The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1929 A GREAT LABOUR ORGAN.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 November 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1929 A GREAT LABOUR ORGAN.

The “Daily*-Herald,”, the one great Labour newspaper in Brita.n. is passing through- a further stage in its development. It is liow ten years since the “Herald” started on its career in something like it's present form, and six years since it was taken over by the Tru-dtr**'Union Congress and the Labour Party. Its circulation inis grown to nearly .'kX),()bO, and m many ways it has. been 1 a . journalistic success. But the Ttndo Union Congress has been losing at least £IG,OOJ a year over it,' and the decision to increase the capital and enlarge the paper is a natural solution " of the difficult}”. AbbiUt hnlf-a-mi'ljion pounds will be expended upon it, the Trade Union Congress retaining 4 ( J per cent, of the shares, while the publishing firm which is financing it will hold the balance. Along with the London morning paper i northern edition will appear at Manchester, and every effort will lie made .o ])ut the new ‘‘.Herald” on the same footing, in a journalistic and literary sense, as the other great metropolitan dailies. A condition of the reorganisation is that there shall lie no change in the paper's policy, and the editor has already stated publicly that this will he directly controlled bv the Labour Party and the Tracies Union Congress. The “Herald’s” readers will be sure of getting "orthodox industrial doctrines “pure and undefiled” every morning; for the “Morning Post” is just ns likely to advocate Socialism as the “Herald” to impress the importance of the “capitalist” point of view upon its shareholders and subscribers. But the tone and character of the “Herald’s” teaching, considers the Auckland “Star,” may make a great deal of difference to the prospects of the party that it represents. It happens that the editor, Mr W. Mellor, who has been connected with the paper lor some years, has identified himself in the past with views on economic and social questions which can justly be described as extreme. Tn Ids book “Direct Action.” he follows the orthodox Marxist lines, and insists that the “oming social revolution is not- only inevitable, but must be violent and sanguinary, because the capitalist will never surrender In's rights and privileges without a desperate l struggle. As a preparation for this conflict he urges that all education should he directed towards the one end of training the voung to play their part in the new world that is to he controlled by Ln’'our Literary graces and classical oulluro are to he rejected as worthless, or subordinated to the one purpose of ■'ducal ing. the rising generat ion to promote tin* coining revolution and to direct it in the interests of the worker. Xo doubt, Mr MoPor, ip his editorial capacity, will feel eomnelled to adjust his personal opinions to the exigencies of public life. Bill d . is safe to sav that, with ideas of this sort in the background, ihe “Herald” is not likely to inculcate solely the political principles which

commend themselves to “moderates” such as .Air Thomas, Mr Clynes and air Ramsay .MacDonald.

At the Hospital Hoard meeting this week the members discussed once again the most suitable site in South Westland lor a medical officer's residence. • his is a subject which recurs at intervals, and there is, invariably, great divergen.e of opinion which it seems impossible to reconcile. The same trouble arose when it was a matter of placing a nurse for South AVestland. l‘or some time n doctor has been resident at Hariliari, this arrangement being of a temporary character. It is now necessary to make a permanent fixture. The settlers of the adjoining distiictsoi Inter-Wanganui and Wataro.i apparently were not able to agree mutually on a- lo ation, and the W a taro a district began to move on its own account. 'lbis action brought the issue to the Hoard. The Board members did not lavour the Alatainui location, first because it bad not the funds, and second localise there was no obligation on the Hoard, in any case, to provide the residence. But the Board appears to have made a very practical offer in placing the cottage residence at AVaiho Gorge at the disposal of the resident medical officer. The location appears an excellent one, being more adjacent to the far south- where urgent medical aid may be called for at any time, and resident at Waiho the doctor would be so much nearer for a ready call. To the north of AVaiho there is an excellent service road, and practically all streams are bridged. That means of communication keeps the population along the route in close ton h with medical aid If urgenetly required. On tbe score of both economy in saving the cost of building a residence, and convenience in that AVaiho serves the district so well generally, the Board’e proposal should commend itself to all con erned. But probably the question will not be disposed of so easily as all that. The settiers at AVataroa have moved in the matter with a good deal of determination. yet the matter is one which should be dealt with in a commonsense way. The means of communication south are improving so rapidly that great changes are coming to pass. Since the battle of the site for the nurses’s cottage the whole aspect of southern travelling and the northern isolation of that time, has changed; but the isolation of the far south still exists, and the greater consideration should be given to that quarter. Later, as the road and bridges are provided south, it will be necessary to move tbe doctor’s residence, also, further south, but' for the present tbe location at Waiho Gorge seems the most sensible and serviceable.