A Liberal stocktaking was more than necessary, and the committee
that had undertaken the work has made a good job of it. The details of the proposed reorganisation are a secondary matter ; the real question is whether the Liberal Party as a party is worth re- organising. What for that matter is the Liberal Party? In the House of Commons there are 13 National Liberals, but National Liberals only polled a total of 740,000 votes at the General Election ; there are 12 Liberals " without suffix or affix," but their total vote was 2,240,000. There is no sign of any approach to union ; the Liberals tend generally to vote with the Government, National Liberals generally to vote against it. The Liberals sans phrase seem to think the National Liberals, with their 740,000 votes, are on the way to extinction, but it has to be recorded that at the General Election very few Liberals were just beaten ; the Liberal was usually well at the bottom of the poll in any three-cornered contest. But I am told that Liberalism is strong among the university entrants of the moment. If- so, that bears promise for the future.
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