The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News The Echo and The Sun. SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1940. LABOUR DISSENSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 11, 13 January 1940, Page 8

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News The Echo and The Sun.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1940. LABOUR DISSENSION.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the \arong that vceds resistance, For the future in the distance, A.nd the good that tee can do.

Dissensions arise in all political parties, but they arc most to be expected when a party has won office and power with a targe majority of supporters. The Labour party has twice been elected to power in such circumstances, but for lour years it has preserved, in a degree truly remarkable, the external appearance of unity. For that achievement it perhaps owes most to the fact thatits period of ofiicc lias coincided with years of relative prosperity, but it also owes a great deal to the personal qualities of its chosen leader. It is significant that the first appearance of open dissension on a considerable scale follows the illness and prolonged convalescence of Mr.' Savage, which havo prevented him from working with his accustomed vigour at a time when the Government has had to grapple with tasks of great magnitude, importance and urgency. If the dissension which is now out in the open could be described as of purely domestic concern the public might be content to regard it as interested spectators, but its importance far exceeds party limits. It concerns the government of the Dominion, at a time when strong government, such as will express the will of a united peoplfij is indispensable if this country is to play "its full part in the., war.

The dissentient opinions in Ihe party whieli have found expression by supporting Mi*. J. A. Lec are of

two main kinds. There are those who are, and were before the war, dissatisfied with the constitution of the Cabinet, and with some aspects of its administration, and are disgruntled because their efforts to bring about changes have had only minor success. {. There are also those who dissent from the Cabinet's prompt decision that New i Zealand must-stand beside Britain in this war, wlio regard it as an "imperialistic, war" in which the "working class" should play no part. These —the Communists and their ever-willing dupes—also support . Mr.- Lee, although, judged by his utterances on the subject of the war, Mr. Lqe is far from sharing their opinions. "Why do they support him? Because, if his revolt has the effect of weakening the Government, it is\for them north supporting. If a National Government were in power "they would support a dissentient Nationalist.. They give lip service to "Labour" only because they can hope for greater success under a. Labour than under a .National Government for their consistent and persistent purpose —which is to "white ant" and ultimately to destroy the whole; social and political structure of this country. Mr. Lee might say that lie should not be condemned because of- the ulterior motives of some of his supporters. Nevertheless, he. will be judged by tliem. Any party or person supported- by the Communists must be "suspect.

The decisive test to apply to the controversy is that of the national interest. It may be that _ the Government -would command a more united and enthusiastic support, and be more efficient in administration, if some or the Ministers who have held office for four years were replaced by younger men. That is a question to which Mr. Savage, in spite of his resentment of ivhat he feels as a personal attack, should give dispassionate consideration. But the public should be more fully informed of the questions at issue between the Cabinet and Mr. Lee. Does Mr. Lee want changes in the Cabinet because he himself aspires to office, or because he believes changes 'would bring about better administration in war time —or because he hopes • the Government would thereby become more socialistic? The answer cannot be learned from the resolution of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee, which merely exhibited its inability to make up its own mind. The national interest requires and demands a Government which shall make the. effectual prosecution of the war its dominant aim. If it should appear that a section of the Government's erstwhile supporters, for selffsh reasons,. or- for reasons plainly disloyal, want it to carry on as if the country were not at war, then the Government will be stronger without their support.