THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT IN ENGLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1924, Page 4

THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT IN ENGLAND.

(Mercantile Gazette). The MacDonald Government iiT England has been permitted by the opposiion party to hold office fur over eight months. At any moment during that time they might have been turned out by a joint vote of their opponents, hut have been allowed to continue, so long as they abandoned everything which the members of the Labour Party had promised should he done, if they came into power. Last week the Liberals anil Conservatives decided that “this farce should lie ended,” and a vote of censure was passed upon the Government by a. two-to-one majority. If this had not been proposed the House would have refused to ratify the extraordinary treaty with Russia, and would most assuredly have negatived any attempt to commit England to guarantee tbe payment of the loan tbe Russians so much desire to obtain.

We think Mr MacDonald himself will lie glad that his term of oilice has ended. He has tried to do that which is impossible, to carry oil the Government in a manner which would give no offence to the majority of the members of the House of Commons. He has been compelled to sacrifice all the principles which have given him the leadership of the Labour Party, and to initiate only that legislation which hail the approbation of his political opponents. He must have felt all the time that he was torn liv two opposing forces. The desire to carry out those views with which he had identified himself in his pre-election .speeches, and the impossibility of moving one step in that direction,' if he wished to retain peace and power. Downing Street anil Cherpiers were not for him if he attempted to carry out any of the promises he had made to his constituents.

Taking the record of his Government he. lias lint done badly; without advancing bis soeailistie theories, be lias adopted diplomatic practices which have been unknown before, and whereas, when be entered iilfiee tbe German problem was in about as bail a mess as it could be. there is to-day. and thanks to him, some prospect of an understanding. between France. Germany anil England, which gives at least a chance of the entanglements which threatened to antagonise perpetually these nations, being straightened out. Wo think Are MacDonald may take credit for the results achieved in this matter, but it is difficult to find that lie lias done anything else. Domestic matters are much as they were. Tbe unemiiloyment problem lias not been solved. It remains exactly where it was and we fear tbe coming winter will show an increase. No attempt has born made to reduce business taxation. Mi MncDonnlil’s colleagues have propounded schemes entirely in tbe intercst of Labour, which would have roipliied still heavier rails noon tbe taxpayer laid they been carried out. and nut, the' slightest attempt has been made by him or his Government to bring about more harmonious relations between Labour and Capital.

His policy lias mil been in the direction of pointing out to Labour that without employers there tan lie no pay envelopes, and that nothing is to be gained by (liiiirishiiiir tbe big stiek. It is a pity that bis fall from nlliie should lie connected in anyway with sometiling which the British people resent, perhaps more than anything else, an interference with the course of justice. When a man in a public paper attempts to debauch the soldiers and sailors of the nation from their allegi a nr** mill counsels tliein to turn their jriins upon tlieir officers mid upon their emoloyers. lie commits a jrrave crime. Tl» s was done in England a few wrecks since anil a prosecution was ordered, hut when the ease came liefore Hie Court the All nriicy-Gcnernl offered no eviilenee and the rase was withdrawn. Naturally, eveiyone was surprised, and it was alleged that no intention on the pari of the writer to commit- all olfeliee existed. A more llimsy reason for withdrawing a ease from a Court of Law has never been made before in our time. The House of Commons wishes now to know wbv tile writer of this article was exempted from the penal eoiiseipienies of bis action. The Liberals tabled a resolution that a committee of ten members lli illlt I impure, with, of course, power lo rail upon anyone to give rviilonco. Til.!- the Gut eminent re i ted and fell 111 SO doing.

We shall hear the real reason üby the Could was not permitted to adjudicate, and feel almost certain that the inquiry will clear All .MacDonald personally, except that he conceded to pressure. We hope so indeed. Had this matter not conic up. the (.'overninciit would have fallen over the liumusky treaty. It is difficult to understand why the Hreinicr was so fatuous as to set his name to the document which lias been signed. The Russians want nothing hut cash from England. That was the one and only reason of their coming, and every other object was subordinated hv them to the one great desire to have the handling of £ s. d. to he found by us. They very generously promised to pay former bond-holders a very small proportion of tin l money they had lost. Mavonsky made this very clear—“any payment to Russia’s bond-holders must come out of English money.” Outside ol this, there is nothing in the so-called treaty. Vet it is this which AL-u-Donald has signed, and h.v so doing lias given colour to the belief that Mavonsky and his crowd exercised some occult powers of persuasion over “Comrade AlacDonald” which he could not resist. AVe. ourselves, give no credit to any such suggestion. Whatever ATr AlacDnuald may he politically, we believe lie is a straight man and would resist to the utmost any attempt which might he made to obtain his assent as Mreinier to anything which involved a departure from the ethical code. AVe consider, however, lie is a danger. Tie believes that tln* rich should he exploited to assist those, who. from whatever cause, have nothing, lie has not attempted to emphasise the doctrine of work and considers that the wealth and happiness of the community can he advanced hv despoliation. A\ e do not agree that progress can advance ailing such lines.