TO THE RESCUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 272, 16 November 1935, Page 13

TO THE RESCUE.

MR. W. J. JORDAN'S AID. MR. W. E. PARRY INDISPOSED. LABOUR PARTY AND UNIONS. In consequence of Mr. W. E. Parry, sitting Labour member for Auckland Central, having contracted a relaxed throat, which necessitated a rest from public speaking, a meeting of his constituents at St. Thomas' Hall, last night, was addressed by Mr. W. J. Jordan, sitting Labour member for Manukau. Mr. Jordan explained that his colleague could not speak above a whisper, and had to remain dumb for a day or two.

On the text of the political cry of 1028 and 1931 that "Labour in power would ruin the country"—Mr. Jordan proceeded to detail how two other political parties, which had appeared before each of the election years mentioned, had coalesced immediately afterwards and enacted legislation inflicting hardship, unequally distributed, on men, women and children of all classes.

The meeting of fifty or sixty people, after a cordial hearing, passed a vote of confidence in, and sympathy with, Mr. Parry, and of appreciation of Mr. Jordan's assistance in the emergency. Cheers we're given for the Labour party. In a statement, read by the chairman, Mr. Parry said that several candidates opposed to Labour had asserted that the Labour party was controlled by the trades unions, and if the party were returned to power its policy would be determined, not by the elected members, but by the unions. Such statements were wild exaggerations. It was true that the Labour party aimed to be the political expression of the trades unions, but only so far as was calculated, in the opinion of the party, to advance the general good. The great majority of the trade unions supported the Labour party, as the great majority of the Employers' Association and chambers of commerce supported other parties. But the Labour party was not afraid of its supporters. Fear of their supporters was indicated by the National party legislating to smash the lending departments of the State and setting up a Reserve Bank to do what the National party feared to do. Those acts were not political wisdom, but .were political abdication and cowardice.