MR. C. W. RUSSELL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16607, 3 December 1919, Page 8

MR. C. W. RUSSELL.

TIES HIMSELF HP. BY EXTRAORDINARY PROMISES. If the Hon. G. IV. Russell, M.P. for Avon, is returned to the new Parlia- ' mont, ho will vote with Sir Joseph j Ward on a no-confidonce motion if there lis one; but, if that motion is lost, he i reserves to himself the right of deciding j his next move. Further, Mr. Russell ; will'support no Government that dei ponds upon Extreme Labour tor its posi- | tion on the Treasury benches. ! Those * interesting and important I statements of his party attitude were j made by the ex-Ministcr at his .Phillips- | town meeting recently. “I will stand '■ by Sir Joseph Ward for the purpose of i voting on a motion of want of confidI once in the Massey Party, if it is ! moved,” said Mr. Russell. “But—and | I want you to note what I am going to ' say—if that vote fails, I reserve to my- : self the right of action in whatever I ■ may determine to do afterwards in the ! interests of the country. I will support : no leader and no party if it has got to I depend on the votes of Holland, Semple ;,and Fraser.” (Cheers and applause.) j A. voice: "You will join the Massey f Party? j Mr. Russell: Should there bo any ! such contingency as that a. party should • have to depend on the votes of Holland, . Scmplo and- Co., I can tell yon this — that it is practically certain that the , loyal men of both sides will pretty soon 1 pet together and set up a combination Wat will stand for loyalty, law and ; order. That is whore I stand. If a man takes as his pattern Holland, Semple and Co., and regards them as his leadI ers, I don’t want his vote. Voices; Yon are not going to get it! Mr. Russell: If I can’t be returned • to Parliament and feel proud of tbo 1 people who nut mo in, I don’t want to go back! (Applause and dissent.) Later, a questioner asked; ‘‘lf Mr. ; Massey has the strongest party in the new Parliament, will Mr. Russell be : prepared to loin him to help form a stable Government?” ! In reply, the candidate declined to j commit Himself either way. i A voice: Sit on the rail! Mr. Russell; There might be an entirely new party formed, without either ; Mr. Massey or Sir Joseph Ward in it. A voice: The. Labour Party! 1 Mr. Russell said that ho stood by ! his declaration made earlier in the evening. The course that lie would take I would bo that best calculated, in bis j opinion, to bring about a loyal and • stable Government. ■ ‘‘How are you going to support Sir i Joseph Ward when Semple and Holland arc going to he with him?” asked another member of the audience. “If,” replied Mr. Russell, ‘‘Sir Joseph Ward’s political existence as Prime Minister depends upon the support of Semple, and Holland, if they should bo returned, I will not be one of his supporters. (Applause.) But I may point that Sir Joseph Ward himself has said that ho will not hold office by the support of disloyalists and men of that stamp, so that I am standing on exactly tlio same platform as Sir Joseph Ward.”