The Dominion. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1919. A POLITICAL BETRAYAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 45, 17 November 1919, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1919. A POLITICAL BETRAYAL

Some of the newspapor supporters of the Liberal Party are wording themselves into a fever of indignation over the charges to which it has so evidently laid itself open in the present election campaign. In undertaking to provo that the'r party has not Outlived its usefulness and is not placing the interests of the country second to party greed, they display furious zeal, bu£ are-careful to avoid the simple facts of the case—facts upon which it is an easy matter for tho public to found an accurate judgment. No amount of rambling reminiscence can disposo of the clearly-defined need of so organising all useful and constructive forces in this country as to ensure that, progressive development along sound lines which the burdens left by the war render so imperatively necessary. This need would bo imperative even if only natural obstacles to progress ana development had to be overcome. It is made very much more imperative by the fact that a.section of the community is being led into tactics which niako genuine progress almost impossible, and need only bo developed far enough to bring the whoii; countryto ruin. The only hopeful method of defeating and counteracting tho activities of revolutionary extremists is to be found in the promotion of a policy of progress solidly and unitedly supported by all.right-thinking people. Given an honest lead by political leaders and candidates, the organisation essential to the institution of such a policy would take shape as a matter of course. It is not in doubt that the bulk of the population is eager to support a well-considored policy of progress and to combat tho activities of extremists who not only contribute nothing to constructive reform, but are working to create conditions in which it would be impossible. The case demonstrably made out against the Liberal Party is that in asserting its own petty claims and thoso of its loader to prior consideration, it is doing all that it can to impede an effective union and organisation of the forces that are available to carry out constructive reforms. The whole tendency of its action is to paralyse the best energies of tho Country in a critical emergency when it is supremely necessary that theso energies should be given free and unhampered working scope. The only thing to be said of a party which attempts to divide the forces of real progress in face of such a menace as • is raised by LabourSocialist tactics in this country is that it has become the tool and plaything of self-seeking politicians concerned mainly with tho satisfying of thoir own ambitions. No intelligent observer can doubt tho reality of the danger tb which the Liberal Party, by its narrow and selfish policy, is exposing the couniry. _ Prating of sweeping reforms while it is doing all that it can to establish conditions which would forbid the active prosecution of reform, it is taking the course of all others best calculated to enablo tho Labour-Socialist extremists _ to extend thoir destructive activities. It is a fact ot vital import that theso extremists owe much of what support they are able to obtain to popular discontent over grievances which in their origin and development are imperfectly understood. Actual reform cuts the ground from under their feet, and in attempting to divert popular energies from the prosecution of reform to pointless faction fighting the Liberal Party is giving the extremists just such an opportunity as they most desire. Oiven a strong union of tho forces of progress, the extremists would soon be discredited and reduced to insignificance, for it would then speedily appear that they arc- the worst enemies of the discontented people whoso cause they ostensibly champion. They claim to represent organisod Labour, but the strifeand dislocation of trado and industry they are continually causing are the worst obstacles to a progressive and sustained _ improvement ill wages and working conditions. So with the cost of living which is felt heavily by a great'part of the community. - The popular grievance in this matter has been taken up by the extremists with loud-mouthed enthusiasm, but tho fact is indisputable that they have done and are doing more than any other section of the community to imijeda a readjustment which would reduce prices to a reasonable level in relation to wages. The first thing necessary to the improvement of wages and working conditions and the reduction of tho cost of living is that tho wheels of industry should run smoothly, and production bo raisod to a maximum point. Led intelligently, Labour in this country would'concentrate as definitely upon tho expansion of production as upon securing a fair share of tho product of industry. It is obvious enough that the division of the product can never bo satisfactory whilo tlie product itself is meagre, but under their false leaders the more militant sections of organised Labour are making it their deliberate, aim to cut down the production of wealth. That is to say, they are by their own act, reducing the value of wages and raising the cost of living. Some of these false leaders of Labour profess to 1

prove- of strikes and "go-slow" methods, or to approve of them only in the last resort, hut the truth, visible to all, is that tho whole result of their agitation has been to promote strikes and concomitants like the "go-slow''_ policy, and to stir up strife and ill-feeling. They have clone absolutely nothing to promote the rational co-operation in industry from which Labour has everything to hope, but where their influence extends they have crippled and hampered production, notably in. ifchc mines, and they have created conditions in the ports of the Do. minion which approximate at times to those of a hostile blockade. Most of our local extremists are of the type vigorously denounced not long ago by Mr. W. A. Af-pletoh, a prominent trades union leader in Great Britain. The men who mislead Labour, as ho justly observes, rely upon their influence on the unthinking. What he says further of British extremists . applies without reservation to similar agitators 'n this country: — Thov have no responsibility. They usually siift'er from moral obliquity and constructive paralysis. IVj idemand rathor than to provide is their metier. Tlio consequences of these demands are cither' beyond their intelligence or without influence upon their consciences. They will cheerfully aaopt and promulgate every panacea of tho ancients or the moderns, and just as cheerfully discard and forget, them. Whoever dies they live; whoever fails they are triumphant.

All are, of course, agreed that even in New Zoaland, though less hero than in most countries, there are social injustices to be remedied, and that there is much scope for the better organisation of industry and the elevation of standards of living. But the fact has to be faced that the extremists who assert the right to speak for organised Labour in this country are not working for progress on these lines, but on the contrary are raising more formidable obstacles to such progress as time goes on. They do not want bettered conditions, they want tho overthrow of the existing social system. Their method of repair* ing machinery which admittedly noeds some readjustment is to dynamite its foundations. The people of this country are not so.lost. to common sense but that such insanity would soon be extirpated if hi honest political load were _ given. But the process of extirpation demands an active and well-considered policy. Legitimate causes of discontent must be renloved, and the wheels of progress must be sot briskly in motion if the insidious and destructive efforts of the extremists are to be checkmated. A union of constructive forces in the interests of progress and reform is plainly the need of tho hour. In preventing such a union, the Liberal Party is betraying tho country and exposing it to the danger that its prosperity may bo undermined by the efforts of revolutionary extremists.