The Christchurch Star. MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1930. FUSION AND CONFUSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19241, 1 December 1930, Page 8

The Christchurch Star.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1930. FUSION AND CONFUSION.

PUBLISHED BY New Zealand Newspapers Ltd. Gloucester Street and Cathedral Square CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND. London Representatives: R. B. BRETT Sc SON NEW BRIDGE HOUSE. 30 S 4 NEW BRIDGE STREET LONDON. E.CA

THE PUBLIC would be very simple, indeed, if they regarded the talk of fusion that has crept into the newspapers of late as anything but Reform propaganda. It was put forward by the Reform leader in another attempt to create the impression that there are just two parties in New Zealand—the Conservatives and the Labourites—and that there is no difference between the United and Reform policies. The absurdity of this contention is to be noted in Mr Coates’s seven points:— I.—To return to the Reform policy of tapering off public borrowing. 2.—To bring down production costs. 3.—To de-rate farm lands. 4.—To remove the railways from political control. s.—To stop spending money on unpayable railways. 6.—To reduce relief wages below the standard rate. 7.—While eliminating night parades, to base the defence system on the principle of national service. As if to give weight to these preposterous points, a Reform journal says Mr Coates has no proposals to make but merely principles to stand by. Unfortunately, there is not a political principle underlying one of these seven points, and the majority of them are an impudent attempt to steal the United Party’s thunder, as any intelligent student of politics must know for himself.