THE LIBERAL-LABOUR PARTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 143, 19 June 1922, Page 8

THE LIBERAL-LABOUR PARTY.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —T often see the remark that the Labour party should, and must, join up ' with the Liberals to form a strong opposition in the House. That is so, but it appears to mc that there is no need for the amalgamation of the two parties in their entirety, in fact to expect extreme Labour and Liberals, who are almost Reformers, to join forces is absurd. Extremists of any sort will not join any reasonable or broad-minded policy. That being so. Why should the machinery of reasonable men and women, which constitutes the "reater portion of the Liberal and Labour party, : rust because there are extremists on ' both sides who can't see reason ? I am ' sure there arc quite enough electors con-' sisting of broad-minded Labour and | Liberals, without the extremists,' to j form- a very strong political party,' and perhaps a majority. I am j certain that workers as a whole do not believe in the present extreme Labour party in the House. In this country' the worker whether he is called a! Liberal or Labour is uot an extremist, I and only votes for the Labour members'' because there is no other party with a strong leadei< The present" Labour' members have done nothing for Labour except bark about and cause trouble, in fact they are not taken seriously by any intelligent man or woman. " The Liberals, who should be in sympathy with wage-earners, are powerless for want of numbers, and so it will continue until all wage-earners, whether called Liberal or Labour, meet on common ground, and elect men for members who are broad-minded and reason-

_, R able. What is wanted is the right nia_ for a leader. A man who understands the wage-earners, as well as their requirements, a man who can as it were "get down to it." Seddon wa? such a man, and look at his organisation! We have had good men since, but they could not get a party of Liberal and Labour because tbey had not the personality as well as the ability. Ward was a fine man and an able politician but he could not get down to it. Mackenzie was the same. Others have tried, but they lack the personality required to gain the confidence of moderate elec. tors. When such a man arrives we shall see a Liberal-Labour party rise as it did under Seddon, and sweep.all before ' it. The material and quantity for a ' strong party is here—the thing now ig to get the right man to lead and direct it in the right direction.—l am, etc., A WAGE-EARNER.