LABOR PARTIES

NZ Truth, 15 March 1924, Page 12

LABOR PARTIES

+, Harry Holland's Ignorance. On things pertaining? to New Zealand's democratic past "Old-Timer" writes to "Truth": — It makes my blood boil to hear and read how Harry Holland, the invading iconoclast, who doesn't really belong to New Zealand, is striving by his utterances to befool the people of New Zealand. Utterly Ignorant of the history of Laborism m this country — what can he who knows only N.S.W. know aibout Maoriland?— excepting that part of Bolshevism or Extreme Marxism introduced by himself? He seems to be firmly convinced that he discovered Labor over here! He is stumping the country yelling at the top of his voice that there was no Labor Party over here until he created it I And he also claims to have rediscovered John Ballance and Richard Seddon! Shades of Laborism— *if only those two leaders could hear Harry H. getting off his hot "air stuff. Why, it Is only reoently that Holland's jealousy of the original Labor leaders has permitted him to speak of them m, public. It seems that he has been reading up the course of special articles on "Back to Balance," published by "Truth" last year. And now the man from N.S.W. has the nerve to get up and quote J.B. and R.J.S. against our Lib-Lab Party. i Actually, he gets away with lt so far as some of the crowd are concerned. The fact of the matter is that Harry Holland, Peter Fraser, and some others of the Extremists are such new chums that they actually know nothing about the rise and development of Laborism m this land of their adoption. Instead of striving to get Informed, they blatantly boast that they are the only true and original Laborites. Why, they haven't a grain of practical Laborlßm m their political make-up. Labor aa such is anathema to them. They are a law unto themselves, v They all got Marxism and anarchy's gospel ot destruction out of a book, and are so wedded to lt that they haven't the gumption to learn from the bitter application of their tenents m Russia. Organised artlsanship, as expressed through trades unionism, ls abhorred of the Red Feds. The trades unionist thinks for himself, but the Reds mislead the masses that prefer to follow their leader and let the latter do the thinking for them. When Henry Holland says that he is New Zealand's first Labor Party he stumbles badly over historic obstacles. John Ballance was a working journalist, not a professional politician. Dick Seddon was a working miner. There was a Labor Party m the Upper House In the Ballance days, cqmprlslng two compositors, an engineer, and a storeman. In those days, when New Zealand had a really strong and true Labor Party, the member for Invercargill was a tailor, one of the Dunedin members was a seaman and the other a bootmaker; Oamaru sent up a printer, Timaru a carpenter. In fact, all parts of the two island sent to Wellington horny handed sons of toil, men who were earning only three or four pounds per week.. There was a solid crowd of Laborites. ' There were also some strong Liberals, and they wisely Joined up with tho Laborites, thus forming the LibLab Party. It is passlne strange, by the way, that Harry Holland delights m praising the success of the Labor Party In England, and sends hia congratulations to his colleague Ramsay McDonald, yet objects to the very same process out here that is m operation at Home. The Labor Party now ln power In London is m office by the grace of the Liberals. The Labor Cabinet has a strong leaven of Liberals., It ls really a Lib-Lab Government. And m the face of this most obvious fact, Henry Holland is stumping the country villlfylng the LibLabs of New Zealand! Ye gods and littlo fishes, was there ever such inconsistency? And the Leader of the so-called "Official" Labor Party prides himself upon the loglo of his politics and position! He is declaring almost nightly that he ls putting a candidate Into every electorate next time. What for" — to out tho Refs and Consorvs? Not a bit of it — to out the Lib-Labs. Which moans that ho will deliberately split votes In order to permit Mr. Massey to keep m power! Will tho Ref Party, which has the fighting funds, finance all of Mr. Holland's nominated vote-splitters? Yet so astigmatic politically ls tho Leader of the Red Feds that he can- I not ace this, or if ho does, ho reckons thc ond justifies thc means. That is not Truo Blue Laborism, but is despoiling the masses of their right to rule. Mr. Holland should migrate to Moscow.