LABOUR POLICY.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16546, 11 June 1919, Page 7

LABOUR POLICY.

TO THR EDITOR OT "TUS *11X33." Sir.—l read with much interest a sub-ieader in your issuo of Juno 2nd on Labour Policy, which contained Eomo very romarks on Labour problems. You indicate in your articlc that "tho leaders of Labour aro consciousiy and avowedly lighting, not for tho betterment of labour by tho removal or unjust and oppressive conditions and social ideas, but for tho establishment ot a society based upon communistic doctrines.'' Phillip Monro in Tho Climax of Civilisation" has also warned us against some of tho ''false Socialistic and Communistic ideas which now rnonace humanity—is that wluch is propa"atcd bv appealing:, not to tho goodwill. but to the ill will in man. ' Ho further says: —"Tho masses of mankind aro easily moved to envy antl hatred of tho prosperous classes, 60 long ;vs people are 'jii«>t as tliev now aro, with their prejudices, thoir ignorances, and their unchecked vanities, ana creeds and jealousies,' tho appeals which will move them to tho extent necessary to bring about ft social revolution are those addressed to their prejudices, their ignorances, thoir vanities, greeds, and jealousies. The Socialism which is propagated by appeals of thi* sort is Socialism that is to bo feared. To remedy these ovilswo want to settle things oil a basis which docs justic© tc tho wholo of society nnd not to any particular section whether capital or labour —a solution of tho problem winch will tako account of oveiy aspect ot life nnd every phase of human development, spiritual and intellectual as well as material. Thcro is gcnoral suffering from partial views, and wo snail gain, not bv standing off and shrieking names at each others partial views, but b> striving in a brotherly and charitable spirit to combine them in somo adequate svnthesis. One of our modern writers in his plea for a new democracy says "mero extension of tho franchise —the numorical estimate of opinion— has tho inevitable offcct of discounting high standards of devotion to tlio cause of social advancement and social skill. Not oven democracy could afford to lcavo the formulation of popular opmion in the hands of demagogues AliJi and his contemporaries specified two contributing factors without wliicl.completcly popular government could no hope to justify its-;-laim to the liigl road to liberty and tho enlargement of human powers. Those were the continuous political education of the masse, and enlightened leadership. Neither or i these conditions has been fulfiUod. v . our Labour leaders and politicians are ' wise men they win pay to the words of Mill, and not call ono another hard, but endeavour patiently to understand cach other b point of ""' - 7^ r '^ te -HUSSET. O Smithfield, Wanganui.