CUTTING THE PAINTER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 123, 18 February 1919, Page 7

CUTTING THE PAINTER

MR. G. N. BARNES'S POLITICAL BREAK

STILL LOYAL TO HIS PARTY

Mr. G. N. Barnes, Labour Minister in tho War Cabinet, in a free election campaign speech, referred to his break with the British Labour I'arly.. He said:—lt has been my lot. to talk a good deal at Labour and other meetings throughout this country for a ' great number of years, juid I have generally talked the same sort of thing 1 havo heard the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer talk to-day. Can I say that they have lieen * converted to )ur point of view, or is it that wo have been so much misunderstood? At all events I might almost ait down after saying "Ditto" to «U they havo said. Sly appearance to-day on this platform marks for me a, definite break, temporarily at all events, with a political party. I regret severance of old assooiations, but I hope severance will not' be regarded by some of my old associates as breaking personal .intercourse. (Hear,' hear.) But the timo comes to all of us sonietiriies to'tiiko.decisions apart,from personal considerations. That tim'e has come to me now. •! owe all Inm and all I have toiLabour.. I want npthinir better than to servo Labour; and I feel perfectly convinced .that • I shall serve. 'Labour best-by staying in the present Government' until the country gels through to a period of peace and security. When I. say peace I include.industrial'aiid- social peace, to my. mind, it would .be a tragic.. lluuk if . after this ■ wor abroad we should have social and industrial convulsions here at home. .But let nio say that there is no change' i'n my! attitude. _ I modo.up my mind/a, little over foiir" years aeq, when •the war began, that I should «e it ■through. "When I entered''this G'pvern,;mejit'two years ago I though "that, that wag iny 'mandate, and I have lived.and; noted ever since on that" assumption. . Going-into the Government' made, no difference.' of activity,.' but I' think- that' coming but of the Government, now would •be a bad thing for' Labour,, because; it would deprive Labour of a-voicejirthe conditions of : tlio transition'.peri.od from' war to'.'peace. : ' " >r .. ".'.' .. .-": • The Time to Decide'. '•'•■■' •■■■' " Wlien' peace is 'secured' and the'cliangc■over process has'been carried-out satisfactorily, then, it Seems'to'me. , each ofus may follow his own bent, and if l = •were to follow .mine I should retire to. a quiet life altogether. (Laughter.) Mean;■while I am perfectly sure of this—thatit tehoveVall who"loVe.their 'country, and love their kind to sink 'sectional in-' terests and'animosities)'arid to'sail-to-gether for the common good- I entertain mself certain opinions as to certain principles. Nobody-has asked me tb'givo them lip.' I believe.' like'the Pi-me!llin-ister; in the nationalisation of monopoly., I believe in the-control of food and,other' essential-services until such timei'-ae release of control is ■ consistent 'with the public welfare. ~But ,we havo got to getthrough, immediato practical and pressing problems. Three millions of fighting men liave'got "to be absorbed" into civil'life. Probably as'many'more in the'industrial Tanks have, got to be'transferred from the manufacture of munitions, of "war info other work. for the supplies 'of. , tho civil population. These problems.are on us now, and they must be tackled now. They must be tackled by men of jnsfaht. knowledge, and-sympathy, and I thmk.l can add that I am certain" they aro all "being tackled by my colleagues now in '' that_ spirit. But 'a' solution cannot bo applied to these problems, however "him we may. work, however much sympathy' we may show,without some confusion" and' trouble, and without th;i exercise' of great patience, first of'all, by those in authority, but, in scarcely a 'minor da-/ gree, by all those who have'any inllii-' 1 ence with their follow "countrymen and ■ countrywomen. ' ' '•-. : vv. •;-.'' Problems of Industry. We have to provide for the industrial training of .those who got into the Army , half-trained. We/have also to'provide for I our soldiers and sailors in demobilisation-, j We have tp.'..do..these., and many.;.other ! '."'things' anil at. the. same. time, to .project V spirit, of. cooperation, and good.will into the industrial'field. .1 heard the Clian.cellor of the Exchequer a. few minutes ago say that what.we wanted in industry was increased, production. I should say wo want two things—the. highest possible standard of life, and in order to get that •we want the, highest possible;' production of' goods. They ' are inter-depen-dent. We can have them both it employers and. workmen willregard themselves as joint servants of- the comniun- ■ ityy will apply skill and knowledge, and invention to the fullest .possible extent, and in a spirit, of mutual help. To my . mind that proposition is perfectly sou'mi, whether the employer be a private individual or a public authority, and, therefore, to'lay the foundation.for this better , order "for the future is the .immediate duty not only of the Government but of all thinking men and -women in whatever sphere of operations they may be operating. (Cheers.) It is because. I feel.that , rancour and ill-will in the." political'world, might be.taken into the industrial ..world .. with.dire results., that If rust, they will be avoided.. Whatever may be bur ideas as to the principles, upon which the. government of this country should be based we , are all. agreed < upon best and jno-rf generous treatment for the soldiers and

sailors and of those who have helped to win thd.wnr. ',> . '

Appeal to Labour. I appeal to Labour everywhere to help in the necessary co-operation in getting the country through a very bad lime. New thoughts and new aspirations are surging through tho mind:) of the masses of tho men mid women of this .country. They are dissatisfied with theia - conditions of life, and I nm glsul of it. In tho midst of plenty there has been poverty. Urn's activities have been turned to tli« innnuifactiire of the things to destroy one another, 'i'ho infinite power of mankind' has been turned to the '.manufacture of engines of destruction. But the war lias 'cleared the air of many of our past difficulties. It lias rid us once and for all, ns'l hope, of territorial and dynastic difficulties. The Peace Conference is going t<l "ivo us a new world in which encli nation; will be paddling its own" canoe, and living its own life under its own Government. If wo are" too achieve out objects co-operation ami good will n<re absolutely necessary. "L'lio Coalition Government is animated by a desire to apply the principles of co-oppralion and good will to industrial and all other measures,, nnd I am. determined "to do my part'whether, in the ■Government or out of it to help the Government ..speedily to steer L'lhirt. country, through the perilous, ways of war into the safe .haven, of peace.' (Cheers.) ■ - ' ■•