LABOUR’S POLICY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 July 1924, Page 4

LABOUR’S POLICY.

ADDRESS BY MR. SEMPLE. Under the auspices of the Hawera branch of the New Zealand Labour Party, a political address on the question, “Is Labour fit to govern?'’ was delivered last night at the Grand Theatre by Mr. Robert Semple. Mr. E. Morrissey, Deputy-Mayor, presided over a fairly large attendance. At the outset Mr. Semple asserted that those who took the platform on behalf of the Labour Party were simply envoys and missionaries of a worldwide movement which was rapidly growing in strength. Every political party represented certain interests, and the Labour Party represented interests —not vested interests, but the interests of the useful people of the world. By useful persons he meant those who rendered service either by muscle or brain. The Labour Party was misunderstood by a great section and were subjected to slander and misrepresentation, and very often abuse tfowever, they did not mind; they moved on because they recognised that they were not understood. The far-; that Labour had risen in Great Britain until to-day it occupied the Treasury Benches proved that it at least had a message for the people of New Zealand. It had been said that- Labour was not fit to govern, but if Labour made as big a mess of it as the other fellow it deserved to be grounded. Labour, as represented by Mr. Ramsay MacDonald and his party, understood national and international questions, and the speaker went on to contrast the views taken by Mr. MacDonald on such questions and those taken by his predecessors.

The Labour Party believed in international peace and a reasonable and rational understanding between the nations. They also believed that if they cut out the cancer of greed by education the world would be a. better place to live in. It was only a few years ago that Mr. MacDonald had been despised for the remarks he was then making concerning warfare, but since then the. very men who had criticised him had been thrown on to the political scrap heap, while he was elevated to the position of Prime Minister. Passing on, the speaker touched on Mr. MacDonald’s dealings with M. Poincare, and mentioned M. Poincare’s humiliation in having to deal with a. pacifist such as Mr. MacDonald. He also mentioned Mr. MacDonald’s cleverly written note to the French Premier, and stated that it was the first time in the history of the world that foreign policy had' been brought out in the open and discussed before the peoples of the world. The note was so cleverly written that M. Poincare was compelled to treat it cautiouslv. The mistaken ideas which led to the French occupation of the Ruhr were also referred to by Mr. Semple, who gave it as his personal opinion that within six months the French would have withdrawn from that territory. While they were in the Ruhr the peace of the world was absolutely unsafe. Men were still talking war and competing with each other in finding more deadly weapons with which to kill their fellowmen. In America alone there, were 700 scientists occupied in the War Office endeavouring to discover more scientific means of killing men, and some idea of the result of their work could be gained from Mr. Edison’s statement that given a fair wind all life in London could be destroyed in one night by means of .gas let loose from aeroplanes. The speaker referred to a conference held during the war, at which it was decided that Germany should pay for the whole cost of the Avar, and that she should be shut out of trade with the Allies. The Labour Party pointed out the impossibility of 6uch an arrangement, but they were immediately told that they were sympathetic Avith Germany. Later Mr. Massey returned from the Peace Conference, and in a lengthy speech told the New Zealand Parliament of the trophies Ave Avere about to receive. It was not until afterwards that the Labour Party diseoA'ered that a clause had been inserted in the Peace Treaty making it compulsory for Germany to trade Avith us. The Allies had been endeavouring to extract reparations from Germany ever since, and to-day there Avere 2,000,000 men unemployed in England. He believed that Mr. Ramsay MacDonald was doing more than any other man to straighten things out. Continuing, Mr. Semple referred to the time A\ r hen there Avas talk of Avar with Turkey as the result of trouble over oil Avells in Mesopotamia OAvned by a Avealthy combine. ATr Alassey received a cablegram asking “him” how many troops , “he” could send over. Without consulting the people Mr Massey replied, “Fifty thousand, and more to folloAV.’’ A A r oice : Good old Bill!

. <4 Ha.d one man in the country the light to gamble with the lives of men in such a manner?’’ asked Mr. Semple. The disparaging names-flung at the members of his party were also menHoned. but the speaker said that the people were now commencing to ask for logic, not names.

Mr. Semple referred to Mr. Massey’s many trips- to the Old Country. Recently the Prime Minister had voted himself ten months’ holiday on full pay and then had returned home to thrash the civil servants. In speaking of the conditions of life generally, he said he did not blame the street corner loafer, but he blamed the system that produced such a type. It should not be possible for a man to loaf The manner in which people handed down money from generation, to generation was also mentioned. Was it right that money should be handed down so as to on i_ r le those who never did a tap of work to collect toll from millions of their fellowmen? He believed that the thing had gone so far that it would stop itself. The usurers had increased their grip on the wealth ot the world fivefold since the commencement of the war. Armament ß had been increased, and some idea of how the nations were spending their money could be taken from Britain's expenditure, which was 63 per cent on war and preparation for war, 9.6 per cent, on old age pensions, 6 per cent on education and 3 per cent on health! would make if that 03 per cent, were spent on building homes for the nation and creating employment. "

The three parties in New Zealand were also, referred to. Some of the newspapers pointed out that “Harry Ho land was not Ramsay MacDonald,’ and they said they had no objection to Mr. Ramsav MacDonald, hut- they did object to Holland. Fraser and Semple. II they wore to loolc over the records of the press they would discover Avliat those same newspapers had said four and five years ago about Mr. Ramsay was a clean, straightforward and intellectual man and was a personal friend of Mr. R.aml sav MacDonald. The Liberal Party had got no quarrel with Mr. Massey om principle. The only cmarrel Thomas ’ had with “William” was

that William was in and Thomas was out. There were no questions asked and at the conclusion Mr. W. Sheat moved, and Mr T. W. J. Howell seconded, that a hearty vote of thanks be accorded Mr. Semple for his interesting and instructive address, and that'this meeting is in accord with the policy of the ISew* Zealand Labour Party The mot'on was carried, and the meeting chah- C " a v °t e °f thanks to the