NEW ZEALAND LABOR PARTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 October 1918, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND LABOR PARTY.

To the Editor. Sir, —A par in Saturday's issue (Oct. 26tli) mentions that Mr. P. B. Fitzberbert "believed more than 75 per cent, of the people were ignorant of the real objects of the Labor Party,", and, no doubt, taking the people as a whole, he would not be far out. Now, taking the farmer class particularly, I can wit/ii safety affirm that 25 per cent are absolutely ignorant of the aims or the platform of the Labor Party; that their sympathy with such is alienated, by a method of camouflage which enables a certain kind- to- keep a grip on -the bulk of the people for tliieir own selfish ends, the natural sequence being, among communities, strikes and ructions of various decrees among sections of the people to obtain justice, and among nations, wars or various grades. The pity of it is that the Press is used as tile avenue by which the bulk of the people are thus bamboozled, but the time,-1 do believe, is at. liand when a reconstruction of filings generally for the benefit of mankind will bo brought about. The war, surely, has given the people the neces- ! sary impetus to cause a complete change from past systems. Like Jlr. F.. X believe the Labor Partyls platform is the best in ' the world, and I feel sure that the result of sensible propaganda would effect a radical change in the opinions at present held by the' small farmer class of the Dominion, who have too long been fed up with a one sided doctrine by what t call "pimps'' of the class who practically exploit bo(h the workers of the town, thp wharf, the mine, and the factory, and also (he small farmers who, in the strictest sense of the term, are t'ue hardest worked laborers of the lot. A thorough understanding as to the term "labor" between the primary and secondary producers should result in the adoption of a system of true co-operation, and the adoption of such would result in this country really earning the name of "God's Own Country" whic'li'is but mockery under existing conditions. Tt has always been a source of wonder to me since taking up residence in the country (now, 21 years) to find amongst small fanners, who were originally laborers at from (is to 8s per day, a strong antipathy to the laborer of the town. Also, I' could never understand low it came about that small farmers, sons of pioneers from the Homeland (but laborers while there), held the same bitter hostility to tihe labor of the mine, wharf, etc., nor could I understand how it came about that old men, in the early days members of the combination of ""Knights of Labor," could, because they did manage to obtain a farm, becom'e bitter enemies of the class to which they and their: fathers before them belonged. I maintain, this has been brought about per medium of the pr6ss in the' past, and I trust Mr. F.. will persevere in the propaganda suggestion, and all those who believe in the- welfare of this Dominion and in humanity generally would do well to assist as much as possible. I remember some little time ago that it appeared in the local press that, at a jneetinc at Elthaiu, a committee con-

and Aetbury -was appointed trf meet tlhe heads ,«f tha Labor Party at Welling-1 ton to see if a better understanding | could be arrived'at as to tie aims of'la-J bor, but I have liot as yet seea thei suit of such conference. Further, a meeting of tlie Taraaaki Faraiers' Union held in May last, the report of which appeared in your columns, Mr. Buckeridge endeavored to get that body to recognise the claims of labor and the discussion makes good reading (Daily News, May 23rd, 1918.) A portion of Mr. Buckeridge's speech reads as follows: . . . ."This was certainly a very big question, and he thought they should affirm the principle that labor should have the right to acfcjgivitii them and deliberate upon questions which were of as much importance to them aa to the farmers, and to discuss the methods and conditions under which they work." Xo doubt the adoption of the 'Labor Party's platform would be bitterly resisted at present on account of misconception in many cases and wilfulmisrepresentation in ethers, and the reat* solution to. bring unity is that of the educative system—propaganda—but it must not be half-hearted. With all the*money spe.nt in New Zealand on education the real meaning of the words "Do moerat" and "Democracy" are little understood. In the past the only word which was really understood was "Self." Has the war lesson cut deep enough to. obliterate that in favor of "All for eachand each for all''? Has it?.—T am. etc., JOE B. SIMPSON Dairy Fanner. Durham Road, t>ct. 27, 1918-