MR ISITT AND LABOUR.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18147, 9 August 1924, Page 10

MR ISITT AND LABOUR.

.-, «—- : ... . CRITICISM. BIR SULLIVAN'S REJOINDER. ~ (Sr-ECIiL TO."^»S;rBJKI».'O . WELLINGTON, August 8. .When Mr L. M. Isitt last night ho certainly succeeded in patting somo life into a ; Budget debate which must bo regarded, as one of the dullest that has ever 'wasted tho time of Parliament. Mr Isitt wa3 ia something like his old fighting form when ho vehemently attacked tho Labour Party,, and there was no gainsaying the fact that some of them appeared to be uncomfortablo under the lash, especially when Mr Isitt gave quotations from the "Maoriland. Worker," and criticised the planks

in the Labour Party's platform and the [doctrines of the Eussian revolutionaries. "What are their main planks," ho asked. "The' strike, which aims at paralysing industry, in order to wring from tho Government or tho employer impossible demands, shorter hours, higher wages, less production; four planks which-spell lunacy." Yet the Labour Prime Minister of Queensland, Mr Theodore, tho genius of Labour, had refused to listen to tho demand for the rcintroduction of the 44-hour week because it would add considerably to tho public expenditure. Tho Extreme Labour leader had said thcro was no "go slow," but there was a good deal of talk of over-production and no market —a vicious suggestion. It was said that a good man could lay 2000 bricks a day, and that any man could do 1000 j without distrcssing'himself in the least. Yet there were many to-day who kid 500 oud claimed union wages. He believed vicious teachings, such as "go slaw," were largely responsible for the dishonesty of the day. The first thing character must be built on was faith in and a sense of service and responsibility to God. Labour's teaching was grossly materialistic, and they sneered at religion. Then there was love of country, pride in the history of the land, and a sense of indebtedness to the men who had Handed down the

heritage we enjoyed. Did Extreme Labour believe in this, or did they run down many of the things which' were I British f |. It..was-.left to Mr Isitt's townsman Mr D. G. Sullivan, to make reply. He chose the line of attack: A charge oi tho betrayal of a dead man's memory j He said the Labour members were nol l incapable of appreciating humoui when they heard it. They were capable I of deriving a tremendous amount oi 1 amusement from the type of speech Mi j Isitt had delivered, and if thev suppressed that seuse of humour in any dcj gree it was because they recognised the 1 tragedy that lay behind the speech just delivered. Those of the party who hailI ed from Christchurch knew what were the views, years ago, of Mr Isitt, then the friend and associate of that wonderful man. Mr T. E. Taylor. And if I ever a man's memory had been betrayed Mr Taylor's memory had been betrayI ed by Mr Isitt. { Mr Sullivan contended that the New 1 Zealand miner, was producing more coal i R? r £ nnnm inan any other miner it J the Empire, and during the war they

; certainly beat the. world's record. They took their lives in their hands to produce coal. Prior to 1903 174 of them had lost their lives in coalmining, and every year since the numbers of miners killed ranged from one to as high as 49. Yet the member for Christchurch .North berated them for "going slow." As to the suggestion tiat Mr Isitt would be appointed to tha Upper House, Mr Sullivan expressed the hope that ie would not disgrace the close of his political life by accepting anything in the nature of "thirty piece 3 of silver."