ROCKY PATH AHEAD

Chronicle (Levin), 18 June 1946, Page 5

ROCKY PATH AHEAD

RRITISIf LABOUR CONFERENUE RECORD SINCE ELECTION TflMMMVI'il Till-SllilV, 7 ]).!!!. i.OXDOX, J (ino 17. Kvoii ] h>1 i 1 i«-;i I inli-ri'sl was InkiMi in last v, oi' llic Lnliour I'arly. Il w.'k tln- lirsl licld i iy llu; jmily Htire il iulo- jhuvim* last ycar and il ] «r« » s idrd an Mjipwhiiiily to rondor nn :u*i*nm|. nf ils slcuarilsliiji bot h Id iiM'iii'nTs and to tlic nalion as a v. liolc. X o I uiinat urally it niadc an r;ccasion I'or tln* lcadcrs to j»:unt a ln-iglit picton* oi" Inilionr's acliicvfinictils, p'oticnlarly at a tinic wlicn critiiiMit oi* tio* ( io\ eniinenl liad icaclied ils Idglicsi peak yi*t, «*rit o-ism wltifdi fippa n-nl ly -oiin* iiicndiors of tln* party Ixdiovi- i having an i-ll'i'et i o tio* conn1 iy. Iindt*a\ oio iii'n to slop Avarily 1 ! i on*di I jot h i in* propaganda of tio* I.aliour I'arly and rnlicism of ojijiosing )>ailic> uhicli tlavooi1 connncnt with a d i'!ij;a|uiy tln'nt", there is 110 donbt. Ihe l.abonr I'arly liad a sal isfactory (•.•11 fciciici*. ft hitd a lenglliy record of lii'W Irgi-dsCioii to v hi'dt to rel'or and tken* si'i nis !io I'casoa to doobt that its "|e| ti;- facc tla* i'uiure" jirognuinne on uliicli ii hascd its elect ion canipaign v.ill ln* 011 tio* Staiiiti* hooks before ni*>:t clfi-t ion. A 1 1 tliis is verv salisfacioix 1 1 1 party inemhers and there is no n-asoii to think the party is at variancc ini tio* dwiiiosiic policy generally, tkougli 011 suhjccts smdi as agriculture and tln* 1 1 lion 1 week, then* is not ontiri* :igri*«*!a«*nt. >n foreign all'airs the parly i lcs hajipv and th.ough Mr. I'cvin clcaily carricd the day in face of a uidc liieasiin' of (•riticism and nnliappini'ss o\ci relatious with Knssia, tlicrr* slill sonio lingering nneasiness. Tliis also applics to appoiatoienis to the pi-n'ign (Ulici* and diploniatie service which 11 larg«* hody of party nienibers ci nsi«lcr an* still o\ cr-largcly stocked v. itli coitsi'rvat ive niinds tuni the ])roiliict oi cxc!usi\ e puldic schools from which apnarently nuiny Lahour memhcrs li(*li{*\* nothing good ever came. On Ihe wholi*. hdwever, the delegates lei'l ihe con fereiice we!I satislied and if unheppy iii.out Kussia, at least were ei.nviiic)*d tliat Mr. I'evin is doing e\cr\thing possildc to secnre Soviet friendshiji e\«*n tliough Moseow appareully is iiot heen lo leeiproeate tliat frieinlsliijn lhit to say delegates are satislied is not lo --uy that the conntry as a whole is contcit. Jiist as Laliotir took the oppori niii I y for self eongratulation, so eritics, jiartisan and ohjective, took the npport iiuity oi" airing coiuincnts. >Surrealislie was one desciipt ion given the pieture of ihe Lalionr (lovernment, lnistling and efticient, leading the oountiv louards a nationalised paradise. Sorin* also Idanied the (lovernnient for Ihe jiresent jihase in whicli there are slill niiuiy sliortages and rising priees, and there are also soine glooniv suggestions that Mritain is lieading towards lolalitariaiiisni. The niore ohjective, liowc»er, took occasion aguin to (piestion Inihonr's nal ionalisation progranimi; and while agreeing that the (!o\ ernnieiil had a oise for several of ils inilial incasnres, protested against •tln* idea of nnt i'tiialisal 1011 for naliona li«u I ion 's snkc. ("rilicisin is also niade that while Lahour can expect lo eoniplelo its legislati\c progrujiniie in Ihe jiresent terin, it is not sliowing signs of produeing a policy for the ojieration of nationalised iiuluslries lior for that very largfe section of industry that wiJl remain in privale liands. A point is also made that during the veais il was not in jiowcr, Lahour rep- . ri-a'iited one section of the eommunity1 and exenipled its followers l'roni anv re- 1 sjionsihilily for the. eonse(|uenees of their uctions. Xow, however, the party lms lo h'nd-the nation and think of all sect ions and it nuist he prepared to shoulder rcsjionsihilitios with the power. Tha1 tlie Party must ajipreeiafe power and ojjposition, two verv different things, is another point that is int-reasingly heing niade. As in New Zealand, so the British Lahour Party is linding lliat the eriticism of fjome of its haekhenchers is more difFieult to kandle in. soine cases tlian that of thg, i

j Opposition. One of the problems that j it will have to face is to restrain Ihe J exeesses of its more extreme memhers. ! This asjiect can he expeeted to lieeome ! clearer in future eonferences when the j eontented mood of tliis ree.ent victory eonference, as it has heen called, will ; douhtless he dissipated soinewhat. While Oabinet Ministers were on the whole alde to sway the recent eonference in the direction dcsired hy the executive, it was apparent Ihe rank and | file stood in no awe. of their lead ers 011 j the platform and that, in future, tliey I would not hesitate to l)e as eritieal as nced he. The conferenee, it mav he said, soundcd a note of general satisfaction among members with a whispering echo of distrust of soeialisation from the Opposition. It is manifest that the Lahour Party is strong, virile and now entirely free of the cloying attentions of Oommunists. But that it has a roe.ky path ahead and possiblv within its own ranjvs, is also clea?, _