WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

PARTY DIVISIONS.

LABOUR’S REJOICING

[Special To The Guardian.]

WELLINGTON, Dee. 12

Mr Jl. E. Holland is fully entitled to his jubilation over the marked progress made bv iho Labour Party at the lucent general election at Home. Whether or not the increase of Labour s representation in tiie House ot Commons by some sixty seats is iraught with such tremendous potentialities as the New Zealand Labour Party’s leader depicts is, however, an open question. Of course on the figures as they appear Mr Holland is justified in assuming that the principles for which his party .stands are finding increasing favour in the Old Country. If 40<UX)!) votes have tinned over from Conservatism and Liberalism to Labour in a single year then Labour lias good ground for making a noise about its achievement. Butin drawing comparisons between the position of the English Labour Party and the New Zealand Labour Party, the dilfi-rem-e between tlieir personnel has to be taken into account. There is no need to make odious comparisons, but it is obvious that the English Labour Baity has an enormous advantage in having such men n.s Mr Ramsay Mae Donald and Mr Arthur Henderson shaping its policy. Tl-IK VIFFEKFESCE.

The rapid growth of the English Labour Parly during recent years has even due in a large, measure to the disinclination of the old traditional parties to make any concession to new thoughts and now aspirations. It is only under persistent pressure that- the Conservatives ami the Liberals have made grudging advances along the road of progress. Labour has come to realise that if it- is to he helped at all it must help itself by such means as it can command. In New Zealand, on the other hand. Labour has hardly had to wait to make its wants known to have them satisfied. Mr Ballance and Mr Seddon gave it very large instalments of its earliest, demands; Sir Joseph Ward endowed with force and effect the more practicable of its nationalisation schemas, and now Mr Massey is even more eager than were his predecessors to conciliate the workers. Had Mr Holland and his friends been content, to accept such concessions as they might have obtained without noise or fuss they probably would have been further ahead than they are at the present time. LABOUR IN OFFICE.

Mr Holland still is dreaming of the day when Labour will be in office, and when, presumably, Mr Holand himself will he Prime Minister. Judging from his speech at Westport the other day, he, apparently expects the desire ol his heart; to be consummated in the near future. ‘‘lll my opinion,” ho is reported saying, “the British results will have a big influence on the voting in New Zealand in favour of Labour next election, especially if it takes place an early date.” Just why the “early date” should be necessary to give Labour here the lull advantage of the Conservative debacle at Homo is not plain, but it is worth recalling that though Labour doubled its represents tion in the House between 1910 and Rr22, it made, relatively, very liule advance indeed in the vote,-, it polled. This, of course, is the leal test ol a

party',, popularity ami applied to the ln>t- three-year parliamentary period if shows Labour to have made much less progress than Reform. IT Mr Holland's dream i.s to conn; true, Labour will have not only to revive its policy, but: also to amend its methods. AIINO RIT Y R EPR ESEXTAT lON.

11l the telegraphed reports of Mr flolliiml’s speech at Westport then' is no indication of liis having alluded to the iced for electrical reform at Homo, as hero, and the omission is being made the subject of some comment. According to the oahlos there are file minority representatives in the new 1 louse of Commons, members, that is, who have been returned bv tower than a majority of the valid votes polled, ill tile constituencies to which they have appealed. This is the result of the triangular contest's between the three parties and l.ahonr appears io have benelitied. proportionately, from the vote-spliti inn in a substantially larger measure than has either of its rivals. The same sort of thills' has been Koine; on here for years, and .Mr Holland and his friends, a< ;gi mi I Democrats, have declared for proportional vepresontatiwit as a remedy; hut as nsiule polith-.

inns. 1 hey have not shown themselves over anxious to brine the reform into operation. Mr Holland’s apparent silence on the subject is suggesting that l.ahonr will ho well content to continue receiving from the Cods such gifts as a defective electoral system muv send its way.