RETROSPECTIVE
(By N.)
It is some months now since I lirivo /tael the opportunity to write the Guardian on tiiose* questions of industrial a,nd political—economic significance in which I have always taken keen interest'.
Since then several developments have occurred. Ramsay MacDonald has severed his connection with the Independent Labour Party, and the greatest political enemies of his government are now to be found amongst the “left-wingers” of the so-called “Labour’’ party. The Conservatives and Liberals have on several crucial divisions shown they were not prepared to force the issue, but ratboi to allow sufficient time to elapse for the British people to thoroughly realise what “Labour” when it assumes political responsibility really is, and what it s for. Realisation is coining fairly rapidly, not only to the British people hut to Ramsay MacDonald himself. Coincident. with the resumption of official relations with the Russian Soviet Government there has been, as might have been anticipated, a big increase in the spread of Red or Communist propaganda, which is embarrassing Mr Henderson and the Government, and is doing much to discredit the political party which is held responsible for it. Then the anti-militarist policy of the Government and the result of the Naval Conference is beginning to alarm the pecplo who have not forgotten 'that had it not been for the British Navy the British Empire would now have ceased to exist. Then the alarming increases in taxation; the cost of out of Work donations and unemployed Ivcncfits (now well over four hundred millions) and the fact that the last r-foaunrds against the universal extension of the “dole” have now been removed and some 80,000 additional recipients 'have been ’added to the number, all tends to create a pionouneed reaction in the public mind. Tlicn again the constant increase in unemployment; the admission that it is likely shortly to reach the 2,000,000 figure; and the further damaging admission by the Prime Minister that his party alone cannot cope with the unemployment problem, and his appeal to the Liberals and Conservatives for help; all those things show that the time is not far off when the British public swill awake to the reality of the situation. The question is only what damage will have been done in the meantime. The Liberal and Conservative parties are in duty bound to watch that this damage is not irreparable. Admittedly their political differences are in some respects irreconcilable but their duty to their country must and no doubt will take precedence when the proper time arrives. That wm ’be* when the people are sufficiently disillusioned, and can he trusted to take the situation seriously when a dissolution is forced, which can bo done an any time.
The developments in Russia are of course hard to follow, as that is a country in which freedom —including freedom of the press-—has ceased to exist. It appears that through the “Third International’’ it is still busy spreading poisonous Communistic propaganda throughout the world, with results that nearly led to war with .China, had and is having very serious effects in India and Australia, and has led to minor outbreaks of socalled “industrial’’ troubles throughout the world—not excluding ISeu Zealand. Russia has, 'according to reports, dealt with its own unemployment problem in a characteristic manner by mobilising an industrial army of 1,500,000 under military discipline, to be sent where required, and-to do what it is told. Retails of the pay, or sustenance allowance' @f this army would be interesting but .is unprocurable. The most noticeable feature of the Russian political piogrannne has been, the anti-Christian campaign, which lias caused worldwide protest and indignation. While Communism is essentially anti-Chris-tian it is surely a somewhat despeiate expedient for the Soviet Government to resort to religious persecution in a country where the bulk of the teeming millions of the peasantry are reported to have been for generations enthusiastically, even fanatically, religious. However the psychology of the Russian people is peculiar and inexplicable to the British mentality, and., it would appear if the country remains much longer under the domination of the Bolsheviks there will he neither marriage or religion known in the unfortunate country which lias come under the “dictatorship of the proletariat.”
Australia has been passing through a very, serious crisis during the past few months. It would appear that the coal strike—one of the most deplorable industrial upheavals in the history of the country—has at last fizzled out, the strikers having been definitely and decidedly ‘beaten after a struggle in which lawlessness and outrage were so rampant as at one time to threaten an incipient revolution. Tn the subsequent recriminations the Communists have been blamed bv the labour leaders for being the main cause of the trouble. Whether this is true or not the fact remains that there were shown to be dangerous elements of lawlessness in vfhe country which .were suppressed only by force. Credit must be given to Mr Scull in for his firm handling of, the situation. His position, like that, of Mr Ramsay MacDonald "’ill however prove sooner or later to lie untenable, as he professes to repre-
sent “Labour,” which is politically unrepresentable, and which possesses in itself the elements of disintegration which manifest themselves immediately under the strain of political responsibility. Meanwhile Mr Seullin is faced with enormous accrued liabilities, and worse than this, a damaged national credit. Heroically drastic measures are being taken to meet the emergency, anti the revival of industry', and reliel of the unemployment problem is to be met by the building up of a wall of high protective tariff, and the effectual checking of the volume of unnecessary imports particularly luxuries. The results will 'oe watched with interest in New Zealand the more so as the policy is diametrically opposed to that of the MacDonald- Government in Great Britain. In the one case we have Tree trade and the extension < f tie “dole,” and in the o her high protection for the development of mdnstrv to eradicate unemployment. What the result may be remains yet to be seen but the fact that both the British and Commonwealth Governments are professedly “Labour” and their policies are diametrically opposite strengthens the contention that “Labour” politically means nothing and may cover any political programme from Communism to Conservatism. What “Labour” is, or is not, politically, one thing has so far been demonstrated, it cannot cure unemployment.
In New Zealand the political issues have been the presentation of the Hutt seat by Mr Coates to Mr Holland. The latter Ims reciprocated the* compliment by 'presenting the * <’.inell seat to Mr Coates' party. This is the one issue on which the Conservative and Labour parties can work together, i.e,, to damage Lie Liberal, or Centre party, as ... ■hueparty contest almost invariably leads to minority representation, In 1 arliament itself the position is quite different, and the Liberals holding as they do the balance of power as between two opposing factions can safely carry on—ignoring both. Unless, and until, the Labour Party is prepared to put the Conservative Party back on the Treasury benches, or Mr Coates is prepared to put Mr Holland and his party there the Liberals will have a free hand to carry on. Naturally, however, this is very tantalising both to the Conservatives and Labour and the result is as might have been anticipated, a bombardment of abuse, misrepresentation, and vituperation, from both sides—quite reminiscent of what happened in the days of Ballanee and Seddon.
The greatest misfortune to the Liberal Party, and the country, was the serious breakdown in health el the veteran leader Sir Joseph Ward necessitating his resignation of the Premiership. A few days ago a gloom was cast over the country by the serious news from Rotorua which ap peared to presage the passing away of a statesman universally regarded as the very embodiment of Liberalism, as represented by his brilliant (predeceasew -Sir George Grey, Ba'lJ.iuc.- and Seddou with whom his name w ill abvuys be inseparably connected, Fortunately these fears v.ere not realised . The veteran statesman appears to have made a wonderful recovery, apd is now In Wellington where his advice and assistance will be invaluable to his colleagues in the new Liberal Cabinet in which be retains lu's seat, without portfolio. Mr Forbes, the new Premier, has a difficult cask before him. He has begun well by taking the country into his confidence, and showing the people the difficulties with which New Zealand is faced. There are •lnparemly some able men in his Cabinet and the coming session should -test their metal. If the Liberal party —as the great Centre Party, the part'’ of moderation representative of the interests of the people as a whole —continues on its way with a commonsense programme, influencing unduly neither by the ’ party conserving “vested interests” oil the one side, or the labour extremists and communists on. the other, it will in time evolve solution of all the difficulties with which this country is faced.
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Hokitika Guardian, 14 June 1930, Page 2
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1,496RETROSPECTIVE Hokitika Guardian, 14 June 1930, Page 2
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