THE LABOUR PARTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17688, 28 July 1919, Page 5

THE LABOUR PARTY

LEADERSHIP OF EXTREMISTS. NEED FOR EMANCIPATION. (Fbom Ode Own Coubespondent.) . AUCKLAND, July 27. ~ return α-epressntativea at the general election was discussed yesterday with several Auckland citizens toy on interview*; Opinions were sought from labour repre* lirom who em^°y borne of those approached, while averse to having their vio*s openly canvassed, declared their conviction that the time was tuily ripe for the great body of levelheaded woncers in the community to emancipate themselves irom • the self-assumed leadership of extremists and agitators. Although tne grounds of reasoning were divergent, each one approached expressed the opinion that Labour held the political future of New Zealand in the hollow of its hand if it were properly organised and adopted a moderate and sane platform. Mr M-CaUum (president of the Chamber of CommereeJ said he behaved that if the Moderate. Labour Party were organised and wio right class of men were brought oat to represent Labour at the next elections tha polls in the city electorates would be swept ■trom one end of New Zealand to the other and a groat many country constituencies also might be captured. The trouble from the Laoour point of view was that the ripht men were not offering. The public was bewildered in choosing between the nVht men, of whom there were too few cemms forward, and the vomble but insincere talkers. While Labour continued to associate itself with the majority of men who stood m its interests it -would not make much real headway. Mr Artntar ixossor, as a* representative of Labour opinion, was equally emphatic. He said he had m his mind the Labour platform that was started in Auckland recently by an erstwhile Labour man. Had that moderate Labour platform been •mgmeered from any other source it would have become an accomplished faqt, and been the rnlly.m£ ground lor all the moderate throughout tho dominion. The rw.ik and file of the Labour movement in New Zealand war© not extremists, but loud voiced prsons, who wore in vorv niuch in n minority, branded the whete" of the TiabouT community wjtfi their own tn.de mark. For instance, if nay Labour P;irty was going to include in its programme a fflorifioation of the conscientious objector it was not going to make moch headway at the elections. Many of tho unionists bad sons who diod at the front, and these men had their own opinions notwithstanding the declarations of tho present Labour Party's mouthpieces.