DOMINION POLITICS

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 28

DOMINION POLITICS

LIBERAL AND REFORM PARTIES. WHEN WILL THEY DISSOLVE PARTNERSHIP? (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 18. Thero are indications of political activity again. Thero is really very little on which any positive satement can be based, for no one of the Ministers has anything at all to say about the situation; but it is clear none the less that there is a possibility that some quite startling announcement may be made before very long. The reasons why something of the sort must happen soon have been clear for a long time—ever since, in fact, the Liberals held that caucus, when they decided by resolution to continue in existence as a separate party, and to contest the elections as such. The Reform Leader has the right to say to the Liberal Leader now that if there is to be enmity between the parties it had better begin at once. , , The time for the session approaches, and in this session the Government will have to declare itself and pledce itself on all sorts of questions. First of all, it will have to declare a programme for the session. Who is to frame that programme? If Mr Massey is to go to the country as head of tho Government, the programme must be one on •which he is prepared to stand criticism, and in the preparation of it he will naturally not be disposed to accept advice from Sir Joseph Ward and his friends. Sir Joseph Ward cannot get control, except possibly by a vote of the House when it meets, and then he could not get it except; with the support of the Red members of the Labour Party, so that he could not carry on as Prime Minister. In these circumstances there might be a dissolution, leaving Mr Massey '•till the right to appeal to the country. Very soon the alliance of the two parties must end. If there is to be a union in future, in terms of the proposal made by Mr Massey soon after he arrived in Auckland, it must be by the fusion of the parties. The alliance of the. two separate units still keeping their identity wJI not at all meet the present situation.- The only doubt is as to when the alliance is to be terminated. Before the week is outjhe country should have a better understanding of the political situation. ANOTHER NEW PARTY. • OPPOSITION TO NATIONAL MINISTRY. CHRISTOHURCH, August 18. The Star reports that a new political party, to be known as the People's League, js being formed in Christchurch. The committee is engaged in drawing; up a programme, and as soon as this is completed public meetings will be held and branches formed throughout the dominion. lhis league will not be connected with any political party, and candidates will be required to give -a pledge to vote against all the members of the present Ministry. The policy of the league will be to consolidate the wage-earning classes, with the object of improving their conditions and dealing with the cost of living. It is hoped to embrace the moderate Labour element in the league. AIMS AND OBJECTS OF THE NEW PARTY. CHRISTCHURCH, August 18. Two of the main movers in the People's League are Mr Andrew Fairbairn (who was a member of the Cost of Living Commission) 'and Mr J. B. Struthers. In a statement of the objecte of the league it *8 Bet out that it is an organisation of lawabiding citizens, who believe in democratic constitutional government, and are opposed to secretly-arranged action inimical to publio interests, designed by combinations in restraint of trade. A Profiteers and Strike Organisers' League is established in the interests of all classes, of labour, and is desirous of bringing about a better understanding between all sections of the community. Minimum wages, it says, must not be subjected to commercial competition, and should go hand in hand with the oost of living, and must provide for a reasonable standard of comfort, but no artificial -obstacles should be placed in the way of the workers to improve their position in life. Incontrovertible evidence exists that war profiteering has been operating, with the full knowledge of both the Massey Government and the Coalition Government, through their failure tc Gazette by Order-in-Council "The Regulation of Trade and Commerce Act, 1914," in its entirety. The people have been prevented from using the law courts to obtain redress from profiteers. The league demands (a) "That the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Aot be gazetted in "its entirety to cover all commodities, and be made retrospective to August 10, (b) "That all profiteer* within the meaning of the Act be proseouted, and that all proved war profits be confiscated and paid tb reduce the war debt, and that the guilty parties be punished as provided for in section 14." Tho league demands that the present Beard of Trade, which has proved itself incapable of protecting the people from profiteering, be abolished, and a new board constituted with a competent personnel, concerned with the consumers' interests; the new board to have statutory powers to take evidence and compel subpoenaed witnesses to produce books and documents, ■when investigations are necessary. After advocating the reconstruction of chambers of commerce and giving them statutory powers to institute prosecutions for profiteering, and for breaches of the Weights, Food, and Commercial Trusts Acts, and the lioensing of all businesses, the statement proceeds: — The league pledges itself to uphold absolute freedom of trade within the dominion, and demands an amendment to the Commercial Trusts Act, preventing suppliers or combinations of traders from fixing selling pricos with penal conditions, and other methods practised for the purpose of increasing prices to tho public. In conclusion, the league protests against the British Empire Order decorations being conferred upon men who have not served outside New Zealand and against niggardly and unsympathetic treatment of soldiers who have served overseas. It advocates a sound scheme of defonce, but is against compulsory service in peace time.