LABOUR SLOGAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 235, 5 October 1927, Page 7

LABOUR SLOGAN.

IS IT ADAPTABLE? Socialism In The Backgrovi Of All Effort. BLACKPOOL DISCUSSION. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 10 a.m.) LONDON, October 4. How far the slogan, "Socialism in Our Time," is adaptable with safety exercised the Blackpool Labour Conference. On Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald's motion that the executive should prepare a

broad outline of its election programme, Mr. Mac Donald described the Baldwin Cabinet as limpets determined, in the ! interests of its own supporters, to drain the cup of authority to the dregs. Labour's programme must not be flashy or superficial. The party had too long suffered through unauthorised programmes and must educate the electorate to face the great fundamentals. A remark of the Communist sympathiser, Mr. Pollitt: "Here's a string of resolutions not mentioning Socialism," caused Air. Arthur Henderson, M.P., to complain that there was suspicion in Mr. Pollitt's every word. Thereupon Mr. J. Maxton, M.P., Bridgeton, demanded that the programme be not diluted to meet the timid here, the prejudiced there, and the interested elsewhere, but something sure to command the majority.

Mr. E. Bevin asked wliy -tliey should talk as if the workr" injr class was entirely ' class con-

seious Socialists, when there were actually thousands of working Tories. "I have been at a few strikes," he said, "and it has not always been Tories who'* were the black legs." Mr. A. J. Cook appealed for a united front but

not a sacrifice of principles. Mr. J. H. Thomas, M.P., said: "Getting clown to brass tacks, the only test is, can you deliver the goods? It is a deceit to talk of accomplishing a programme in one Parliament. The executive must be trusted to prepare a programme of which we could say we will see it through." *Mr. Mac Donald, summing up, declined to "jerrybuild." "In tbe background of all our programmes is Socialism, not as a nice or decorative scene, but as a completion of what is working out on Parliament's great stage." The motion was carried, the chairman ruling out an amendment.