KEIR HARDIE,

NZ Truth, Issue 114, 24 August 1907, Page 7

KEIR HARDIE,

BRITISH LABOR. LEADER,

Caustically Criticises " C.B/*

Lucre-Loving Liberals Lashed.

Keir Hardie, the leader of'the'British Labor Party m the House of Commons, is getting m need of rest and relaxation, and for this reason be is touring the British Empire, and we aro likely, before long, to see him m Australasia. Although he has been fatigued by the cares of his position as the leader of his party, Keir Hardie is not, however, m any way incapable of vigorous intellectual effort. This is clearly demonstrated by the article he has contributed to a recent issue of the "Labor Leader" (which is published simultaneously m London and Manchester) on the intellectual bankruptcy of the present Liberal Government. Campbell-Banner-man having, by his paltry policy, made enemies m all directions, boasted that, at any rate he had the support of the Labor and Irish parties. Keir Hardie, however, shows that both these parties are m opposition to him and his lack-lustre crowd, and he, m fairly vigorous language, explains why this is the case. Keir Hardies article is as follows : — "The Prime Minister, m a recent speech, asserted that, since his Government had been able to retain, the confidence and support of the LABOR AND THE IRISH parties, it could not be truly said that its popularity was on the wane, and, more recently still, the Home Secretary repeated the statement. So far as the Irish Party is concerned, the assertion no longer holds good. The chicken-hearted attempt of the Cabinet to deal with the complicated problem of Irish Local Government has not only brought discredit upon its authors, but has been the means of bringing to the surface once more that spirit of revolt which has been dormant so long amongst the Irish people. In regard to Ireland, as m regard to most other front rank questions, the Cabinet is hopelessly divided. One section, evidently the minority, stand by the Gladstondan tradition, whilst the other— the HALDANE-ASQUITH-FOWLER SET —void of imagination or of any real sympathy with popular movements — are determinedly against any generous handling of the Irish question. And so the support and confidence of the Irish Party can no longer be reckoned on as a Government asset. "Having thus driven away support m one quarter, it almost looks as though an effort were being made to forfeit the confidence and support of the Labor Party also. It is an open secret that the reactionaries have never forgiven the party for having compelled them to agree to the Trades Disputes Bill of last session. Asquith and Haldane had not only publicly declared that they would never assent to such a Bill, but had WIRE-PULLED AND INTRIGUED with the Conservatives m the vain hope of making the passing of such a measure an impossibility. They evidently hope to dissipate the popularity • which the Labor Party, gained last session, and forcing, if possible, the Parttr to close the year with a barren record. "Thus, old age pensions are shelved for a year ; the Miners' Eight Hour Bill, ditto, after the case for it bad been riddled by a packed committee of the Government's choosing ; the steel and iron and other trades' Check-weighting Bill, side-tracked for a year by the stale device of appointing a committee ; the PROVISION OF MEALS (SCOTLAND) BILL is m a precarious way, despite a definite promise from the Government that it, or their own proposals for dealing with the starving child, would go through this session. The unemployed arc never so much as mentioned by Cabinet Ministers m these days of roaring plenty and high prosperity. The Woolwich dismissals continue with grim persistency, though the official staff remains intact ; and that 'minimum' which was just on the point of being reached a year ago — vide the War Minister's statement— and at which dismissals were to cease, is still receding, whilst the committee wrung from the Government by the Party to consider the CLAIMS OF WOOLWICH to do other than war orders, was so hampered m its work by the terms of the reference under which it was appointed that its report is hound to be shorn of much of its strength and usefulness. Now, no party, Labor or other, but much less a party whose only raison d'etre is to supply a much-needed fighting force m politics, could afford to tamely submit to having all its claims and proposals thus contemptuously set aside, .and yet continue to give its confidence and support to the

Government. It was 'Just' sucK pusillanimity which drove good men away IN DESPAIR FROM RADICALISM.

"Nor is it only m the field of purely Labor measures that this lukewarm spirit is being shown. The Education difficulty has been put ofi for a year ; tlfe temperance question the same ; the House of Lords is also to be dealt with m the future ; Welsh Dis-establishment has disappeared altogether from the political ken ; and woman suffrage, much less adult suffrage, must not even be hinted at. Of the Land Bills before the House one is floundering badly before the Scotch Committee, with apparently no driving force behind it,, whilst the other will require very material amendment to make it go to the root of the agricultural laborer's ■difficulty. The Rating Bills, on which single taxers based such high hopes, are already moribund;, w.hilsfc the Vaccination Act Amendment Bill IS IN' DANGER of being withdrawn because certain much-needed changes came near being made m Committee, and wi'H be made by the House as a whole if opportunity offers. The one Government measure which has gone through the House with a rush is Mr Haldane's Territorial Forces Army Bill. It was given pride of place m the Government programme for the session. Everything else had to stand aside to make way for this conscription-made-easy proposal, imported from Germany. It was the one reform which could not wait. Look abroad. 'In the Rand British troops are employed to support the mine-owners m driving Britishers out from the mines ; the same troops who at a cost of £350,000,000 'won votes for THESE POOR 'HELOTS' are now engaged m aiding the mineowners to rob them' of their livelihood. If a Conservative Government could make war on President Kruger for refusing to give these men votes, insight not "a Liberal Government use \ its power to bring to their knees ,those who refuse them work, save cm terms which mean suicide ? A Tory Government withdrew our representative from Servia because of the murder: of its King by a band of conspirators who themselves wanted the throne ; the Liberal Government is makting treaties and bargains with Russia, whilst the hands and garments of its rulers drip with the blood of the victims who are being FOULLY DONE TO DEATH daily for demanding for the Russian people a say m the Government of their country. In India \s&ere, according to the latest returns which I have seen, 70,000 natives are dying w-eeklv of plague and famine, educated men are, being thrust into prison without trial for daring to speak on behalf of their oppressed and downtrodden fellows. For all these and other weaknesses and infamies of a like kind, the Liberal press and platform /orators are finding the usual mendacious excuses. The Labor Party can take no hand m this game of bluff. Our strength m the present and our safety m the future consist m our being able to stand forth as a separate entity m the public mdrnd. Were we to become as, say, THE WELSH PARTY, or the Scotch Party, an entity m name only, but indistinguishable from the • mass which supports the Government, the late which awaits it would overtake us also. It was, therefore, at very doubtful compliment which the Prime Minister paid us when he claimed us as supporters of the Government. Last session, we were able to support the Government, tor reasons which all the, world understood, but the Government which assumes the support of the Labor Party as a matter of course is laydng itself open tx> the possibility of a rude awakening. "The real trouble with the Government is a divided Cabinet. The Whigs, as ever, are dominant and insistent ;. the Radicals weak and pliant. The rank and file supporters of 'the Government who expected a fighting lead are at their wdts' end to understand the situation.: THE LANDED 'ARISTOCRACY and other interests are being irritated without being cowed < the active* earnest section of the party waits m vain for some really big reform over which they can • get up some enthusiasm. They read the excuses put forward on behalf of the Government, but they are not convinced by them, and it is to the Labor Party they are looking for a fighting lead ; nor shall they look m vain."