POLITICAL POSITION

Southland Times, Issue 18962, 8 June 1923, Page 5

POLITICAL POSITION

“UNSATISFACTORY TO FARMERS.” SUGGESTED FUSION OR ELECTION. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 7. Referring to the political situation, Mr W. W. Mulholland, retiring president of the North Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, in his presidential address at the annual provincial conference of the branch to-day, said that from the farmer’s point of view it was most unsatisfactory as things stand at present. No party had a sufficiently strong position to be able to legislate satisfactorily and they were not likely to obtain anything but compromise legislation. The administration was also likely to suffer and Ministers would be unable to take up a firm attitude on public questions. “There seems to me,” he said, “to be only two ways by which the present Parliament can become workable, either fusion of the Liberal and Reform parties must take place, or some of the Liberals must join the Reform Party. There is very little difference in their in any case, and while it might wrench their feelings to abandon their part, I do not think it would be hard on their consciences. Failing these alternatives, a general election should be held as early as early as possible and the electors asked to cut the knot they have tied.” «