PARTY REFORMERS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12101, 9 July 1920, Page 5

PARTY REFORMERS.

(By Telegraph—“ Times” Special.) WELLINGTON, Last night.

The inside story of a Reform Party within the Reformers was disclosed to a highly, interested House by Mr Statham to-day. His No-Confidence amendment, turned on what was the first plank of the Reform Progressives, who had begun to assert themselves, according .to his statement, in 1918. There was, he said, dissatisfaction in the Reform Party, and Mr Anderson came to him with a request for his assistance in drawing up a Progressive platform. * The speaker told him: “You know my views. I’d clear out the whole lot—lock stock and barrel.”

Mr Lee: “You mean the 'National Cabinet?” Mr Statham: “No, the Reform Ministers. The hon. gentleman knows, because he was one of us.” “ (Laughter.) Mr Statham went on to explain that the first plank in their platform, was the insistence that members of the party should have the right to elect their own Ministers. A number of kindred spirits had come into the movement, but he was not the most active spirit. The present Minister of Internal Affairs could speak about that, as he wag chairman and convener. (Laughter, and oh! oh!) “The same honourable gentleman is sittingon the Treasury benches,” continude Mr Statham. “He might be able to wri£e a book on ‘how I began as a Knight of Labour, and finished with a Portfolio.’ ” (Laughter.) Mr Massey: “There’s nothing wrong about that.” Mr Statham: “No, but-he should have begun as a member of the Ministry, and later become- a Knight of Labour. Then I come to the Minister of Education, He was a most enthusiastic member of the Progressive Party, but his zeal outran his diferetion altogether, because (he will not deny it) he and another member went up to Napier to get General Russell to join the party, and invited him to lead it.” Mr Parr: “I repudiate that!” Mi- Statham: “The member for Oamaru was an astute gentleman, who reminds me of the unjust steward who was commended by his master, not because he had done rightly, but because he had done wisely.” (Laughter.) Mr Lee: “Give us facts!” Mr Statham: "He joined the party, but did not attend all the meetings. He reminds me of the Vicar of Bray.” Labour members: “What oath did he take?” Mr Massey: “What about yourself? Mr Statham: “I am coming to that. We insisted on certain requirements, including the election of the Ministry by the party.” Mr Lee: “I never supported that.

Mr Statham; “Then you came on false pretences. I hear the member for Waitemata say something. . He knows, because he was there. (Laughter, and oh’!.) “It was agreed that not one member of the party should take his seat in the Ministry without the consent of the others. Mr Parr: “That’s not so.” Mr Statham; “I am astonished to hear the Minister for Education say it is not correct.” Mr Lee: “The astonishment is reciprocal.” ....... Mr Statham went on to say that it was agreed that unless the first plank be accepted by the party, he and his colleagues would become Independents. T , . Mr Lee: “Did you say I agreed to that?” , T . Mr Parr: “There was no party. It was a Progressive Wing of the Reform Party.” „ Labour members: “A broken wing. Mr Parr: “Do you suggest that the Premier was not aware of what we did?” , _ _ , ~ Mr Statham; “Certainly he did. Mr- Hanan: “It was the pistol at his Statham; “If I had had my way, we would have declared ourselves as a party, and stood by our pledges to the Reform Government till the dissolution, and at the election, have come out as an Independent Party. It had been said that the Independent never got anywhere, but what did it mattei if the alternative was to follow blmaly until he was rewarded. He would sooner stand aside, retaining his seltrespect, and sticking V His pnnclules,’ * Mr Nosworthy; “Your remarks are not very nice about people sticking to their principles.” Mr Statham’s retort was that ne sympathised with his interruptei, wio was troubled about rabbits He went on to detail the .membership ol tne Progressive party: Messrs Anderson, Lee, Parr, Statham, Sykes, DowmeStewart, Harris, J. M. Dickson, Reed, Dr Newman, Wilkinson, Young an Mander. ■-.The speaker went on to suggest that he had, by declaring his I dependence, done something to asseit the rights of private members. X shall be told,” he concluded, that I’m ploughing a lonely fur-row, not for long. A young New Zealand party will arise, which will be to its country, and give e :^ ce its ideals, and will eventually .displace the Government in power. The differ cnee between the Reform and Liberal narties is the difference between Tweedledum and. Tweedledee. anc cannot vote for either of them. Mr Massey announced that fohow ing precedent, he would regard the amendment as one of Mr Statham’s amendment was se conded by J. M. Dicksoft who su.-o-ested that it was unthinkable that three members of the Ministry who as private members, supported the mentioned, l 3U Mr Dick's on’: “You will havq your opportunity!” When a committee was appointed by the Premier practically at Mr Anderson, s request _ to draw up a progressive policy which the Premier could accept or reject, So fit plonk was that the Mm.stry be elected by the party, if _ that had been accepted no Progressive Party would have been formed, iheie wa an agreement that no member would accept Cabinet rank without the party’s consent. Mr Lee; “Where was that aiMr JDickson; “In Auckland.” Mr Lee : “I was not at the Auckland meeting.” . “One side of the position has been put, let me give the other side.” said Mr Massey in opening his reply. He dealt with the happenings in the party during his absence in England, for, as he explained, he was kept posted. It was represented to him at the - party meeting that he might return just before a general election and that the party needed a plattorm. The suggestion was made that a committee be set up for the purpose of drafting a policy. He agreed. Mr Anderson was appointed chairman. On his voyage back to New Zealand, he drafted the, greater part of the platform on which the party went to the country. . This was added to on his return. The platform committee had met* occasionally and he believed some of them got the idea that the Cabinet would be strengthened by the infusion of fresh blood. He was not finding fault. Their wishes were communicated, to him and he was prepared to reconstruct the Cabinet. “But when the proposal was made that the Cabinet should be elected by members of the party as a whole, I said,” continued Mr Massey, “that I could not retain my self respect and consent to such a thing-. There was

no secrecyabout the committee. They, were honourable" then and didn’t treat him Unfairly;- - When the idea of the new party was suggested one of the leading men asked him to be Prime Minister. Of course that was impossible, and he made it perfectly clear, Mr Mander.’s name was mentioned as one of the rebels. (Laug-h----ter.) “I use the term for want of a better,” interpolated the Premier. There is no more loyal member of my party. When I came back there was no further trouble; (Laughter.) Hoy-r alty was revived.- (Laughter.) Only Mr Statham remains outside. Mr Witty: “He is in the good fold!” Mr Massey: “Not in your fold!” He went on to mention that on his return Mr Mander moved and Mr Harris seconded a motion of loyalty to himself. Mr Statham: . “The motion was never carried and never put.” Mr Parr: “Mr Statham was the rebel on that occasion, but the others were not prepared to desert the Premier.” Mr Massey, continuing, said that when he came to appoint Ministers his party had sufficient confidence in his judgment and knew he would do right, and the first man to tell him he would get his support was Mr Parr. Every other member of the party with one exception had similarly pledged himself before the election. Mr Statham: “There were three or four exceptions,” Mr Downie Stewart: “I stood as jin Independent, but said, T will support you against Ward’.” “Yes,” said Mr Massey. “I do not mind a man being Independent, but he cannot do effective work, and I hold out the olive branch even now.” Later in the evening the Hpuse heard explanations from Ministers who were “progressives.” “It was a pretty harmless sort of committee and had its genesis in the suggestion to form a progressive platform,” explaned Mr Parr., “There was no suggestion of disloyalty to the Prime Minister,” he continued, “though Mr Statham consistently advocated separation. When the Premier after his return introduced a progressive programme and legislation superior to the Progressive Committee’s amateur efforts, he, the speaker, was quite ■satisfied, and before the end of last session the Progressive Party was as dead as Julius Caesar.” Mr Witty: “You got the carrots!” Mr Parr retorted that if the Premier would consent he was quite willing to submit himself to his party at any time for their verdict. He appealed to Mr Statham to test his principle with a bill, and not challenge his old chief. Dr Thacker: “Are you frightened?” Mr Parr: “No. but it’s a disagreeable business for. old friends.” Mr MacDonald suggested that the matter was the most serious in his Parliamentary experience. A definite charge had been levelled against three members of thd Ministry, that they had deserted their pledges. If ever any three men got into position by direct action, those Ministers had done so. (Laughter.) He could tell the House a good deal more about the Progressive Party. Mr Massey: “What about the overtures you made to a Speaker if you got a majority ?” Mr MacDonald: “When?” Mr Massey: “When I was in Paris!”

Mr MacDonald : “I challenge anyone to say I approached any member of Parliament for his vote or tried to bring him away from his party.” He concluded by advising the Premier'to adjourn the House and consult his party, and if the three Ministers concerned did the right thing they would resign at once, Mr Lee declared that he never attended any meeting of the Progressive Party when the pledge was made about taking office or insisting on an elective executive. As a matter of fact he was opposed to that principle. Mr Statham remarked that he would accept the Minister’s assurance if he said he didn't know of an understanding regarding office, and the pledge about forcing an elective executive through. It seemed strange that he didn’t hoar about these facts.

Mr Lee replied that lots of suggestions were made but he knew of no such pledges. Mr Anderson, ex-chairman of the Progressives, described the matter as a family quarrel. He was very sorry that dirty linen was being washed in public. None of the Progressives wanted office. They did not pledge themselves to anything except that none would take office without consulting the others. There was discontent in both parties, and the Progressives endeavoured to improve things, but last session the Progressives Jell away until only four remained, including the speaker, who went to the electors a free man. Pie had thought that no party would be returned with a working majority and hoped to see a fusion. However, the electors had settled it and the Prog-ressive Party was dead. Pie had urged the Premier to appoint Mr Statham to the Cabinet. “I wrote to Mr Statham telling him that the whole thing was over and everybody should take what they could get.” (Laughter.)