THE WELFARE LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 247, 12 July 1919, Page 8

THE WELFARE LEAGUE

A LABOUR CRITICISM REPLY TO REMARKS OF MR. SKERRETT By Telegraph.—Picsb Amoclation. Dunedin, July 11. The president of the New Zealand Labour Parly, the Hon. J. T. Paul, has issued an official reply to the comments of Mr. C. P. jjkerrctt K..C, president of the Welfare. League. He says: "The Welfare League has come, into the political arena as the opponent ana critic of the New Zealand Labour Party. The Labour Party demands that the members of the Ave'.fare League and the men who financed it shall stand up and be counted so that the- peoplo may know whoso welfare they arc primarily interested in. Some of them made huge profits out of the war, and some refused to place the country's welfare first in tho dark and difficult days of the war. Such men are not now likely to place the wcfare of the people above that ot those who monopolise and control the necessaries of life. Mr. Skerrctt cries "Wolf!" His wolf is Bolshevism and LW.W.-ism. When the Bal-lanco bov. eminent was unravelling tho political chaos and inequality arising from tli* old Conservative regime of _soulles3 greed, men who were introducing tn* new era of hunmnitarianism were denounced by the present-day opponents ot the Labour Party as the 'seven devns of Socialism,' and aionj the years the bogey word of the hour has been always the overworked Socialism. A narchisni, Bed Fedism have done their turns as Robhns. To-day, Mr. Skerrett pins his faith to IW.W.-ism and Bolshevism as a scarecrow to frighten sensible electors away from the Labour Parly. !£ ask the dec. tors carefully to note tho method and manners of the league's attack. .Not a word of criticism of the Labour .p. at. forra. but much indignation and criticism of the developments in Russia. "The question for the electors ot New Zealand is not whether Bolshevism in Russia is pood or bad. but whether the Labour Party's platform is constructive and helpful in this critical lioim The president of the Welfare League apparently desires to focus criticism on Russian or American tactics, rather thau on the practical policy ot the Labour party. It will need all the arts of the practised barrister to side- ! track Labour from the real issue before the country- Trade unionism has never been organised by the Labour Party; trade unionism was prior to, and independent of. Labour in politics.. Jhe Labour Party was made necessary because men of Mr. Skerretfs class liad_ rill the political power and made laws in their own interests. The failure of other parties made it iiuoeratively necessary that Labour should organise a political power in the people's interests.. Mr. ffarrett pleads for certain plain men who have not been previously represented. A comparatively" unrepresented class to-dnv are the peoolo who are carrying on tho industries of the country, and as future propress largely denends on industrial development this class must have a larger representation. I ask every thinking elector to place the Lnbour platform alongside the League's platitudes and camouflage. The Labour Party has a definite laud policv to cheek the present deplorable, and 'ruinous land assrcation and I.speculation, while the League's proposal may mean anything or nothing. The Leslie's proposal for electoral reform will"' assuredly 'penalise every man of limited means who stands for. Parliament. The Labour Party's plank for proporlional representation secures no advantage for anv party, but fair plav and fair representation for -ill. The Welfare League opposes nationalisation. Tho Labour Party recognises the past shortcomings of nationalisation, and wil assuredly improve on the past. The Labour Party recognises that nationalisation has steadied the selling price of coal and would have done much more under sympathetic anil sensible administration. Tho Labour Party knows that State fire insurance has 'saved the insuring public a round million of money, and would have done more if administered by a Lnbour Government. The Welfare League is doomed'to. failure because the hour tor fundamental reforms has arrived and the League is too largely composed of men obsessed with their own welfare- instead of the people's welfare."