LABOUR IN POLITICS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 75, 28 March 1912, Page 6

LABOUR IN POLITICS.

Labour is accused of playing a Protean part in politics. The Dunedin Star, the Ministerial "Mahatma," warmly scolds three Labour members, Messrs. Veitch, Bobertson, and Payne, who attended the caucus from which the T. Mackenzie ultimately emerged as Premier-elect. We do not wholly agree with the Star's line of reasoning, given in our newb columns to-day, bufc we admit that the incident* of the past week do justify the Star in uttering some complaint. The Star contends that the three Labour members, by their presence tit the Liberal caucus, rather sank their identity as Independents and placed themselves under an obligation to be Tegarded as loyal Liberals for the purposes of Cabi-net-making. This is not flawless logic, bub the Labour members have only themselves U) btora» if they have got themselves into an. awkwaad position. During the debate on Mr. Massey'e motion of no-confidenco the Labour men certainly asserted their determination to act on lines to best herve the interests of the Labour Party. They declared that they would not suffer their Labour brand to bo blurred. Mr. Hindntarsh , was specially frank in his assertion to the effect^ that Labour was able- to act as Lord High Execu&oner to either party, and' should get every possible advantage from the possession of that power. Mr. Hindmarsh grimly pictured' the Liberal Party as under a band to Labour, if Labour agreed to vote against Mr. Massey, und Labour could compel the Liberals to pay up, on demand. The first instalment of the price of Labour's support was paid by Mr. Millar. Just when the honour of the Premiership was almost within his grasp, Labour dragged him back and left the reward for other hands. In this matter, according to the Dunedin Star, Labour dominuted tlio Liberal mucus. It is understood that oilier forces worked with Labour, butthe xespoiisibility for the rejection of Mr. Millar is chiefly charged against Labour. Thus, after many years as a friend* of Labour, not a slave of Labour to Labour's undoing, Mr. Millar has the bitterness of defeat directly trawtiblo to Labour. We cannot see consistency nor common'sense in Ihe attitude of "the Labour Four," whoso action must have puzzled the country.. Is it suspected that with Mr. Millar a* Premier the for- ' motion of a strong luden«ud«ut Labour Party would be delayed jndemiit«Jy ?

is a conundrum for the present, and "the Four" may continue to mystify the public, though wo havo strong hopes that Mr. Veitch, of Wanganui, will prove himself a valuable member when the dayu of work follow the Weeks of party finessing. Outside of the Parliamentary group Mr. D. M'Laren is busy as an organiser. "I look for some changes in politics in the near future," ho said at Kilbirnb on Tuesday when forming a branch of the party, "and if Labour keeps the lino of strict independence it will win out strong. Personal ambition is rotting the other parties, and our Labour Party must follow the course oi adherence to principle, and in this way it -will wilt the full confidence of the people/ He also said that "tho party favoured the lines of constitutional policy, and did not support the general strike methods of syndicalism. " It is important to not* the "strict independence" mentioned by Mr. M'Laren. The inference to be drawn — as it has already been drawn by various critics— is that the present Liberal-Labour alliance can be only a temporary arrangement by which each of the allies hopes to win an advantage. Each, no doubt, ardently hopes to gain time for organising work. In previous articles we have reminded the public that Labour is determined to be an independent party with a, policy of which the objective, "the gradual puhlic ownership of all the means of production, distribution, and exchange," m>ist compel some moderate Liberals to array themselves against Labour, if Labour insists on marching to the goal of the "co-operative commonwealth." Howover, the country has the assurance of the organiser that the Political Labour Party is committed to the evolutionary "wnstitutional process. The fighting is to be at the ballot-box, and not in the red field of syndicalism. The party i« wise to keep out of tho quagmires of euch "Revolutionary Socialism" as the Federation of Labour preaches. In the meantime the people of New Zealand can see that within a measurable f uture ,the two large parties will be the Radicals (mainly Labour) and Moderate Liberals.