The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro, MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 1931. THE COATES PROJECT.

Southland Times, Issue 21480, 24 August 1931, Page 6

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro, MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 1931. THE COATES PROJECT.

Throughout the Dominion the Coates proposal to set up an Economy Committee representative of all parties in the House has been approved as a statesmanlike move, but points were raised by the party leaders which have turned public attention to the attitude of the three main groups in Parliament. Mr Coates says quite frankly that he did not intend that his proposal should lead to a National Government or to the postponement of the elections. He was not concerned with those points. All that he saw was that joint action by all parties in the House was urgently necessary in order to bring about some measure of relief to the primary producers and to secondary industries. Mr Coates all along has been opposed to any action which would mean the combination of the United and Reform Parties against the Labour Party, believing that in this national crisis, the Labour Party should be able to co-operate, instead of being forced into opposition. That is the proper approach to this vital question, but there can be no dodging of the point raised by Mr Forbes when he said that if the Budget were recast it would be necessary to provide a ministry, representing the parties responsible for the new policy, to carry it out, and if that much is achieved, there will be no need for an election. The Prime Minister, it seems to us, has stated the position very fairly. On the other hand, Mr Holland has to consider that at the moment there is a fairly wide gulf separating his party and the other two, and he does not wish to commit himself until he knows more of the line the Economy Committee will take. It is an open secret that the Reformers are sure they can reduce the expenditure shown in the Budget by a considerable sum and in this way can bring about a reduction in the taxation proposals. If these real economies can be effected the country will be glad, but it remains to be seen how the Reform Party proposes to effect these savings. It is possible, of course, if the Economy Coin’ mittee contents itself with recommendations of this character, that the Government, accepting its plan, will be able to carry it out; but if the Committee is to make the most of the opportunity presented, it will go very much further and bring down recommendations, supported by all parties, which will carry this country through the present financial year, and make an election unnecessary until the end of next year at earliest. Everything will depend, of course, on the manner in which the three main parties approach the task. If there is a

genuine desire to make co-operation effective, if the delegates to the Committee realize that they can forget party and remember only national needs, there is no reason why complete agreement should not be reached. The Committee will sit in camera, but under the critical scrutiny of the whole country, and any group of delegates which fails to give evidence of its readiness to assist in this non-party effort will probably suffer later. Empowered to call in nonpolitical experts, the Committee will be able to supply itself with reliable information concerning the actual position of all sections of the community. It will realize that the position is more serious than the bulk of the public considers it to be, and the delegates will understand that the supply of work for the unemployed is not enough. _This country needs urgently a constructive programme, added to immediate relief to the primary producer and if further sacrifices are demanded they will be accepted cheerfully, provided those who have to make them understand that they are part of a carefully ordered scheme to expedite reconstruction. We do not think the Coates proposal is intended to stop short at the production of purely temporary measures. It offers such a splendid opportunity that it will be something akin to a national crime if the chance is thrown away. If the Economy Committee sets about its task without thought of the political future, it can concentrate its energies and skill 'on the economic issues, and out of their deliberations should emerge a common understanding and mutual respect on which political co-operation can be founded. Much will depend on the attitude of the Labour Party’s delegates, but as the representatives of the other parties appreciate the political programme of Mr Holland and his colleagues, there should not be any difficulty in meeting them. The task of the Committee will not be to find compromise decisions, but to evolve a positive plan representative of the joint wisdom of the delegates, or at least of the majority of them. Mr Coates is anxious that the recommendations shall be backed by all sides of the House, but if one group withdraws —it is to be hoped nothing of the sort will occur—the country will expect the remainder to carry on and produce a practical policy. Party matters can be left until after the plan has appeared.