THE INDISCRETIONS OF KEIR HARDIE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 249, 18 October 1907, Page 6

THE INDISCRETIONS OF KEIR HARDIE.

. . (To the Editor j Sir, —Will you be. so kind as to allow mc to agree with the sentiment expressed by llr. Jno. Gniniven in defence of ilr. Keir Hardie, which appeared in your Tuesday's issue—that he has "not the slightest doubt about him getting a. good reception when he lands on New Zealand shores, because all colonials are more or less humanitarians." For my part, I am quite convinced that all Ue»' Zealanders who are humanitarians will greet Mr. Keir Hardie with a warm reception. All who wish to express their disapproval of-Kerr. Hardies attempts to rouse up , in rebellion a nation which is for the most. part quite contented with British rule, and to bring about a recurrence of the atrocities of —57, wi11,.1 am sure, not miss this opportunity of showing their spirit. They will meet 'Mr. Keir Hardie -with a reception which may be rather too warm for that gentleman's comfort; and I am sure that if the reception he receives in Wellington is not sufficient to disinfect the country of him, Aucklanders will be only too pleased to make up the deficiency. If, as our Mr. Jno. Guiniven says, the holding of all the land by a few thousands of the "upper ten" is what Mr. Keir Hardie detests, why does he not reform his own country first? Why does he interfere with Indian affairs? Charity begins at home. The instances which -Mr. Jno. Guiniven-quotes of British tyranny, show that he looks at only one side' of the question, and, as for bringing in socialistic arguments for the natives of India, who are not as yet civilized, and have never heard of socialism, I cannot see what that haa to do with the case. We charge Mr. Keir Hardie. not with holding socialistic views, witi. regard - to- Ireland, with regard to the China War, the Boer War, native lands, .'opium, and numberless ' other things which,a as.lfr. Jno. Guiniven does not .seem-to'realize,-have nothing to do with the.' case ■ in. - point,' but with propagating discontent and disaffection among, people who- are : not yet -sufficiently, civilised' to :take '■'matters nirfcoHaheir' own" hands'/ If

this is acting "according to the dictates of ids conscience,", a man with such, a conscience should not be at large.—l "am, etc., AKAROA.