WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3343, 22 November 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

i ‘LABOUR/S tMISTAKBS. 5 NOT PLAYING THE GAME.“ ' J ._' (Special Correspondent.) ' I VVELLING"TO.N_. Nov. 21. ‘ ’ “Bad a.dVoca‘tes of .3. good policy” Was the larconic reply’ of a. former pillar of the Labour Party when he was asked this morning ‘for his opinion of the man who had succeeded him and his colleagues in the leadership of the workers’ forces. “We had Helped for the absorption of all the progressive elements into our own‘ party,” he wentonto say, “butnot by the methods now being employed by the so—c-alled Soci'a._l-Denlocrats.” The immediate ‘cause of his lament was the discreditable demonstration made by the followers‘ of Mr H. H. Holland and Mr R. ,Semple, presumably at the instruction ‘of their chiefs, at Mr J. P. Luke’s tme-e-ting in Wellington North. ‘ ‘lt is not playing the game,” this veteran linsisted, both In sorrow and in anger,‘ “to howl down your opponents, and it is not helping the . cause of Labour. It is bad tactics every time, and. con i only estrange electors that ought to be rvon to the side -of progress.” pNo fair-minded person Watching the course of events in Wellington will be likely to quarrel with this judgment. ~ THE LEADERS’ RESPONSIBILITY. The leaders of the Official Labour Party have not disclaimed responsibility for the regrettable behaviour of their followers, and speaking in We]lington north on Tuesday evening Mr Peter Fraser practic2ii'fy gave it the stamp of‘ his approval. There‘ were scarcely -thirty people at his own meeting. which, like all other meetings of the Labour candidates, was allowed 5130 pass off without the slightest interruption, and in explainixig the sparseness of the _attendance, the candidate ‘said most of f_riends_w_ere at Mr Pirani’s meeting, “putting a few questions to the Liberal candidate.” He "ivould hav¢:_ln;'ed tg,,..h-a.ve"'b_cen tlrere himself, but" it would not have been ._. considered good form for him ':tofliav'e’; joined ‘in theiilieeltling; That? is " the pass “to which the’ Soci.al-Democlrai-ts have ' ‘brought helectiomeeriing ‘in’ capital 3 city, ullde,r,_ the “Very of" Parlila,ment.l3fTQiiS§i, ;e':m_l_ it i‘s.‘l"flit-tie ~ wonder? they Have lost ground tn the estimation _of many people who at one time were disposed to look kindly upon their policy. THE OTHER PARTIES. . The general opinion here is that the Reform. and Liberal Parties will -be so elosel_V:bal:a.nced‘ in the -new Palrlia-V ment that tlie tip of the scale will depend upon the votes of "the ‘-Labour‘ members. But -the Labour members are not at alllikely to. be’ a united party, indeed Mr Veitch and Mr Smith have definitely declined to associate themselves with the Social~_Demoerats, and it sis highly improbable the extremists will obtain any Laceession of strength at the polls. The popular prediction is that the best they can reasonably expect is to remain a party of five,-with ;\lr 'McConll3s and ‘Mr Walker exercising so much independence as to be unreliable in any attempt to force the hands of either of the old parties. It is accepted as certain, however, that tliree or four additional independent Labour candidates will make their \T*3.y into the House, and that with tIICSOVWIII rest largely the responsibility of determining the

fate of leaders. ‘ DATE OF EL?‘ "TION. When it was rumour: -‘ that the elec‘lion would be held in ;he third Week of December, Mr Massev was deluged wifh tele9,‘ranls'froln various sources protesting against the polling taking place so near the Christmas h.clid.3.ys and seriously disturbin{_r the course of seasonable business. No doubt the Prime Minister gave full eonsiderafion fo fhe "I‘epres.entations that were made to him, and as ea. matter of fact December 17 was the earliest possible date by which’ the 11€C(‘SSa1‘_V arrange.ments could be cpmplefed. It was not a question of giving advamage to this side or ":h.at. but a. question of what the Elec-feral Department coubd do, and it Was plain fhe Department could not be ready: beforc-"the date decided upon. ‘This explanation is due to Mr Massey, though if still remains lo be discovered why with ample notice of wlna.t v~.'e.s required the preparations could not have been put in ham‘! earlier. Q _____________ V .