AS RED AS EVER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2569, 19 April 1923, Page 4

AS RED AS EVER.

THE LABOUR PARTY’S CONFERENCE.

At the time of the eGneral Elec-

At the time of the General Eleciiito their heads that the “N.Z. Labour Party” was really not a revolutionary body and that its socialism was mei’ely an ebullition of academic thought not intended to be put into operation in our time. It was pointd out that the party advocates had moderated very considerably judging by ther speeches and the party’s manifesto. The Welfare League was regarded as unduly severe in its criticism when it referred to the party as a revolutionary Socialist organisation having for its purposes class domination and dictation. When people were letting mere sentiment govern their attitude towards this party and talking about “poor labour” we saw no reason for altering our opinion in the least. Our conviction all the time has been that the pose of moderation adopted by this extremist party is simply part of its opportunist tactics of political expediency. The mock indignation of Mr H. E. Holland, and other leaders, over the matter of being called Revolutionary Socialists was, we are confident, merely a political bluff designed to impress the electors with the idea that the party was being maligned and that they stood Cor nothing thatinvolved cataclysmic changes which might endanger the nation or the empire. Some of the party’s Candida fes objected to being called Socialists and in. their appeal to the electors presented themselves merely as advanced Liberals. SOCIALISTS AND INTERNATIONALISTS.

If anything were wanted to prove that the Welfare League was right in stating that this party’s pose of moderation at election time was only a cover, it has come out at the party’s conference at Christchurch during the Easter week. The decisions there eomo to stamps the party as still the same Red-Revolutionavy-elass-conscious combination. Though there had been a suggestion of toning down its socialist objective it is still retained in the form of “the socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange. It was strongly emphasised by the conference that the party is out for Socialistic Internationalism —The difficulties of our Nation.and Empire received but scant consideration, whereas the vision of capturing the whole world for socialism loomed very large. When faced with the practical issue of a land policy foi the Dominion the conference simply referred the matter to the Executive to report later, a course that has been followed several times over. Meantime the question seems unsettled whether the party stands for the principle “that no privately owned land shall be sold or transferred except to the State” or whether it means “sold through the State,” which was a proposed amendment of the platform. On the practical side the party is indefinite but on the big generalities of affirming a policy of internationism —which may at times prove antinationalism—the party is most positive. AWAY WITH DEFENCE. A resolution carried by the conference to enter upon a campaign for the abolition of the Defence Act. There was no suggestion of

placing anything in its stead except abstract pronouncements that war is bad, that the party is for peace and that it is against militarism.'The lino of professed pacifism adopted was to abolish our National Defence and trust that other nations, ev•<£ii if not too friendly, will do the same. One thing is notable lieie that this party never condemns the rampant militarism of the communists of Russia. That is passed over as if it had no existence. These facts should make clear to the people” of New Zealand how far this party is in sympathy with the Red Revolutionism which has caused so much disaster and untold misery in Russia. Altogether the facts show that the N.Z. Labour Party is still as Red as ever. It has not abated its revolutionary intentions in the least. Whilst it will profess the most mild and constitutional course of action.-yet the fact remains that its professions are governed by expediency. Anything to gain power and when it gets that its true revolutionary character will be shown in drastic actions which will probably even surprise -many of its supporters.

This is a point that must never, for one moment, be lost sight of by those who have the welfare ol: mu' country at heart. It is one we cannot too strongly and frequently emphasise. In doing so now let us liope that we shall not he as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.”

(Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League.)