The Dominion. MONDAY, MAY 18, 1914. UNDERMINING LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2151, 18 May 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, MAY 18, 1914. UNDERMINING LABOUR

While in Australia and the Mother Country the Labour Party, profiting by experience, have fount! it to their advantage to keep themselves aloof from and independent of other political forces, here in New Zealand they have proved «asy victims to the wiles of their old inas-

fcers, the "Liberals." It is true that some, of the move disinterested and far-seeing of their leaders have from time to time fought to convince the rank and file of the folly oi hoping to make any real progress towards their goal unless they establish their party on a basis which will win it the confidence and respect of the whole of I ho working classes. But such efforts have always failed, mainly because the average Labour leader in New Zealand is move concerned

with his own'■'personal advancement than with the advancement of the working-class movement, and so succumbs readily to temptation, which secures the improvement of his own lot at no other disadvantage to himself than the exercise of his inihiun.ee in Labour circles, to divert the Labour vote from the Labour cause to that of the political party which has ensnared him. There was a time here in New Zealand, under "Liberal" rule, when -a steady stream of Labour leaders drifted into comfortable Government billets—a delicate recognition of the services rendered by the beneficiaries to the Government of the day. Labour looked on, and at times even clapped its kinds, failing to ncrccivn the effect of this astute move to keep Labour subservient to "Liberalism," In course of tunc, however, the "Liberals," presuming on their majority, grew more and more contemptuous of Labour, and under the Ward regime showed thsir true colours. Labour was pushed completely into the background, its claims were ignored, and even the crumbs which had been from time to time thrown to it were, no longer forthcoming. Then followed one of tho periodical outbursts, in which the Labour Party proclaimed its determination to fight its own Initios. It had been betrayed once too often,_ and saw that its only real hope lay in.a policy of self-reliance: to lay down a' programme which would rally to the Labour cause- all the forces in sympathy with their movement, and enable theta to gradually build u» a party which in a few years' time would sweep the country, and place the control' of the government of the Dominion in the hands of- Labour.

_ One outcome of this was the expulsion of the enemies of Labour from office, The "Liberal" Party which had for so long made Labour their tool were driven into Opposition. Delighted with this paying off of old scores, Labour set out to consolidate its forces; it enthusiastically declared for independence of all oth"r oarties, and at~ .one stags really looked like developing' into a stable and powerful political organisation. But its old enemy got to work. The new Government came-into conflict with Lakmr, and the "Liberals" sdzod on this to divert Labour horn its programme. Why should not they unite against " the common enrmiv 1 Why should Labour go on building tip and perfecting its imle-)>""d-en(i orffnniKitimi when it had its oki ally the Liberal party to hfiln it? The more wide-awake of the Labour leaders saw the trap. They s.w that even thonrrh they might, by uniting with Wnrdism, inflict some injury on the Government of the day. the cause of Labour would not bo advanced thereby; they sa,\v on the' contrary that the Wardists would reap the profits. Labour would once more become the puppet of a political party which had already betrayed it, and would lose it-3 inspiration and incentive to persevere towrwdn the- nttiiinmettt' of its ideal of becoming the most power-, fill ' political organisation in New Zealand. The wik-s of the "Liberal" agents, however, have, boon, and are still, at work. Already the firstly step has been accomplished. Tlis "Liberals" have succeeded in bringing about a split in the camp of Labour, and they hope to widen the breach, and by so doing prevent Labour-.from organising and running candidates at the coming gen-Aral elections. Transparent as the whole bttsinoss must bs to the onlookers, the Labour Party, as a party, are blind to the trap set for them, and there are some who even take seriously the grotesrme idea of Sip. Joseph Ward in the role of Labour's Angel of Deliverance.

And while in New Zealand the Labour Party arc showing signs of succumbing to the devices of their old enemies, the ..British workiaß class loaders arc becoming increasingly alive to the value of independent action, _ The latest announcements rcjrardmsj the fighting policy of.the British Labour movement may flawy little weight with those of the leaders of the movement here who. have committed themselves to the Wardists, but they cannot fail to impress the more thoughtful of the rank and file. In the Labour Leader, Mb. KfiiK Hardis recently expressed some very emphatic opinions on the, suggestion of a Liboml-Laboiu - Alliance. He declared that- "any thought of any kind of working agreement, or understanding for election purposes may be safely ..put away. Such proposals always loos very tempting, but the experience of our Continental comrades has bean that they always end in semi-disaster ■to the ■, working-class Movement-'' He emphasises the importance of the Labour Party putting forward attic election its own proposals, instead of allowing the other parties to decide the issues on which the election shall bo fought, and he sums up his message in the declaration that "there must-be'no entanglements," The Labour Party in England has'generally been outmanoeuvred by the Radicals when it has consented to joint action at election times, jnst as it bas been here, and m view, of recent friction in connection with NorthEast Derbyshire by-election, Mti. R-ajisay MacDqnam) announced a few days ago that Lafeoni' intended to contest every constituency where it bad got a hold. If the Labour Party here can hold on to its independence, and refuses to be- sold again by enemies within its own gates, the chances are that it will soon swallow il» radical suction of "Liberalism," and that the two principal parties of the future will be Reform, and Labour. Labour can never hope to realise its ideals so long, asit is .content- to act as the poor relation of Wardh-m, accepting with humble gratitude' the few crumbs whieE fall from . the rich man's table. But Labour is slow to learn, and is easily led astray by it? professed, frkrkls.