FAILURE OF FUSION.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1925, Page 6

FAILURE OF FUSION.

CABINET RE-CONSTRUCTIOtf-UATEST MOVE BY LIBERALS "PARTY OF MANY ALIASES,* By Telegraph.—Press Association. Palmerston N„ Last Night. The recent political fusion negotia* tions were referred to by the Premier (Hon. J. G. Coates) at a function hero to-night. Mr. Coates said he had been sincere in his endeavours to bring such an amalgamation into being, but he could not agree to one condition laid down by the Liberals, namely that there should be an immediate reconstruction of the Ministry. Mr. Coatee said he was pledged for the remainder of the session to carry out the programme laid down by Mr. Massey, and he asked all who believed in a sound, businesslike and national policy to come behind him with their support. It seemed remarkable to him that as soon as he intimated his inability to agree to reconstruction of the Cabinet that the Liberals should have declared that the door had been banged, bolted and barred. Why this sudden change of attitude? His hearers could arrive at the answer just as well as he. It, was almost a calamity that such a thing had happened. The name Liberal was a fine one, but what would Liberals outside Parliament think of jettisoning this title? This was not the first change in name that the Liberal Party had effected. Some few years ago «there had been a Sudden change of name, and he believed a fusion took place, but it did not last long, and back went the Liberals to their old banner. Were Mr. Wilford and his party now groping again for support, and was the name national going to help them! He thought not, as it was a bit late, for there was no room for two national parties in New Zealand. This latest move of Mr. Wilford’s savoured of a lightning change artist. A party that had so many aliases to conserve its existence could not expect to receive the support of the people.