THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1925. POSTPONEMENT OF FUSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19532, 15 July 1925, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1925. POSTPONEMENT OF FUSION.

It will be observed this morning that the project for a merger of the Reform and Liberal parties has proved abortive for the present. We say “for the present” because a fusion will inevitably come about sooner or later. Mr Wilford alleges that the Prime Minister has “banged, barred, and bolted” the door against fusion. It is plain, however, that this is not the case. Mr Coates recognises the desirability of a merger and of the formation of a strong, stable Government to carry out a national, progressive policy which will conserve both the peace and the prosperity of the dominion.” But he holds that it is his duty during the present session to maintain the policy of Mr Massey, which the Reform party was elected to support. We may respect the motive which prompts the Prime Minister to take this view of the matter without agreeing that it affords a convincing reason why there should be no fusion at the present time. It would certainly not be foreign to Mr Massey’s aim to carry out a national, progressive policy which Mr Coates somehow seems to distinguish from the policy of his predecessor. But, since this is the judgment Mr Coates has formed as to the duty which is imposed upon him as Mr Massey’s successor, it might not unreasonably have been expected. of him that he should have made it know at an earlier stage in the negotiations, if not indeed before the negotiations were entered upon at all. It would have been not more than fair to the Liberals if this had been done.. Yet, it is not accurate to say that the idea of fusion has been abandoned. The realisation of it may have been made more difficult than it was before the negotiations were begun. But the merger of the parties has merely been postponed. Mr Coates suggests that the time is not ripe for it. We may differ from him on this point, especially as an atmosphere had been created that was entirely favourable to the amalgamation of the parties. We are satisfied, however, that the failure of the negotiations at the present time does not exclude the possibility of success at no distant date in future. There is no actually compelling force just now, and in the absence of it the difficulties with which the accomplishment of fusion —a fusion which should not necessarily have been followed by an immediate reconstruction of the Government—would have been attended have been magnified and have had an importance assigned to them that is wholly disproportionate to their real gravity. The failure of the negotiations will be regretted by a solid mass of public opinion throughout the whole community. The only class of persons that has any cause for self-congratulation over the postponement of fusion is that composed of the Socialists. They have pretended that it was their hope and desire that the parties opposed to them would enter into partnership. But, while they have professed this, they must have realised that the effect of fusion would have been to destroy their chances of winning half a dozen seats at the general election which they may possibly secure through the return of minority representatives in constituencies where there may be triangular contests. It is not to be seriously supposed that there is any danger that the Socialists will succeed in capturing seats in sufficient numbers to give them a majority in the new House. Some of them have been talking very boastfully about the wonderful triumphs that await them at the polls. But they cannot soberly imagine that the electors are going to show any such liking for them as would have to be exhibited in order that their blustering predictions might be justified. The best result that they can anticipate would be of such a character as would enable them to figure as the official Opposition in next Parliament. That is a result, however, which would probably impress politicians opposed to them with a sense of the need of the merger that is not regarded as immediately important. Unfortunately the cost of the fusion that

would then be accomplished would be the loss in favour of the Socialists of seats which they should not be allowed to secure and the engendering in certain constituencies of friction between the two political parties that are separated only by barriers of a distinctly artificial nature.