THE LABOUR PARTY.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2559, 6 September 1915, Page 7

THE LABOUR PARTY.

NO ACCESSION: OF . STRENGTH. .Supporters ofithe Labour Party outside of the House dreamed dreams when. the_ National ■■ Government was formed. 11l imagination they saw the little band of Labourites in the House raise their standard aa a rallying point round which disaffected Radicals would flook, and they saw Labour really beooming a force in the conflict, of parties in Parliament. Their hopes must have bein sadly dashed by events as they have-turned out.. Loss than ever now is the Labour Party a force in the New Zealand Parliament. Members of tho 'party are at loggerheads. Mr. Payne' has declared himself a supporter of tho National Government, but he no doubt makes mental reservations as to which members of tho National Government merit his support. Of the other fo>e, Messrs. Webb; M'Combs, and Walker do not support the Government, but ratlier their doctrines or their personality are suoh as to attract recruits to their hand. Mr. Veitch will probably support tho new Government more ofteu than he will opipose it, and because of. his sympathies for tho Government ho is out of favour with tho three Socialists above named. Mr. Hindmarsh is not at all likely either to make friends for the, party or to succeed in organising tlie ! forces which ho as chairman of tho Labour Party ought to control. 'As Mr. Audrow Fisher said when i-.e was in Wellington, t'he work of Labour in politics of which . a great' deal had been done in New Zealand in the past, had been dono by parties other than the Labour Party, and it would seem that this state of affairs is likely to continue.