of Parliament of the Liberal Party. Following this (on June 3), Mr Coates communicated with the representative of the Liberal members and suggested a conference of three from each side, excluding the party loaders. Yet Mr Wilford, in his letter of June 4. states that nothing had been clone, and subsequently he says_ that he • had ; not received any informa--1 anyone as to what had happened at the Reform caucus in regard Ur,!»,.conference. Ho added that he felt Bwro'also that no member of his party had dona sov THe inference to be drawn from Mr Wilford’s statements is that some members of his party have been negotiating behind, his back. This, coupled with the faofc i that Mr Wilford himself does not desire' office in whatever Government may bavforinediafter a fusion takes place, leads W„ , .(he»itlrtiier conclusion that a disintegration of the Liberal Party is taking place. 2Tl0"RoslnIl expression of v/ant-of.-confidence strengthens the conclusion, and it is being freely stated here that if the Liberal Party does remain m existence it will be under a new leader. -In regard to the two-party conference, the general opinion seems to favour a conference composed of three members from the Reform and three from the Liberal Party, -excluding the leaders of each party. It is understood that the members of tho Reform .Party are quite willing to agree 'to a conference convened on these lines. The absence of the leaders would undoubtedly lead to a freer discussion than if they were present, and perhaps obviate a tendency to undue bargaining. It does hot “ however, follow that the decision of am- such, conference in favour of fusion would brihg about an immediate amalgamation. There would, no doubt, be members end candidates on cadi side who would insist on their rights to stand as candidates' at the coming general election, and there would certainly also be some constituencies in which both Reform and Liberal supporters would not at this late hour agree to withdraw their chosen candidate*. These are two of the difficulties in the way of any definite or final fusion until after n general election, but there are others. In addition, there is always the danger that precipitate action may make the threeparty system more dangerous than it is at present. DIFFERENCES. FRICTION WITH LEADER. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 5. The comments of the Leader of the Liberal Party concerning the resolution passed oy the Roskill Liberals formed the subject of a statement .to-day by Mr Hall Skelton. “Mr Wilford’s reply to our executive is pof cprrect,” lie said. “Briefly, the position is that our executive claimed the right Jo select its own candidate. The so-called Auckland Provincial Council consisted mostly; of men representing no Liberal largauisation, nor were they truly representatives of the province as a whole. Having been informed that no person was to be a member of the council u nless ho were duly elected by an organised body of electors, and tha't no person seeking selection by the party as a candidate was to be eligible for the council, our executive took,’ and still takes, strong exception to the present composition of the so-called cciuncil. By hole-and-corner methods four dui'of about eight of that body have nomb naied' themselves for various seats. The Roskill executive strongly objects to this. Roskill demanded a policy and constitution, hut ‘Taihoa’ and spurious promises were made ,to, them, only to be broken. Letters and tdiograms were left unanswered, and even ‘ unacknowledged- As time passed it became abundantly clear that this pseudocouncil did not intend to organise, but wished to exist as a dummy behind which jtlr, Wilford could shelter in case of expediency. ••The Roskill executive was told (never in writing) by Wellington that the Auckland council had some matters which required »to be cleared up. T niormal conferences- were therefore held with Mr Trevethick, when the matters proved to be trivialities-easily cleared out of tho way. Then the Auckland council (always informI ally) suggested that Mr Wilford had some complaints, and that this was where the real trouble lav; and I believe they were right. Mr Wilford well' knew that I was' not the type of man to bo led by any pat tv or person to betray my party 's principles. Air Wilford 1 well knew thMmy principles were those of the true Liberalism pf the Grc.v, Reliance. Seddon, and Ward regime, and' as he had voted against these principles he could not logically bring down a policy which should embrace these fundamentals. Mr Wilford well knew that I was quite aware of his ma.squerade in LH'cral clothing. He knew' I was aware ti nt on at least three occasions the Tory Government had-been placed in power by a Tory in the Liberal ranks. U’Tlio only cause 6 of the trouble between ' the Roskill Liberals and this party was a desire : by- the former to clear the ranks of these Tories in disguise. Mr Wilford says j.e will not accept a portfolio in anv - Coalition Cabinet. Perhaps so; hut_ will Air Wilford deny the rumour that he is acoepting some Ambassadorial post in Washmeter or the High Commissionership? Will be pledge himself not to accept any such position? Will he say whether secret, negotiations for a coalition have been in train for some time past, and will he say whether any such positions as above have been mentioned to him in the event of a fusion? “Finally, will he tell us by what right he can, without, a mandate from the Liberals# of New Zealand, attempt to destroy the Norty' which he is supposed bo guide?” S?EPLT BY MR WILFORD. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 6. Replying this morning to Mr Hall "Skelton’s statement that there is a rumour that Air Wilford is accepting an Ambassadorial post in America, or the High Commossion-c'-shin in England as a price for fusion, Mr Wilford stated; “I wish to say in reply tbnfc neither of such -positions has been offered me in the event of fusion or any other event, nor have they been mentioned at all lam sure that the Prime Minister .end his ARnisters w r ill hear me out in this. Jri regard to Mr Hall Skelton’s nuestion about the negotiations. I believe that all sorts of negotiations—if you can fill them negotiations—have been attempted in this direction for over three years. Chambers of ccmmerce, farmers’ unions, the Welfare League, end some Reformers and Liberals in and out of Parliament have tried to got it common ground for a junction of the two parties.” As to the rest of Air Hal! Skelton’s statement, Mr Wilford merely replied by saving that- it must convince all Liberals in New Zealand that the Auckland Provincial Council of the Liberal-Labour Federation did well when it refused, with its local knowledge, to recommend that gentleman as tho Liberal-Labour candidate for Roskill.