LABOUR PARTY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 23, 7 November 1938, Page 3

LABOUR PARTY.

PREMIER DENIES A SPLIT. , AGRICULTURAL POLICY. (Per Press Association A WELLINGTON, November 5. Rumours were current here after the Government caucus, just ended, that all was not well within the ranks of the Parliamentary Labour Party, but the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage), in an interview to-day, gave an emphatic denial to the suggestion that there was active disaffection within the ranks of the party.

It was stated that the left wing of the party had managed to assert itself regarding the selection of the Cabinet, but in dismissing this, Mr Savage made it clear that he did not intend to allow his authority in the matter to be challenged. Mr Savage smiled a little when questioned upon the significance of the rumours which had reached his ears.

“Yes, I know all about it,” Implied Mr- Savage. “It was said during the election that the Prime Minister was a weakling in the hands of others. These people will live to learn that the Prime Minister is not a weakling. The outcome of the cancus is that the Government is going straight ahead without* any change in the personnel of Cabinet whatever. I stand by that, and I swear by that. Whatever undersecretaries are necessary will be appointed by the Government, and by no one else.”

A considerable time ago it was suggested that some members of the caucus, among them a few who were disappointed when tin* honours were being distributed after (lie 1935 election, were going to try and insist on tho Labour policy of majority rule when it came to the selection of the Ministry and any supernumerary executives, as opposed to the traditional procedure of allowing tho head of the Government to ebooso his own team. Alleged Requisition. The movement, it is understood, reached a stage .where a requisition was actually before tin* caucus, and it was the report that the requisition had been carried by a narrow majority, after some members had declined to vote, that led to inquiry being made direct to the Prime Minister.

After disposing of it. Mr Savage explained the relationship to which the Parliamentary Labour Party stood in regard to the Labour movement as a whole. “Labour meets annually in

conference,” he saiil, “and everythin: that needs a change, in the opinion o those in the movement, and there ar hundreds of thousands of them, is tliei considered. They give an indicatioi of the line to be followed by their re presentatives in the House and on loca bodies. This is as close as we can ge to the ideas of democracy, hut thos who are administering affairs of Stab cannot be tied in detail by any confer ence. No conference lias ever tried ti do that, but they lay down ftmdamen tals. Only those close to the problem facing the State can intelligently dea with them.” Guaranteed Price. Dealing with the guaranteed price and production generally, the Prinn Minister said there were a number 01 wool-growers who were unhappy aboul the position to-day. Before he had beer long in office some wool-growers askec him whether the Government intendec to interfere. They said that they were doing all right, and he asked then why the Government shoulrl interfere, '“I told them the time may come when they may come to us for some relief, just the same as the dairy fawners receive. That time may come, and then it will be time for the Government to come into the picture. We had numerous representations from individual wool farmers for a guarantee, hut we can deal only with organisations. Our job would he to come in and try to help them, not to inflict anything on them against their will.” Mr Savage said that production must he carried on in New Zealand on the most advanced lines, and there must he security for those engaged in industry, and that meant owners as well as workers. “We cannot separate them,” he added. “They will sink or swim together. The problems of ail classes must he listened to with a view to assistance being given.” Speculator Interests. Asked whether the dairy farmers would he given an opportunity to vote on the question ol whether they desired the guaranteed price policy to he continued, Mr Savage said that speculator interests did not want guarantees. They lived by fluctuating markets. That bad been the position in the dairy industry over the years. It, was true in respect to the land speculator also, who only wanted to see fluctuations with the guaranteed: price. There was less opportunity for speculators before the guaranteed price came into operation. There was a class in the community who farmed the farmer'. “1 hope I never run up against the man who thinks prosperity can come by the worker working long hours at low wages.” added Mr Savage. He thought, that there should he a greater percentage of people engaged directly in industry. The manufacturer as well

as the farmer had lo he considered, ll llii' Government was at fault in any circumstance, it would have to make a readjustment. The Government’s task was to have industry expanded as well as to expand the standard of living. .