A QUESTION FOR LABOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 25 November 1931, Page 3

A QUESTION FOR LABOUR

(Auckland Star). The most striking'feature of the Labour . Party’s cahipaigii ••‘continues to be its disregard of - realities.' * Mr Holland and his colleagues go on •making' speeches ithat (bear no' real -relation to the economic blizzard outside the hall. They promise anything arid everything, they the Government for what it 'has done, but they do not offer any proof at" all of their capacity for office.

A curipus feature of the party’s campaign is its disregard also of what has happened in other countries under Labour rule, and its assumption that Labour can do in New Zealand wllat it has not been able' to do anywhe.j-q. else. The fact that most of Mr. MacDonald's colleagues in the Labour,'Ministry parted from him over economy . should not obscure the fact that they'Nvere prepared to go with him nearly the. whole of the way along that road. Labour Governments in Australia have, been obliged to retrench. Will -the Labour Party explain why economies of the kind that have' been found necessary in Britain and Australia are not necessary here ? ' Commenting on Mr ' Holland's speech in Dunedin, the “Otago Daily Times” remarks 'that the principal difference between Australian and New Zealand policies is that in Australia reduction on salaries and wages has been' more severe, and additional taxation hps pressed more heavily on the wage-jeanier. Yet' .'Mr Holland and his friends keep on denouncing 'Mr Forbes and Mr Coates for taking the same kind of miiedial measures ithat Labour Governments have been obliged to take elsewhere. Labour prefers ..to live in a world of its own, from which it trios to persuade the people that, if it is returned to power, vthen, in the words of Jack Cade, “there shall be in England seven halfpenny, loaves sold for a penny," and “all the realm shall be in common.”