THE WORKERS AND PARLIAMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, 18 August 1919, Page 3

THE WORKERS AND PARLIAMENT.

The attitude of distrust which many of the workers of the Old ‘Worhl are taking‘ up towlirds Parliamentary institutions was touched on by Mr Thomas in a noteworthy speech made on his return from America to England when he said that one of the first essentials towards industrial and social peace was to] restore the confidence of the working class in the ballot-box, in other words, in Parliamentary Government. Mr Thomas is not only a really great Trade Union leader, but a patriotic Englishman, and his sel'viccs to his country during the war, no less than his work on behalf of Labour; entitle him to be heard with respect. The warning which he conveyed in the words referred to was echoed a few (lays ago" by the Sydney Daily Telegraph a paper which no stretch of imagination towards the extremist or the agitator. Commenting on Mr Thomas-’s remark, the Telegraph considered that it had an .‘\llS'fl“c'lll3I1 as well as a British zipplicntimi, and went on to say: There is no fl'cedonl for an_\-one unless the law is respected; but ihe law will not be requpected unless Parliament demon.=trates its willingness to eiiamine and to :I.ttuek ;fl'l(‘\'allCCS which. are at the foundation of social discontent. Agitetors find their opportunity in demonstrating that Parliament is out of S'_Vm‘p:lZlly with popular grievances, and that tle franchise is, therefore, a wort*lleS~:. privilege. Parliament cannot fur-iiish a conclusive answer, because exaggerated ideas are always held of the pow- (-,-,< of legislation. but it can show tliat. it is determined to look for the sources of discontent, and, while preventing thc tyranny of strikers. not overlook that of men who withhold necessary supplies or seek to make ‘lll e.x—-tol-tjolmte profit from the needs of tzlt-eir t'ellow—eitizens. ’