LABOUR'S ACHIEVEMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 87, 14 April 1941, Page 6

LABOUR'S ACHIEVEMENT.

Mr. Webb's recent Huntlr speech left me sad. The idle day that followed his speech for greater production left me sadder still. Gazing back into the <Hni past—it would be in the spring of I think—l see a vision of a sturdy young miner addressing hie "comrade*." He is m his early twenties—clear-eyed —a visionary and an idealist. His every word is swallowed by his idolising comrades. Before their very eyes a new world is carved out —a world in which the infant is cared for. "well fed. well dressed, well shod and well housed"' as he grows up —even provided with free education from the kindergarten to the university. His hours of labour are to l>c reduced to the minimum—a few hours a day on the part of all will suffice for the needs of the nation. There is to be plenty for all. And don t the mob drink it in? The years roll on, and with a jerk we are back in Huntly. We listen to a Minister. The audience (after 33 years) are not well fed, well dressed, well shod or well housed— but they are well educated —much more so than they were five years ago, when Labour fir>t took office. And because of this the Minister finds it extremely hard to "'sell them the idea" that Labour bar. done all it should have done —for them —or, the community, and J» consequence he gets inad. And—this is the saddest ]«irt of it all—after he goes everybody -miles—it's such a joke, this idea of Mr. Webb. a. realist and a member of the Cabinet, asking his comrades to work harder instead of working loss for the •"bloated capitalist" —who, by the way. N unable to bloat these day* on account ot the costs. CCLURE.