WHAT COLOUR?

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 77, 27 September 1918, Page 7

WHAT COLOUR?

THE LABOUR PARTIES

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,-—The Official Labour Party (wioiare not the workers) are not "red." ! Their true colour is black. liook at j their assault upon "free speech" at Mr. Mack's meeting. Witness the. meanness , of their gibe at-Mr. Mack receiving just tho.^ same feo as all other members of Military Service Boards. Did these sham Trades Unionists want Mack to play the blackleg game of "cutting rates"? Just think of tho insolent hypocrisy of these fellows in attacking a" meniber. of a Mili-, tary Service Board for taking £1 Is per day when one of their own party, Mr. Hindmarsh, lias probably been paid as much as that for appearing in a single case. This so-called Labour Party oueht to be Bed—with shams j but it is only, Bolshevik Macs. ■ iris workers ot .New. Zealand haye hot yet realised the blatant hypocrisy of these disunionists. It is easy, for them to howl about the' sins of the Government (it is the easiest thing in creation to find out other peoples' sins); what about the criminal neglectof the "Official Labour Party" during this time of national trial and suffering? I challenge P. Fraser, H. E, Holland, and the rest to publish an! exact statement of— . . ■

1. The number of men they secured for the. colours under the voluntary system of military service. 2. The force they raised for Red Cross purposes of saving the sick, the wounded, and the dying. 3. The money they have paid in, or raised, for the wounded soldiers and sailore. .'• , / . 4. The time andi service they have given to help in winning the war—or, if they do not want to win the war, to directly help the men who have sacrificed their all, even for them. Let us make no mistake; even if Holland, Fraser, and Co. prove the Government black, that does not make, them white. In the Wellington North election ,Mr. -Holland posed as the man ,of culture. . We were, told that the Labour Party was white, pure white, and never threw mud.. Pah! What have they, been doing recently? I wonder what the mothers, sisters, brothers, or fathers who have had their dear ones wounded or killed in the war think of a man who, when asked if he is "loyal" first quibbles about it and then says: "I think I am." "Black" did I say? If there were any colour darker we might, easily apply it. I am not opposed to these sham Labourites, because they are too revolutionary, but simply because they are too hypo-.' critical. .They object to Joe Mack taking a guinea a day. Gammon! they wouldn't take it? They are opposed to conscription, and Mr. R. Semple writes a book in which he calls for more conscription ; in fact, universal conscription. Their candidates say, "We are opposed to conscription," whilst members of their committees will tell -you in > confidence that "conscription, is really the fairest all round." ' .

Their President, the Hon. J. T. Paul, propounds a programme on the Liquor Question advanced enough to suit the most extreme Prohibitionist; whilst Mr. E. Kennedy, secretary of the Labour Representation Committee, writes letters which must quit© suit the Liquor Trade. This is the so-called "Red 1' Party that yells aloud about its "principles!" Look, workers, at the facts. Is it not black beyondl.everything? . ; i Hitherto we hay« been making'the mistake of taking the assertions of these men for granted. It is time we understood that when they say they are' any particular thing they are most likely something else. Notwithstanding their "programmes, principles, and postulates," we have got to, realise that their word is not reliable and cannot be depended on. Behold the men, in a time •of , war, who are so strongly in favour of.voluntaryism that they never want to volunteer; who know so much of the' sins of other people that thoy have come to regard themselves as political saints. Bigotry triumphant! Hypocrisy unbounded! Such are the "political blacks." ': —I am,, etc., WORKER, NOT SHIRKER, 26th September, 1918.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The narrow constitution of the existing New Zealand Labour 'Party, which compels all members and candidates for Parliament to abide by platforms which contain planks that are neither righteous nor patriotic, was bound to result in the division of the ranks of Labour in this country, as it has already done. in. Australia. In the latter cotm-. try patriotic ■ Labourites joined forces with the . National Party established there, and triumphed at the polls. In this country- tb>p National Party is so strong in Parliament that amalgamation in order to defeat that section of .Labour. ii^whicli is neither loyal nor patriotic "is quite, unnecessary, but the curbing of the profiteer is very necessary. MrYMack, . who, is undoubtedly both loyal and pati'i'.otic, has chosen the right course in dividing Labour, so that those who are disposed to place patriotism and righteoiisness on all questions uppermost shall not be heoled under- a tyrannous Labour constitution that seeks to 'make itself a greater authority than Parliament. Russia is a terrible instance of what rjibid and .illiterate men do wheft they usurp governmental control of a nation... The greed and avarice of profit-seekers in this country is fostering a fierce rabid Labour feeling, ami our National Government' is doing 1, nothing to.grapple- with either of these two evils. The intervention of a third party is necessary, and -Mr. Mack may evolve this party "whether he wins the Central seat or not. What is wadted is a Patriotic Lahour Party, a go-between the greedy profiteers 'on one side and the tabid workers on the other hand. Our present National Government is so very 1 lenient with the fonrier that it has forfeited its right to govern this country for one day. longer than the nest General Election, and the only men fit to replace these friends of the profiteers are patriotic Labour men of Mr. Mack's type.—l am, etc., F. T. MOORE.' 25th- September, 1918. .

TO THE BDITOR. Sir,—ln tins evening's issue, Mr. M. J. Mack is credited with the statement* that the membership of the Proportional Representation Society "did not include a single Labour representative." ' Tho last attempt made by that society to put its system into practice was about four years ago, when a deputation'waited on the Wellington City Council. That deputation consisted of the Hon. T. W. Hislop- and myself. Ido not know how I came to be there unless 1 was regarded as a member of the Proportional Representation Society.—l am, etc.,. .

M. J. REARDON. 25th September, .1918.