WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 June 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

LABOUR’S POLICY. TREND TOW'ADDS SANITY. (Special to “Guardian”.) WELLINGTON, June 1. The policy of tile Labour Party propounded by Air H. E. Holland at Greymouth this week has attracted a good deal of attention here and evoked some unexpected commendation. Its land plank is being described by surviving Liberal stalwarts as the land policy of Mr John Ballancc brought up to date, while its financial and taxation proposals are more than merely tickling the ears of the groundlings. Producers and workers alike continue to dream of the munificence of a State Bank and the whole community would welcome the return of the free breakfast table and a reduction of the cost of living all round. The weakness of the platform lies in the multiplicity of its proposals and the absence of any national scheme for putting any one of them into effective operation. A State Bank, even with a monopoly of the note issue, could not provide all the money that would he required for Labour’s various adventures, and apparently all other avenues of supply would be closed. WHAT DOES IT MEAN P

The “Evening Post,” not unnaturally, is a little puzzled by Mr Holland’s terms and definitions; but it is by no means harsh in its criticism of Labour’s proposals. “In Air Holland’s outlines of Labour’s specific proposals,” it says, “there is much that is admirable, and much that is interesting. Some items would be more interesting if it were clear how they were related to the Labour objective and platform to which the party is also definitely pledged. For example, the land measures included in the ‘ specific proposals ’ of Air Holland are steep grading of the land tax and acquisition of large estates hy negotiation or compulsory purchase. Is this in substitution for the ‘ usehold ’ or in preparation for that measure?” The evening journal, always a warm advocate ot progressive settlement and reasonable subdivision itself, obviously sees nothing very revolutionary in Labour’s land policy and apparently is content to leave the party’s financial schemes to the restraint of the good commonsense of the rest of the community. THE REFORM VIEW. .

The “Dominion” takes Air Holland and his party to task, somewhat illogically, for varying their platform from one general election to another, as all political parties have done since representative government was devised, hut having relieved itself of this platitudinous reproach it proceeds very properly to emphasize the financial irresponsibility of Labour. “ Existing banking and fire and accident insurance institutions are to be crushed hv the creation of a State monopoly. The thousands of citizens who have invested their savings in these institutions will no doubt find solace in the, knowledge that they have been sacrificed on the altar of Socialistic theories. Family allowances are to bo increased, pensions increased, a universal basic wage provided; there are .to be higher salaries for teachers, and many other alluring promises are dangled before electors.” These are the proposals to which the Labour Party has to reconcile a critical public and so far it has made little effort in this direction, while the general elections, at furthest, is only six months away. THE POLITICAL PARTIES.

Aleanwhile the minor political parties are not keeping themselves very prominently in the public eye. Sir Joseph AVanl, the only survivor or the Liberal Party, is in London, combining business with - plensure and planning to take his place in the House about the middle of July. The Nationalists apparently have merged themselves with the United Party, and the United Party is looking around for a leader and a policy It is not unlikely that a policy will be more easily found than a leader, hut for the present neither' is in sight The Reform Party, notwithstanding the advantages it appears to hold; is leaving nothing to chance. Its electioneering campaign, though not quite so cyclonic as that of 1925, is even more thorough in scope and detail. The Prime Minister and his colleagues, though they profess themselves fully satisfied with their prospects, are not wearing the smile of confidence they did three years ago. Labour stock is down at the moment, but this may be only a passing phase. Air Holland and his loud battalions have not yet taken off their coats.