“STICKING TOGETHER”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22987, 16 September 1936, Page 4

“STICKING TOGETHER”

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —May I, a Socialist, be permitted to point out to " What's the Aim " that the ideas expressed in the Minister of Education's address to trade unions will nowhere be found in the Communist Party manifesto? However much we may disagree with that party's manifesto, we can at least say there is something " heroic " about it in that we are told the "rule of the proletariat" is the objective and that such rule can only be obtained by violent overthrow of the capitalist—in plain terms, a "bloody revolution." There was nothing "heroic" about the Minister of Education's talk. He was talking from the highest tower of " Coward's Castle," and the reason—fear complex. This sense of fear is permeating the Cabinet and signs are not wanting that the disease—as disease it is—may cause serious political sickness. .

Why so? Pre-election promises, pledged and inferred, are being dropped or ignored. The universal 40-hour working week is impracticable. The cost of living still rises in spite of the Prime Minister's boast that "the sooner someone finds himself before a magistrate, the better," and the most important of all pledges, a pledge solemnly signed by every Labour M.P.—" the Socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange," finds a resting place 'neath the waters of Lambton quay. As a result a spirit of indignation and resentment is manifesting itself within Socialist ranks, and Ministers are aware of it.

The Minister of Railways, the man with the " whimsical face and irrepressible curly hair," had a sample of trade union solidarity placed before him quite recently and it may be that on some other occasion he will be asked to buy and pay cash down—no discount, no instalment system. Mr Sullivan will then realise the significance underlying the words of John Dow, " I'm a Socialist, d'ye ken what that means? D'ye ken what a Socialist is?" It may be that he may even now make a beginning and learn something of the philosophy of Socialism. In Mr Robert Semple, we meet with a case that has assumed a serious aspect, and Socialists of long standing believe his political sickness demands a political operation. It was nice to listen to him in the old days. Then, we were told how we produced all wealth and, as producers, had the right, moral and every other way, to own and control it. We remember how our Socialist blood would tingle in our veins as, with booming voice, he heaped scorn and ridicule upon the heads of capitalists. "Wasters," "Parasites," "Heterogeneous incompetents" —no name was bad enough to apply to a capitalist. But now, the " wasters" would appear to be in the ranks of public works employees. Of course, Sir, Mr Semple is responsible to the people of New Zealand for any expenditure on public works, and after all public works employees may not be considered "people of New Zealand." Should they be Irish, they will be Sinn Feiners, if Russians, Bolshevists "; and if so, Sir, at whose door lies the blame? Mr Semple need not complain if the phrase " heterogeneous incompetents " is made to apply to the present Government in so far as Socialist policy is concerned. We do not need to be reminded by Ministers that wages have been increased. The rise in the cost of living continually reminds us. What we want to know is when the " Socialisation of the means of production"—i.e., production at its source—will eventuate.—l am, etc., * Member N.Z. Labour Party. September 14.