SCRIBBLING PAD NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1928, Page 8

SCRIBBLING PAD NOTES

• ~~ ■■ ■ —— - My X. I *lO “dictatorship of Hie proU.*tari:»t’’ doesn't seem to lie working well somehow. I'lie dictiitors stand out very proi'ninently. hut the “ proletariat ” hide away as quickly as the red in the Communist Hug—on the eve of an eleet ion.

Wo are expected to pay our sub—and hold our jaw.” said a working man on one occasion when asked why—now unionism was recognised—many of the more responsible workers did not take, a hand in controlling the policy of the unions. “ Would you be satisfied if the employers were to meet you on all the demands you. have made, and could we rely on no further trouble being raised ? ” said the employers’ representative aifter listening patiently to a lengthy list of demands. Xo.” said the militant “labor” organiser. “We will never he satisfied until YOU and YOU*, capitalist crowd are working for us.” This is “class consciousness.” Tin* incident which I can vouch.for occurred at Westport.

Tile trouble with a revolution is that it won’t stop revolving. The economic stress in Russia largely due to cessation of grain exports—and the Hire itof famine as reported from Riga, are likely it» lead to dramatic developments. The granary o'f Russia, the Ckra'iie. with its population of If),000.OHO is objecting to Soviet “ lmliunslixatioii ” and the peasants arc resorting to violence and burning Bolshevik and Communist stores and grain. Moor deluded Raissia will have to take another round turn or so before it, call escape from the curse of Bolshevism and be regarded as a sane resw nsilile and civilized country.

Mr Churchill points out that the serious industrial situation in Britain was largely due to the Labor party. The general strike and the prolonged ■onl stoppage of IbJti lmd thrown (Irenl, Britain two or three years behind Ike onward march of oLher nations, imm i ring tin: resources ol the State and ■xliausting the reserves ol industry. Hven iln* responsible leaders ol labor wore recognising this. Mr Cook had been discredited and 'Russian interference in domestic affairs was being repulsed. These signs of amendment wore wolf nmo—hut they were too late, i'nlil throe years ago I)l(.( H)() were employed in the coal industry —now there were only D‘20,000.

Tim Third (Communist) international is reported to have adopted a scheme urging ihe negroes in America to light under Communist leadership against “ the domineering whiles.” and to impress the black rai l's with “ the injurious influence of religious missionaries.’, Class war or race war—anything to destroy civilization—is the dominant note of the national revolutionary movement.

Air Marry says: “ Labor lias done with violence; that term ul development is past, and Labor lias learned by its mistakes of the past.” Air Lee states there has been no change ol (mart so lar as Libor is concerned what it stood for it now stands lor. Mr Marry was proha lily too lar away to tip the necessary wink to Air Lee. “ Al.oney knows no country and no flag.” says Air Marry, the Labor candidate. in trying to show that Air Holland would have no more difficulty in financing on the credit of New /.calami than would Sir Joseph AT aril. Y\ell, that particular experiment is not likely to he tried as the people ol New Zealand are not likely to put Air Holland in tiie position to pledge the coun_ try’s credit. But Russia has hoisted the red flag of Communism and lias found that so far as the money lenders in any part of the world are concerned there is nothing doing.

“Tull mo one country tlmt Inis prevented unemployment by legislation i snitl Mr Coates. Mr Veitch answers r'nat New Zealand, under the Liberal party in the early ’nineties was saved from depression, unemployment, and land monopoly by the land lor settlement and State advances operations of tlio Itallanee-Seddon Administration. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Dr 1 P. Hastings, speaking in support of -Mr Parry’s candidature «aid : “I think it is u groat pity the admitted facts of political history of New Zealand are not taught in the s-diools’’. . . “I ask you to turn the clock back iJ6 years to the time when diehard John Soddon was about to he made Prime Minister of this Dominion. . . It is a matter of history that Mr Soddon was not long in power before the prosperity of New Zealand and its progressive legislation became a model for the whole world, it wasn t long before Mr Seddon was known far and wide as ‘Good King Dick by the newspapers that bad decried him. . . . These are facts of the time when the great Liboral-1 labour party of New Zealand went into office.” I nfortunately the worthy doctor’s political history is incomplete, and wrong in detail. In Air Soddon’* time there was „o Labor party- it had not been heard of in New Zealand's ]>olitital history. There were certain restive Redical elements in the Liberal Party which, 10presenting militant labor, were dissatisr,„<l oven with the great things, the Maliance-Seddon governments had done for them. Mr Seddon told them that their demands were impracticable and that if thev |y*rsi.sted in them they would have to form a Party of their own. ‘'Good King Dick” solemnly warned them that if they broke away from the Liberal Party, it would be worse for them, and the interests they professed to represent. This warning has been veriliod to the letter. From an industrial joint of view Labor has done nothing—not gained one single point—since it broke with the Liberals, politically, it later enabled Air Alassey

to take charge and established the Tieform Party as the controlling factor in New Zealand polities. That is the record of Air Holland and the political Labour Party. What further damage it will he allowed to do it will remain for the people to decide. But between a great Imperial Statesman like Air Seddoti, and a great Labour Agitator like Air Holland there is a wide gulf fixed, and all who knew our late Liberal Premier, his record ami his work, will l>e justly indignant that it should he even suggested that Air Holland is his logical successor, or could fill iiis siloes. Air Voitcli, who at one time was a “Labour” man. hut who years ago severed iiis connection with the political party claiming tiie name of “Labour,” is, and has been for some years one of pur leading Liberals. He claims w.ie United Party lias clear cut proposals which unquestionably would bring the country hack to prosperity. That, lie contends should raise the campaign above personalities as the future of t.ho country is so clearly and definitely at stake. In conclusion may I trust Air Ycitch’s advice will he followed, It is not a matter of voting for Jimmy Jones or Tommy Brown, because the voter may like one better than the other. The question is what they stand for. and wlmt tlie result of this election may mean for the welfare and good government of New Zealand. It appears to me we never had a better chance than the present of rectifying mistakes of the past, and of bringing into being again the great political party which previously, under Bailance and Scddon brought New Zealand from stagnation and depression to prosperity, and which may he confidently relied on to do the same again under these great slatesn en’s veteran colleague-—Sir Joseph Ward.