WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 9 June 1932, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

OTTAWA AND LABOUR

MR H. E. HOLLAND’S VIEW

(From a Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, June 6.

Mr H. E. Holland, the leader of the Labour Party in the House of Rep resent atives, is nob lacking in the virtue which for courtesy's sake may be styled complacence. At the end of last week ho informed th B ilocab newspapers that on April 11 lust, after the matter had been discus‘-ed at a caucus of his party, he bad written to the Prime Minister asking if the Government would consider a proposal for the Representation of the Opposition on tKelle'egation to the forthcoming Imperial! Economic Conference at Ottawa. Incidentally he urged that tile presence of representatives of both sides of the Dominion’s ■Parliament would materially strengthen New Zealand's position. An interim reply was dispatched to Mr Holland forthwith; but unfortunately it took the Cabinet six weeks, instead of half an hour, to come to the conclusion that the suggestion of the Leader of the Opposition could not be entertained.

NOT A PARTY BABBLE

It was unfortunate, of course, that so long a dci!ay should have occurred in returning a courteous reply to Air (Holland's inquiry;,but the Leader of the Opposition never could have really imagined that his admission to the delegation led by Air Forbes would have given him an opportunity to dilate upon the ills of his political opponents. Yet there are passages in his communications to the newspapers that would have kept his colleagues on tenterhooks. ‘'lf a member of the Opposition were permitted to take pai t in the proceedings,” he told the newspapers, “he would have been in a position to make definite proposals for the improvement of the trading relations of the different countries of the British Commonwealth. No amount of tariff tinkering will bring relief to New Zealand or to any of the other countries concerned.” In view of this declaration it is more than a little difficult to realise wher e Air Holland would have stood at the Conference.

NO PARTY JAUNT

When the Prime 'Minister finally replied to4he communication of Mr Holland—much later than he should have done it must b e admitted—be stat ’d that the responsibility in connection with Ottawa was properly one for Ministers of the Grown and that the Government regretted it was unable to isee its way to depart from_ th ; s principle. “This means,” said Air 'Holland, in commenting upon the Priihe Minister's explanation, “that, while all th various political elements supportrg .the..-. Coalition, will..be. j;t. Ottawa, the quarter of a mil ion people who /supported the Labour Party oil December 2 will! have no representation whatever.’’ In passing it may be observed that party politics will not ho a subject of discussion at. tW> Ottawa 'Conference and that Mr .Holland and bis followers will be as free to w-it-b the proceedings at th's great nation'll gathering as will he tlm GWitioni-sts to whom the Labour leader attaches so many unfair advantages.

.EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO

In view of Mr llaMinid’s loud pint' sis •against the exclusion of the opportunities and services ol Ottawa, as the leader of the Opposition declares, it is refreshing to recall the attitude of the Labour Party of seventeen years ago, a small body it i- true, Put one that might have the destiny of'the Government of the day had it chosen to advance its own intertots in place of those of the Dominion. It was the .second year of the Greet War, when a general election had left the Reformers and Liberals so evenly balanced that Labour might have turned the scale one way or the other to its own advantage. But the late Mr .Alfred Hindrnarsh, then member for Wellington South and leader of the Labour Party, declined to accept a portfolio in the National Cabinet and devoted himself. irrespective of party, to the. needs of the country. Are there members of Parliament to-dav ready to make similar sacrifices ?