The Guardian. And Evening; Star, with which incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, NOVEMBER. 12, 1928. UNDER FALSE COLOURS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1928, Page 4

The Guardian. And Evening; Star, with which incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, NOVEMBER. 12, 1928. UNDER FALSE COLOURS.

Js t Ik* lt;ul old days, when pirates roamed the high .seas, it was a favourite manoeuvre on their part to substitute a merchant, flag for the skull and crossbones and under cover of the

false device to boar down upon unfoitnnate vessels with intent to plunder and destroy. A certain analogy may bo ...scorned considers tho “Otago Times,” between their practice and the procedure which the Labour Party is adopting in the present electioneering campaign. The party is unquestionably using colours that are designed to mislead the electors. It bus issued a manifesto, and its candidates are preaching a policy, of a milk and water description that is in strange and striking contrast to the revolutionary programme which expresses the true aim ol the party. No amount of exp a nation or evasion will serve to ohsecuro the plainly stated objective of the party, which is the socialisation of the means of production and exchange. It is significant that very little mention of this objective is to he found in the speeches of the Labour Candidates. A few of them have Ixien honest enough or innocent enough to blurt out the intentions of the party with respect to such a thing as its land policy. The majority. however, have been to pains to conceal the programme to which they are definitely pledged—if they were not; so pledged they would not carry the party’s laliel—and to present themselves before the electors as the advocates of a policy that may unhesitatingly he described as a mere pretence and n flagrant blind. At some previous elections there was no lack of frankness on the part of Labour candidates. There was then no attempt fo cammillage the object at which they were dr'ving. Their candour at that time was certainly more admirable than the practice of deception to which they have resorted on the present occasion. That the change of front which they have adopted will avail them may he doubted. The community is not generally so ill-informed as to be ignorant o' the constitution and platform of the party. Tf. however, there should he any electors who may he tempted to act opt a Labour candidate’s proiessiou of political belief at its face value it is necessary to warn them that the programme which the party is putting forward at t-h is* election does not express the views of its authors. The more or less innocuous sentiments which Labour, in its endeavour to capture the votes of unsophisticated electors, is uttering simply constitute a mask to conceal the revolutionary doctrines of the party—doctrines which the parliamentary leaders of Labour in the Dominion have promulgated in the past with boldness and pertinacity. Apparently it is hoped by the partv to achieve by stragedy and guile what it has signally failed to achieve in the past by a straightforward declaration of its policy. Tfs real policy : s Iveing pushed for the present into the background: it does not appear in the election addresses; hut if the partv ■vere .afforded the opportunity to write the laws of the country these would he expressed in terms that would he calculated to spell spoliation and ruin. Either that or the whole programme of tlie party is a sham.

The .Labour candidate for Westland the other evenin'; at the Princess Theatre was at pains to stress what he considered he had done in respect to votes ifor public works. .Mr O’Brien tried to leave the impression that the thousands he quoted as voted were his own personal efforts, lie quoted from Public Works grants the amount received, but the unknowing may he im pressed that the sums \oted under this heading are all subject to a quota allocation fixed by Head Ofliio. When it is time to make up the I'.stimaLes loi any year, the local body is informed of its quota, and its applications arc not to exceed that sum. Inat inn I icon happening now lor some years, and tin* credit is not to any iudividuu as to what total lor public works ma.\ he granted, lor that is restricted b\ the quota, amount Headquarters de U*miim* is due to the district, iherc are other branches ol expenditure, uo. so restricted, and we see what is I icing done in the main highways, and tin* number of bridges already up, or going up over tin* length • ol Westland. Thun as to buildings, the grants Ifor those in the first instance depend on the Department in Wellington as ti the decision about new buildings or re newals. In the case of the Mental Hospital, tlm necessity for new work was recognised, thanks to the recommendation of the Inspector-General of Hospitals, before .Mr (VHrien came on the scene. Once that recoinmenclaI inn was afiirmcd, the money came as it was provided, and Dr Buchanan. t" whom Mr O’Brien gave some credit, expedited the matter hv bis definite requests. Mr O’Brien, however, did nob give credit to Mr Soddon lor the great task be accomplished in loading the successful agitation for the completion of the Otirn tunnel, tho first. Hint for which, by the way, was fired by Sir Joseph Ward. But Mr O’Brien did attempt: to belittle Mr Soddon’s ex (•client achievement in regard to the Great. South Rond, and it was evidently gall to Mr O’Brien to read what the “Guardian ” bad to say about this national work. Here is a work esti mated to cost hall a million, and lb prime mover in bringing it under the notice of tho Government and inducing the Prime Minister to sanction it. wa; undoubtedly Mr Soddon. 'lbat is an 'ibsolut.o I act, and because the “Guardian” renders credit where credit is due in this most important of present day district matters Mr O’Brien tries to ridicule tin* position ■nid belittle the splendid efforts of our Member. Mr Soddon by his persona' influence lias been able to achieve a great deal for the good of the district, and the electors will be short sighted indeed jf they are disposed at Dus juncture to dispense with bis servi'-e-Now more than ever can lie do g‘m-1 work, lie stands high in the estimation alike ol Rt. lion. J. G. Coates mid Sir Joseph Ward. Mr O’Brien, we siipnose. stands high in the estimation of Mr IT. Holland. Who is the hotto> choice? That is for the electors te say on Wednesday, and we believe they will say it emphatically in favour of Mr Soddon.