WILL LYTTELTON VOTE COALITION?

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20955, 8 September 1933, Page 17

WILL LYTTELTON VOTE COALITION?

TO TUB KDtTOC OF THE I'RKSS. Sir.-rlri response to "Labour All the Way" stating in his letter that he did not know what I inferred * when I stated that the Labour parly was a •still-born party," I will try to give a little more .lucidity to the statei ment. In its embryo stage Labour certainly had a humanitarian philosophy. It deplored the evils of the present social and economic system with evident vehemence and conviction. It was voluble in its exhortations to the victims of industrialism, urging them tQ "get together," emphasising that "unity is strength," etc., and called on them to "adjust our wrongs" and "bring about an equality of mankind, our natural heritage." It advocated idealism of a perfectly Utopian nature, and supported philosophies which would ha\e emerged from the chrysalis or embryo stage to an unassailable position of material recognition by all, had not the process of incubation been deranged by ulterior, mercenary factors. Instead of the original ideals being advanced, the theme underwent a gradual transformation, resulting in hatching a complete travesty of itself. Evolutionary processes saw innumerable disciples ready to champion the cause of this political innocuity. We find the labour politicians today with no definite, fixed philosophy, their originality having been lost during the gradual transitory period. They stress the extreme urgency of various social reforms, in no instance furnish their supporters with information as to how the said reforms are to be brought about. The favourite platitude applied in connexion, with the "return to prosperity" campaign is to "stabilise the ' price of exports." In other words, literally "command" prices for produce on the overseas markets. The factor, and & primary one, namely, that the purchasing power of the overseas clients is in a shrunken condition is steadfastly ignored. The position of being buyer and seller combined is unique, f Tnese gentlemen are fully conversant | with this obvious phase, but still pursue the impossible phantom. Putting . all unemployed back into remunerative productive employment is an- I other lofty and Idealistic inspiration, but as to how it can be accomplished tile general public is not entitled to , Jmow. It Is a secret known only to the labour party. ' I assert that politicians • who deliberately circulate and put this Arabian Night* stuff on the public have no consideration for the reasoning powers of the community. Labourites,, at the best, only suggest making conditions lew intolerable. The removal of the natural causes of international stagnation, with its necessary supplement ot poverty, does not concern them. Their main incentive is to concentrate on palliatives. Any individual or ccpumunity who may suggest something .original and effective in the way of social reform is classified by these "passive" fighters as a reactionary and undemocratic. During an election period they emerge from their fastnesses and broadcast their tidings of hope to suffering humanity, killing every other field of thought and honest endeavour, disparage their saner thinking opponents, administer i something in the form of a verbal opiate to any "doubting Thomas" amongst their supporters, and at the i conclusion of the campaign fade into i complacent obscurity. « My friend alludes to Labour having i been a "stop gap" during the last ' three years. Had it not developed an . idiosyncrasy for "tuft hunting" and 1 opportunism, it could have been an '■ impenetrable "fence." '■ My friend asks me to read, the planks J , of the Labour platform. He is a little ' ' late. I have analysed each item. I 1 have subjected the planks of Labour • platforms in four different countries ' to a close scrutiny; they all coincide ! in one particular point, namely, doing * everything in their power to rectify the evils of the present system pro- *■ vidmg it does not interfere with ac- £ cepted orthodoxy of society as con- < stituted in general. They are perfectly * innocuous until they get out of the * hands of the "Philistines" and exhibit £ a modicum of personality and originality, combined with honesty of pur- J pose.—-Yours, etc., 1 ' , J. H. ROBINSON. $ Mount Hutt, September 6, 1933. 1 z