Catholic parties unite in the Netherlands

'Catholic Herald ' Correspondent
THE Catholic National Party, holding two of the 100 Parliamentary seats in the Netherlands, has decided to join the Catholic People's Party, which holds 30 seats.
This important step towards i
Catholic political unity s the outcome of talks lasting two years and intensified by the Netherlands Bishops' call for unity in a pastoral letter on the task of Catholics in public life.
The two sitting members of the C.N.P. will remain until the 1956 elections as representatives of their electorate and, since they now subscribe to the Catholic People's Party principles and programme. the C.P.P. will try in accordance with the democratic structure of the party to have two of the former C.N.P. representing this group in Parliament.
The Catholic National Party was founded in 1948 by Mr. Welter, Minister for Overseas Territories in the Netherlands wartime Cabinet in London. It split from the C.P.P. because of differences over the Indonesia question and postwar taxation.
The return of the dissenting party to the Catholic People's Party at the 1956 elections may change the balance in Parliament, where the C.P.P and the Labour Party now each hold 30 scats.