LABOUR’S LAND POLICY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2901, 25 June 1925, Page 3

LABOUR’S LAND POLICY.

NO INTENTION TO CHANGE. WHAT FRANKLIN HAS TAl'GllT PARTY. Wellington, .June 24. Air H. E. Holland, leader of the Labour party, who ims been laid up witli a heavy cold since bis return to Wellington from the north, made I lie following statement today concerning the Franklin by-el-ection result: “It lias been suggested that, as a result of the Franklin contest, the Labour partywill drop its present land policy. I want to say that there is not the remotest chance of this happening, and there isn’t a shadow of reason why it should happen. The present Labour movement does not change its policy every time it. tails to win an election. .... The land policy of tho Labour parly is economically sound and Labour will not discard what is for tiie common good merely because a section of the electors has not accepted it at the lirst time of asking. The lesson we have learned from Franklin is that we cannot expect to enter at short notice and win an electorate in which we have an organisation only in one remote corner, and where hitherto it lias not been possible for us to carry on any 7 really 7 effective propaganda. We have never been able to do so in the industrial centres. . . Franklin is a. far better first effort result than nine out of ten of our other first efforts. Six years ago, we' should probably not have polled 500 votes in that most conservative of all rural districts.... “Franklin has added more than 2000 votes to Labour’s Dominion aggregate, while some 000 votes have been added to the R.efoim aggregate. It has shown that 85 per cent, of those who last year voted Liberal this year voted Labour, while 15 per cent, voted Reform and the party's effective work .throughout the electorate during the campaign has most certainly laid the foundation for Labours future .success.