"HATED AND LOVED."

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 138, 13 June 1929, Page 10

"HATED AND LOVED."

LLOYD GEORGE IN POLITICS.

LABOUR IN GREAT BRITAIN.

VIEWS OF OLD AUCKLANDER,

That the return to office of the Labour Government in Britain will put a feeling of hope into the minds of the working classes, is the opinion of the Rev. R. J. Hall, M.A., who is revisiting Auckland after an absence of 16 years, and who in recent years, as an educationist and a social worker, has been in intimate touch with the miners of South Wales. As an outcome of that hope he believes that the workers themselves will willingly undertake things to help themselves that they did not undertake in the past few years when they felt that the breaking up of all possibility of a national agreement and the enactment of the eighthour bill were inimical to their best interests. Such hope and such practical ■issues he regards as the first essentials towards reconstruction.

"While Ramsay Mac Donald was in office a few years ago, he was not actually in power, but was there under permission of Lord Oxford," Mr. Hall said, in reply to an interviewer, who saw him to-day at the home of his host in Mountain Road.

"Does the same not apply to Mr. Lloyd George as the present leader of the Libaral party?" was asked.

"No." Mr. Hall replied. "In a political sense Lloyd George now is a distrusted man, whereas Lord Oxford was trusted. There is no mid-way position with the followers of the present leader —they either hate him or love him. Lloyd George has a tremendous following of devoted folk, but he is hated by innumerable others, and the Liberal party is split under his leadership. In all probability something like a quarter of the present membership of the Liberal party might follow Mr. Runciinan, who has said that he will not follow Lloyd George. It may be for a somewhat similar reason that Mr. Jowitt has consented to become Attorney-General in the Labour Government."

"Do you think the Liberals, as a party, will support Labour?" was asked.

"I cannot say that, but this I can say, there are ouly two division lobbies; every Liberal must make'his choice on each

division, and in practicaLworking, therefore, it is probable that a majority of Liberals will in every case go into the lobby with Labour."

In a general way Mr. Hall is impressed with the strength of the Ministry selected by Mr. Mac Donald, and he believes that those who have assumed office will give a good account of themselves. As to the appointment of a woman as Minister of Labour, ha agrees with that, too.

"Maggie Bondfield," said Mr. Hall, "is a remarkably charming personality, and she is trusted. I have heard her in the House of Commons, and I know of the respect in which she is held. Miss Bondfield will be in no sense a revolutionary. She has a very keen eye for the thing that is immediately practicable, and is not afraid to incur criticism on the grounds that she is subordinating ideals to the demands of immediate realities. She showed that in her attitude to the Blanasburgh report."

"Xo," I do not consider that her appointment as a Minister was mainly a tribute to the womanhood of the nation. She is worth her place, and, I believe, is one of the ablest members of the Government."