REFORM AND LABOUR.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15992, 8 December 1919, Page 4

REFORM AND LABOUR.

As, fast as Reform is bowled out in one falsehood it starts another. It is finding bhe Liberaftied Fed fable beginning to pall, and is not asserting quite so often, as recently that an alliance of the nature indicated exists. iuxm, doubtless, it will drop it in favour of another marc's One reason is that, like chickens connng homo to roost, very many Reform canards arc turned against themselves, ami are, anyhow, mostly camouflage. They have frequently courted Labour. and would have been exceedingly glad to have won it. Having failed, they denounce it, and accuse 'someone else of having been more successful than themselves. This is at the bottom of the present untruthful charges Ixdng made bv Eeform against bir Joseph Ward and the Liberal Party. As wo say, it was not always thus. A little over hvc vears ago, the local Reionn journal issued a piece of advice to Labour that its “best; hope” was to “aet in friendly co-operation with other classes of the comm unity in a determination to maintain at the head of political a hairs men of integrity and ability, and desirous of promoting the national welfare.” And it went on to say that it would be much better for Labonr to Seek “honourable alliance'’ wil.li such a party. The “men of ability and integrity,” of course, wore Mr and his colleagues, and the party Labour was to unite with was, of course, Reform, Our contemporary gave this advice in 1914, It was quite willing for a union with Lab. our then. And it did not confine itself to one section of Labour either. It, urged all sections, extremist or otherwise, to unite in “honourable alliance” with. Reform rather than remain a “rabble of disunited units.” But; Labour did not respond, and so Reform forgets its at - tempted flirtation with it, and arouses the liberal Party of being toe offender.