POLITICAL SITUATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19503, 11 June 1925, Page 10

POLITICAL SITUATION.

THE FUSION ISSUE. CONFER ID.'CIO DATE FIXED. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON. June 10. The following loiter was sent to-day to (ho Prime Minister by Mr Milford; “As you stale in your letter of yesterday that ‘it wiil be impossible for some of your representatives to be in Wellington before June 18,’ I agree to that date.’’ THE LIBERAL REBRKSENTATIVKS. (From Our Own Correspondent.! IVEIJJNT.TON, June 10. It is understood Mint the Liberal Executive to-day elected its four representatives to attend I lie Reform-Liberal Conference So far the names have not been made public here, hut it is understood that Messrs Sidey, Forbes, Horne, and either Mr Masters or Mr Veitch are likely to lie the members of (lie delegation. On the Reform side the Hon. Mr M‘Leod will probably head the list of representatives chosen. THE THREE-PARTY SYSTEM. AN EX-MINISTER’S VIEW. (From Ot 2 Own Cprrespondent.) WELLINGTON, June 10. Passing reference to the political situation was made by the lion. Roderick M'Kenzio in the course of his remarks at the Seddon statue this morning. The present situation, he said, was .something like what is was when the Ballanco Government was first, formed, with the difference that at that time there were only two parties. Many newspaper editors politicians, and others were agreed now that it was time the pc sent three-party system was done away with. Mr M'Kenzio expressed the opinion that it should bo done away with in every country. There was one thing ho felt he could say with confidence, and that was that Liberalism in New Zealand would never be abolished by any party whatever. —(“Hear, hear.”) It might become weaker. The Refoim Party had been far weaker than the Liberal Parly was to-day, and ho felt, confident that a man would arise, as surely as Mr Sedclon arose in 1296, to revive Liberalism and restore the party to its former strength. He had no doubt that the majority of those present that day would do their utmost to bring that about. The present Labour Party had some very strong adjutants, but he did not think they were as strong as those of tin' old Liberal Party. The Socialism of that past Administration had conferred enormous benefits on the country, and be had no doubt whichever party gained power that the legislation passed by Mr Sheldon and bis Government would bo kept on the Statute Book of New Zealand. TARANAKI LIBERALS. OPPOSED TO FUSION. (From Ou.r Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON. June 10. Judging from a Taranaki correspondent of the New Zealand Times, the Liberals in that district are not fusionists and are opposed to the idea that the Liberal Party should sink its identity through fusion. The correspondent, a well-known resident of Stratford, points out that Mr Wilford was elected unanimously as loader and also that, he has the full confidence of his party, and while he is willing and trying to make matters happier and bettor for all the people it would bo better if the Times gave them a helping hand. Replying to this; the Times says_: “It is perfectly true that we have, criticised Mr Wilford adversely from lime to time. It is equally true that we have done so in the interest of national as distinct, from purely party polities. It was only with the purpose of furthering the cause of making everybody happier that we urged him to strive after the broad perspective. Situated as he was, Mr Wilford (or the party he leads) could achieve little or nothing for good by continuing the light with a p.arty with which the. Liberals had no vital differences of policy. The Liberals were play ing info the hands of the Socialists, whoso slogan is ‘Workers over nil.’ ” The Dominion, which favours fusion, deprecates any endeavour to stampede the electors. Concluding an article on the subject it savs: “We dissent entirely from the view that fusion is a thing to be accomplished by a sudden, hurried effort. 'The fusion at nuy price advocates, who are attempting to carry their proposal through with a rush, are more likely to create a more serious division of forces than to leach their declared objective. ’’ THE GISBORNE SEAT. MR LYSNAR’S POSITION. WILL SUPPORT REFORM PARTY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Juno 10. Mr W. ,D. Lysnar intends to continue his support of the Reform Party. To-day he said: “My position is exactly the same as it was when I stood and was elected at the last election, I am prepared to support Mr Coates in any Government that that may bo formed under him in the same way as I supported Mr Massey. Anything which arises out of the Vostoy Commission which is now sitting has no bearing on my political attitude. I have never allowed the matter to influence me m tlia past and will not in the future. _ So long as the Government in power legislates in the direction which I think is in the interests of the dominion as a whole it will have my support. I was, of course, elected as an Independent, and I retain that position.” Regarding fusion, Mr Lysnar said that he had made nis position on that head perfectly clear in the House last session. Ho was ’very strongly of the opinion that there should 'bo fusion and that fusion should lake place before the session and before election. Fusion should bo based on certain principles, and future legislation should be defined. That being so, said Mr Lysnar, any now party that should endeavour to make good at the forthcoming_ session and legislate, so far as there was time at their disposal, to meet those principles. Sometiling more than words and promises was needed. “The country is tired of promises,” declared Mr Lysnar. “It wants the goods delivered. If the new party cannot deliver all the goods at the coming session then it should' deliver all it can.” I’ll AN KEEN BY-ELECTION. CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING. REFORM TARTY CONFIDENT. (From Odk Own Correspondent.! AUCKLAND. June 10. With the poll in the Franklin by-election duly a week distant, bolh the Reform and Labour Parties have brought their campaign to a high pilch of activity. The parly loaders will shortly take a share in the contest—the Prime Minister on Monday and the Loader of the Labour Party (Mr Holland) 10-morrow. The Refo: .1 organisation in Franklin, which scarcely needed to bestir itself during Mr Massey's life time, has developed remarkably in the past fortnight. Active commit tees have been formed in all parts of the electorate. Districts have been mapped out for them, and almost everything is in readiness for polling day. Mr A. K. Davy (the party’s organiser) “states that in his political experience he has never seen a plan of campaign carried out so quickly and effectively by all concerned. The meetings addressed by (he candidate have been most enthusiastic. and at every one a vole of thanks and confidence in (he candidate and of confidence in the Reform Party has boon carried. The largest number of dissentients counted at anv meeting was three. At many of the small country meetings all present have remained to form a committee and work in 1. ’ candidate's interests. At Otahnhu. where the voting was even, if not slightb- adverse to Reform at the last election, Mr MT.ennan received an unopposed vote of thanks and confidence. The contest, in 1922 was against a Liberal candidate, and reports from OtaJanhu district

show that a much larger Reform I-oto may be expected since there are many Lebarals in the neighbourhood, and a very large proportion of their votes will probably go to the Reform candidate. Supporters of the Reform Party made up their minds to leave nothing to chance 111 this contest. There is general satisfaction among them on the selection of Mr Coates ns Prime Minister as is shown by the Bukekolic people’s direct invitation to him 10 address a mooting next Monday. Mr M'Lennan, who. at the beginning of the campaign, lacked experience as a platform speaker, is considered to have improved remarkably. At all His meetings lie has had (he assistance of the member for Roskill. Air A r . 11. Potter. The Labour Party is very well satisfied with the reception which its candidate is having in different parts of the electorate. Those in charge of the campaign consider (lie personal merits of the candidates are fairly equal, both being farmers of long residence and good standing in the electorate. Personalities are entirely absent from the contest, which thus becomes purely and simply a trial of strength between the parties. The chief subjects of controversy at the meetings are Labour’s land policy and the existing order of things. The farmer electors arc not greatly interested in any campaign issues except land tenure and rural finance. The Labour representatives say there has been something in (he nature of concerted opposition at their meetings in the towns, principally in tlio form of repeated hostile questions to the candidate. In the country, however, the farmers attending the meetings seem to have been genuinly anxious to find out what Labour proposes to do for tho man on the land, and particularly for the settler carrying a heavy burden of mortgages on land bought at preslump prices. It is not generally known that the procedure under which absent voters may take part in a parliamentary election has been greatly simplified by the regulations issued since the passing of tho Legislature Amendment Act of last session. Formerly it was necessary for a voter temporarily absent from an electorate in which ho was enrolled to obtain -a special permit before election day. This is not now required. An absent voter has only to go into any post office in the dominion and apply for a special electoral declaration form. When lie has filled in and signed the form he is handed a voting paper on which the names of the candidates have been written. He marks this in tho ordinary way, and a postal ollicini, acting as deputy returning onicer, then seals up the declaration and the voting paper in an envelope and addresses it to the returning officer in the electoral district concerned. The returning officer is required to compare the signature on the declaration with that upon the card filled in by the elector when applying for registration. If they are similar the vote is recorded, and if not it is rejected. The procedure could hardly bo simpler, and it has the advantage that it provides for all cases of sudden absence from an electorate.