WHERE DOES THE LABOUR PARTY STAND.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3862, 25 October 1928, Page 2

WHERE DOES THE LABOUR PARTY STAND.

“NO CHANGE OF HEART.” PRIME MINISTER HITS OUT. Dargaville, Last Night. / In the course of a speech at Paparoa in referring to the Labour Party, Mr. Coates said: “Let us go back to 1913 and see where Mr. Holland stood then.” He quoted from an article entitled “Labour leg-ironed,” which Mr. Holland had published. Mr. Holland had then said that the Socialist Party maintained its attitude of uncompromising hostility to the Arbitration Court, which, he had said, really existed to say how much the workers should be legally robbed of and to see that they were penalised if they objected to the robbery. The Socialist Party proclaimed that the workers should not be satisfied with a portion; they should demand all the wealth from Nature’s sources Mr. Holland had counselled the workers to fight with every weapon that would serve working-class interests; to wrest from the exploiters every temporary concession that might be wrested, but ever to keep their eye turned towards the gaol of social revolution. “Give us something of our own stuff,” interjected a young man in the audience who had previously interjected on a question of finance. The crowd cheered and others cried out: “He does not like it.”

“I am going to give them something of their own stuff, so that those associated with Mr. Holland will know something about him,” said the Prime Minister. He said that at Dunedin, Mr. Holland had expressed his dislike of comparisons between New Zealand and Australia, stating that New Zealand should look after its ,own problems and Australia should look after Australian problems. “I do not wonder that- they do not like comparisons,” Mi'. Coates said, “but they are going to get’ it all the same and as for Mr. Holland saying that we should stick to New Zealand, let us have a look and see how he has interfered in the affairs of people outside this country.” Did Mr. Holland recall having acted as a delegate from New Zealand in 1921 to a conference in Australia, which had adopted the notorious “Red Rule” resolution which had been the curse of Australia and New Zealand ever since? That conference had agreed to admit Communists to its ranks, and one of Mr. Holland’s associates on that occasion was Mr. “Jock” Gardner, the man who had suggested that if the seamen got a “scab” on board ship, they should throw him overboai’d. SEAMEN’S STRIKE. Did Mr. Holland remember his active participation and sympathy towards the part the British seamen in their unofficial strike of 1925? Mr. Coates said he hardly thought the memories of the people of New Zealand were so short as to forget Mr. Holland’s attitude on that occasion. Again, did Mr. Holland recall having forwarded a message to the British Labour party, when it formed a 'Council of Actidn, a movement Mr. J. H. Thomas had disowned? Did Mr. .Holland also remember opposing the sending of British troops to Shanghai last year to protect British subjects? Mr. Coates further asked if the public would forget Mr. Holland’s attitude towards those who were concerned in the intrigue to undermine the Administration in Samoa. The Leader of the Opposition had always associated himself with anything that savoured of revolution and if anyone had any doubts as to whether the Labour party had changed its attitude, he had only to note the statement of Mr. J. A. Lee, Labour candidate for Auckland East, who on Tuesday night, said the Labour party had undergone no change of heart. Could a leopard change its spots? There was no doubt that they had both feet on the soft pedal. The meeting concluded after the passing of a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr. Costes and the Reform Party, amidst a scene of great enthusiasm. At the close of the meeting, Mr. Coates, accompanied by Mrs. Coates, proceeded to his home at Matakohe to pay a visit to his brother Rodney who is ill, his aged mother and other members of family. Mr. Coates later spoke at Dargaville, at which a resolution was passed, “that this meeting expresses its entire confidence in Mr. Coates, and those present pledge themselves to do their utmost to return him as our member, in recognition of the valuable services he has rendered Kaipara during the many years he has represented the electorate in Parliament.”