RED AS RED AND A LITTLE BIT MORE SO.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3532, 21 July 1920, Page 3

RED AS RED AND A LITTLE BIT MORE SO.

THE SO-CALLED NEW ZEALAND LABOUR PARTY. Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League). Those good people who have felt concern because the Welfare League has had the temerity to mention riie present so-called Labour Parry in plain blunt terms might have saved their sympathy for some move worthy object. The Party does not represent the workers of New Zealand. It is so confident at times that it does not even represent itself properly. At the last general election , its candidates stood on a platform some pie unki mlly say it was. a and the electors were invited to vote for them on the planks there shown. Mr Isitt, H.P., pointed out that the platform was subject do alteration after the election. This meant that the electors were being asked to sign a cheque, the figures to be subject to alteration after it was signed. Well,, last week the Party Conference met and altered the platform at their own sweet will without consulting the electors.

Take one plank, “Defence.” Messrs Holland. Fraser, and the rest were

elected to support “a citizen army on a voluntary basis.” now we read that the Conference decided to repeal this plank It was evidently taken down for repainting as not being red enough. What an outrageous political fraud if is for the Party to collect votes on one platform and then, after they were elected, substitute another. Another of their practical jokes was that on the Thursday the Conference decided that no M.P. should be on the Party’s executive. Whether before or after, it made Mr Fraser, M.P., chairman of the executive. Someone must have pointed out the contradiction, so later in the week it faced the issue of the person or the principle, and not having courage enough to decide it, resolved that the question be submitted to a ballot of the affiliated bodies. One thing" very noticeable is that the Conference was strong in favour of no defence. It was resolved “that having listened to General Russell the Conference records its emphatic disapproval of the National Defence League’s principles and programme, inasmuch as it would result in the further militarisation of New Zealand.” They certainly get some very nice words into that resolution, “emphatic” for instance sounds strong, and the word “militarisation" reads rather learned. The average colonial would he likely to reply to them with 1 lie rude word “rot. but then ah he cares about is the plain common sense truth, that the country

worth living in is worth defending. This Forty's mock concern for New Zealand, in face of the fact that they are not prepared in any way to defend it. is truly pathetic. The more sane men are retiring into the hack ground. The Party is very red in the face (as it ought to be after insulting the country with the promulgation of such disloyalty to the people). Surely the workers in New Zealand will not much longer submit to being misrepresented by this bunch of political adventurers, who are opposed in every way to defending the country, hut are strongly in favour of increasing the pay for such disregard of the country’s interests from £.'loo io £'.oo per year. Men who are so mad as to he against defending their country are dear at one penny per year. Thev are expensive to have in the country at all.