LABOUR CRITICAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 173, 24 July 1930, Page 27

LABOUR CRITICAL.

GOVERNMENT'S LEGISLATION.

DEMAND FOR «RESULTS.' 7

RECENT CAUCUS MEETING.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Outspoken references by Labour members to tie Government's tariff changes led to-day to the suggestion that the Labour party has held a special caucus to reconsider its attitude toward the United Ministry. . There was a meeting of the Labour party, but one of its prominent members, when, questioned regarding the report, declared that it contained an inference which was quite incorrect, namely, that Labour was committed to the United Government and was, there-i fore, reconsidering its position. Nothing of the sort had happened. The Labour party was considering measures, not individuals, and it decided its course entirely on what the House was asked to adopt. Another Labour member remarked that there was a spirit of restiveness in the party and that a section was advocating the definite cessation of the present policy of conditional alliance with the United party* in the voting lobbies. A third member of the party said that the present state of affairs, could not continue, nor could the Labour party be expected to submit to being dragged at the heels of the Government. A horse and cart could be driven through the Unemployment Bill and the tariff, proposals,, and if the Government continued to place before the House propositions the Labour party was not justified in supporting the Government's days would be numbered.

"The Labour party will be ' satisfied with far less than-was promised by the' United party,- but results are expected, and unless there is an improvement shortly the Labour party will assert itself," said another prominent Labour member. He added that the wholesale discharge of railway servants by the Government, and its general attitude to. wards the workers as well as to its assent to the increase in the bank rate had had an offending effect on members of the Labour party.