POLITICAL SITUATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3592, 16 January 1923, Page 8

POLITICAL SITUATION

THE REFORM PARTY. SUCCESSFUL CAUCUS MEETING. WELLINGTON, January 11. The first post-election meeting of the Reform members of the new Parliament was held in Parliament Buildings to-day, occupying the whole of the afternoon. The caucus was a great success, stated the Prime Minister afterwards. The party consists of 38 members, and of these 36 were present, and the other three were, duly accounted for. Those absent were Messrs W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne), Tau Henare (Northern Maori), and William Uru (Southern Maori). Mr Lysnar, would have had to “eave Gisborne .last Friday in order to be present, and he could not get back till next Saturday night, except by undertaking an expensive special motor journey. All the absent members sent suitable messages, which the Prime Minister read to the meeting. Mr Uru is ill in Christchurch Hospital, and Mr Tau Henare was unavoidablydetained in Auckland. Mr Lysnar was excused from attendance on account of the length of time he would have had to be away from his home and business. The meeting unanimously agreed tp the following resolution: — 1. That the parliamentary members of the Reform Party, while regretting that the party was not returned with greater strength, are not in the least discouraged, and intend doing their duty as before in Parliament and out of it on the lines which will best promote the prosperity and general interests of the country. 2. They desire to express their appreciation of the fact that at the 1922 elections the electors supported the Reform candidates with nearly 73,000 votes more than at the previous elections in 1919, while the increased vote for the Liberal candidates was 10,999 and for Labour 11,723. 3. The most important question at issue under the existing circumstances is whether the doctrine of Revolutionary Socialism should be tolerated in. New Zealand, and this conference is of tile opinion that giving effect to, or even attempting to give effect to any such doctrine or policy, would be disastrous to the country, and should be resisted by every constitutional means in the power of right thinking citizens. In view of recent happenings, this conference

is of the opinion tliat the line of political demarcation in this country should be between those citizens who, on one hand, believe in progressive, enlightened, and constitutional democracy and, on the other hand, those who favour a policy of communism or extreme socialism. This conference is also of the opinion that the threeParty system leads to instability of government at a time when a strong, stable Government is urgently necessary. 5. This conference desires to state its conviction that the Reform Party has everything to gain by a further appeal to the country, but it hopes that another general election may be avoided, at all events, until the financial position becomes more definitely assured and the depression has quite passed away, and it will welcome any equitable arrangement by which those members of Parliament, who are opposed to communism may be brought together with the object of expediting the country’s business and keeping in check any section ■which favours principles subversive of the best interests of the dominion. 6. This conference, recognising the Prime Minister’s long and honourable political record, expresses its continued loyalty to him anc * j pledge themselves to stand by him in his endeavour to carry on of the country, believing him to bo at the present time the man best fitted lor the position.