The Dominion. FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1919. THE LABOUR PARTY AND THE PUBLIC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 240, 4 July 1919, Page 6

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1919. THE LABOUR PARTY AND THE PUBLIC

Openino the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party yesterday, the Eos J.. T. Paul had something to'say about the great opportunity by which this country is faced. All must agree that the opportunity is unexampled. As compared with pre-war days a new sense of social and political values has been created, and there is much in existing conditions to stimulate a union of all constructive forces in the interests of the community as a whole, ifc may be agreed also that political and social reorganisation on these Hues will never be completed without the tfree participation and hearty co-operation of organised Labour. But it does not by any mean» follow that the ambitious pretensions of the existing Labour Party are warranted, or that it has any just claim to the enlarged representation in Parliament it is working actively to secure. The first thing to be demanded of a party making sueh claims is ability to co-operato helpfully in reforms of the broadest scopn. and those who, for the time at least, dominate the Labour movement hav2 made it plain beyond all doubting that they arc much more intent upon stirring up class and sectional animosities, and 'even hatreds, than upon advancing national interests. They are committed to a policy which qnitc obviously runs directly counter to national interests, and, indeed, takes the form of ruthlessly subordinating these interests to what arc assumed to be the interests of limited sections of the community. No one who follows the course of events in this country needs to be told that the men who set the pace and tune of Labour's industrial policy are doing the same in its political activities. The country, in fact, is being invited to confer political power upon a faction of extremists whose energies hitherto have been concentrated upon fomenting unending industrial strife and making a peaceful approach to imf.roVed industrial conditions impossible. No doubt some members of the Labour Party are'capable of a reasonably broad outlook, and aim at rational reform, but as a party it is dominated by extremists whose idea of progress is to accentuate sectional divisions and promote industrial warfare.

Since the political and industrial activities of Labour in the Dominion arc so obviously directed from a common centre, it is, of course, (•hicfly by what has happened and is happening in the field of industry that the merits and demerits of the Labour Party must be measured. It has been thus far an unimportant factor in polities, but in industrial affairs it has made its aims and policy clearly manifest. The very latest evidence on the subject appears in the proposals for a new agreement just made public by the Miners' Federation. This organisation evidently has conic to the conclusion that with the Dominion in the midst of one of the worst coalshortages it has ever experienced the time is opportune for a barefaced piece of exploitation. As they were set out yesterday, the proposals can hardly be interpreted otherwise than as an attempt to trade upon the necessities of the public—an attempt inspired by a belief that the public will support any concession to working miners rather than run tho risk of having the meagre supplies of coal now available completely cut off. The arrogant indifference to public welfare which characterises the demands appears in the fact that they would entail, if they were granted, not only a considerable increaso in Hie price of coal, but a serious reduction, in the output of that comniodit}'. It is to be inferred that the authors of these demands arc not only callously indifferent to am hardship they ma.v impose on tho public, bub are quito prepared to wreck the coal-mining industry and to cast the industrial affairs of tin whole country into disastrous confusion.

While they palrnbly represent an attempt to exploit the public af period of extreme necessity, the demands of the minors are at I' , same time, a typical example of the tactics of the militant Labour Socialists in this country who are now doing their utmost to gain an extended foothold in politics. It is not to be supposed that ,thc coalminers on their own initiative and relying upon their own organised strength would have ventured upon such an outrageous attempt to defy and levy toll upon tho whole population of the Dominion. Their action undoubtedly must be 'attributed to the promptings of the' "militants" who strive by all means to create irreconcilable antagonisms

between the parties engaged in industry, and to a belief that their extortionate demands will be supported by militant■ organisations other than their own. With such an object-lesson before them the people of this country arc well placed to gauge the claims and pretensions of the Labour Party. While it continues to be dominated as it is at present by militant strifcniongcrh who are utterly indifferent to constructive reform, any addition to its political strength will mean simply that the country is so much nearer to being exposed without remedy to exploitation in its worst form. The extreme and extravagant attitude of the leaders of Labour in industrial matters affords a fair guide to their probable course of conduct should they gain a. dominant position in the politics of the country. This, when recognised should be quite sufficient to damn their political aspirations in the eyes of all thoughtful people.