The Daily News. THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1921. LABOR’S SENSE OF DUTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1921, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1921. LABOR’S SENSE OF DUTY.

The Leader (Mr. H. E. Holland) of the small coterie of members in the House of Representatives claiming to represent Labor and calling themselves the “Labor Party,” has given notice to move an amendment to the Address-in-Reply, consisting of five elaborated clauses in which the GovernorGeneral, and through him the world at large, is made acquainted with the views which the accumulated wisdom of these extremists has evolved in relation to Dominion, Empire, and international affairs. It should be noted that according to the text of the amend ment, this action is due to a sense of duty. It may be, but even a casual peruser of the context, might be forgiven if he came to the conclusion that there was more of satire than veracity in assigning to “duty” what should be more aptly described as brazen effrontery. At the same time it is an admission by Extreme Labor that there is such a word as duty, in the concrete sense, as applied otherwise than as “self interest”. Heretofore there has been little, if any evidence that Extreme Labor in the Dominion —or elsewhere —has been cognisant of the real meaning of duty except in that very restricted sense which begins and ends with self, eliminating the rest of the community as being of no account. The role of mentor is not new to these apostles of direct action. It is quite possible they may lay the flattering unction to their souls that they and they alone can govern the world as it ought to be governed At all events they appear to be equipped with one of the chief assets of successful dictators — supreme self confidence, and though this is of the Lenin-Trot-sky order, it is an asset which ppjwiblv more in the direc

tion of zero than in the upward register of the thermometer of public welfare. The particular brand of duty which Extreme Labor adopts as a cloak need not be investigated. It is the men and not their outer garments that matter; it is by their avowed policies and action that they must be judged, and the sincerity—or otherwise—-of their expressed aims and opinions tested. It is not the possession of power, but the manner in which it is exercised that distinguishes the statesman from the leader of a mob; just the difference between the rule of might and that of right, the tyranny of despotism and the blessing of sane democratic government. To apply the acid test to the arguments contained in it Mr Holland ’s amendment would be a mere waste of acid, for nothing but dross is there. The one grain of common sense in the whole rigmarole is the recognition of “the serious economic situation now developing in New Zealand. ’ The only means whereby the situ ation could have been averted was by greater production, and Labor, made this impossible by strikes go-slow tactics, and other irritating methods; yet Labor is not happy over its achievements in this direction, and would keep Parliament in session, merely to prevent Mr. Massey representing the Dominion at an Imperial Conference which bids fair to be the most important in the history of the. Empire, and may be very helpful in improving the Dominion’s trade. The intense narrowness of unionist methods does not permit of that confidence which is exhibited on all occasions by the majority of the peoplein. the head of the Government as its representative and mouthpiece. Union ists, probably advisedly, find it necessary to shackle their representatives and bind them down to act according to instructions, and this is how Labor legislators would belittle the Prime Minister if they had (heir way, so that it is as well they are an insignificant influence in Parliament, barking loudly, but otherwise impotent. Mr. Massey is sufficiently seised with the im portanee of promoting interna tional relations as not to require special directions for his guidance at the Conference; hence it is obvious that the gratuitous op in ions of Mr. Holland and his con freres as expressed in the amendment, are intended to be sent forth to the world as expressing the views of Labor in New Zealand —-which is not the case. As a cheap advertisement it may serve its purpose, and that is all the amendment can accomplish. The way in which mention is made of precipitating war with America is an insult to the intelligence of the bulk of sane Labor, and the same can be said of the reference to diplomatic secrecy, while the direction to the Imperial Conference to dictate to Britain as to her policy towards Ireland, Egypt and India is too absurd for serious consideration, especially as Labor resents to the utmost any outside interference with its own affairs. Before those who claim to represent Labor in .the Dominion assume, as a matter of duty, to give directions on national and international affairs they should at least open their minds to -the fact that national duty is not one-sided, but embraces all classes. "When they can show by their actions that their sense bi duty prevents them from restricting industry, paralysing national activities, creating discord and class war, and precipitating chaos they will have arrived at a stage when some weight can be given to their views. Until then the less clamor they make the better. Meanwhile they have much to learn and unlearn. If they are so keen on an era of peace, let them first ensure industrial peace by sane and legitimate means, and not hinder that peace by coercion and tyranny. Possibly they may admit they do not possess a mono poly of wisdom, and statesmanship, but they can at least avoid dependence on blataney as a sub stitute for the higher qualities needed for leadership in national as well as industrial affairs.