WANTED A LABOUR PAPER

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 8, 5 October 1920, Page 7

WANTED A LABOUR PAPER

Sir,—My letter of August 7 led to Mr. Fraser disavowing tho _ "Maoriland Worker." In a few days it had to remove from its front page tlie word 9 "official organ of Labour," and very shortly we find the -unfortunate editor removed, find callous Messrs. Holland and Eraser's names in your columns. I have been so long out of collar as a working journalist that I can t describe the paper properly in technical terms, though I subscribe, and read it carefully. I find wind and threats and cursing, but no current comment. About, tho "manure strike," not a word. Of the "sugar strike," not a word. ine whole staff seem aßleep, and most ot tne matter supplied by (some _ girl with a scissors and paste. I read in your paper that the coal strikers don't know what they want. I turn to "Tho Worker' to learn what their grievanoes are, and expect to find that they give you the lie direct. But they don't seem to have even heard of the coal crisis. In the last issue (September 22) the leader champions the "Third International, but does not explain what it is. _ Not ono workin" man in a thousand, in New Zealand, knows. To find out, T had to go to your issue of Scptemte 25, and did not get very full details even there. Now I know it is very unusual to discuss one paper in another. But is this nob an exceptional case? Would it not lie an immense gain if we had a decent, straight-out Labour paper? A paper full of news about the Labtur world, amng their grievances freely? I subscribe to a London weekly called "Tho NewStateiaan." It, is professedly Socialistic, and I learn a lot from every copy. Of course I allow for bias, just as I do when I read your paper, from which also I learn a lot. Always hear the other side. To read "Tho Worker" one would think the miners and wharfics were a lot ot ignorant, foul-mouthed reckless Moundrela, who wanted a "whiff of grawsshot. Yet I knew a wharfie once, and lived ft month in his house. He was honourable, sober, domestic. Camo homo and had a tub in cold water, and put on clean togs. He could have got a living in many other ways, but said he could always reckon on a- pound a day w thoutm responsibility, and could easily jwy his way working four days a week. I don t think "The Worker" represents Labour in any sense, and would gladly help to start a paper. Can't it be done? Surely a live weeklv radical is possible? I believe a really good Labour .paper would solve half our difficultics.-I