"LOSING HEART"

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 5, 6 July 1928, Page 10

"LOSING HEART"

LABOUR PARTY CHANGES IN POLICY MINISTER'S CRITICISM Various aspects of the Labour Party's policy wero criticised by the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Downie Stewart) in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. He made special reference to , the changes .which had been made (n the policy with the apparent object of wooing the electors, and :his remarks drew a number of in- ■ terjeetions from tho Labour benches. . "I often wish," said Mr. Stewart, "that' the Labour Party had more speakers. Tho more the members of the party speak the less we have to speak, for they destroy their own case. X remember five or six years ago the leader bf the Opposition stated that tho drums :of doom were beating for the Reform Party. I suppose they are •beating still, but it seems to be taking a long time for Mr. Holland to reach his ambition. I. am not so certain that ho is so confident now that he is within striking distance of the Treasury benches. At Hastings he said the Government would go down and out in the end, but when the ->nd would come he did not prophesy." Mr. Holland: "I prophesy the end will come in November next." Mr. Stewart: "I have formed the 3ni___ pression that the Labour Party is losing heart to some extent, because they are not claiming that they have some magnificent new , policy,' doctrine, or programme that will reform society, but they are saying now that they are the only alternative to the present Government. , The Labour members are saying: 'If you don't put us in who are you going to put in?' They have also been trimming their policy in some re"spec'ts." A LITTLE TRIMMING. Mr. J. A. Lee (Auckland East): "That's all right, so long as we continue to trim the Reform Party at the same time." Mr". Stewart: "We don't mind the trimming so long as we are allowed to 'govern the country in the interests of sound Government. Every year, or every election year, the Leader of the Opposition opens up some new scare with the object of trying to stampede tho public into voting for him. At the last election the Leader of the Opposition cried out against the wealthy people being exempt from taxation, but nobody became very alarmed about it, and the Government was returned with It bigger majority." Mr. Holland: "And they have been gorrv for it ever, since." ■> 'Mr. Stewart: "Then the Leader of the Opposition took up the dairy control cry, but he found that didn't create any sensational crisis. Now he has been touring the country tolling the farmers that'what they are suffering from'is the mortgage-hold. Ho suggests that there is .something scandalous about a farmer having a mortgage on his property. Why, many thousands of settlers have built up to a substantial and secured position by starting with a mortgage. Then Mr. Holland has been preaching against the.land agents." 'Mr. Holland: "Not the land agents, tut the land agency system." Mr. Stewart: "Well, I don't see very jnuch difference. If you do away with the system there's not much left for .the agent. A "WATERED" POLICY. Mr. Stewart said that'the whole of •the Labour Party's policy was being cut down and watered down, and an effort was being made to find something that would appeal to the public. Mr. Holland: ."That's the Minister's lively imagination." . - Mr. Stewart: "Some years .ago the Leader of the Opposition was going in for a policy of nationalisation. He was going to nationalise the coal mines, the shipping service, the insurance com- ( panies, and everything else. Now very 'little is said about it." Mr; Holland: "It's still in the pro'gramine." ■ Mr. Stewart: "It may be in the programme, but it's kept in the dark." (Laughter.) Turing to the Labour 'Party's'land'policy, Mr. Stewart said ' that this,- too, had undergone changes " because it had been found that it was not' acceptable to the farmers. Now tho policy was practically one of freehold. " At the last election a Labour ' candidate at Dunedin had been disciplined for expressing the views which the party had since adopted. Mr. Stewart'quoted a statement by Mr. P. Langstone to' the.'effect that it was most important that the Labour Party should _win the country seats.. Mr. J. A. Lee: "He is going to win one." WHERE DO THEY STAND? Mr. Stewart: "That remains to be seen." The Minister said he would like the Leader of the Opposition and his colleagues to tell the country where they stood on several important questions. For instance, there was the Cus- . Toms tariff. He had heard members of the party expressing different- views. The member for Raglan (Mr. W. L. Martin) had stated that the Labour Party was essentially Tree Trade. Mr. Martin: "I said they were funda- . mentally. Free Trade." Mr. Stewart: "I would like the Labour Party to tell, us definitely where they stand on this question." Mr. Holland: "Would you mind telling us whether the Reform Party is Free Trade or Protectionist 1" Mr. Stewart: "We have made it plain what our policy is." The Minister said he had always watched with interest the Labour Party's attitude on the question of defence, and ho noticed it was their intention to reorganise the present system. He would very much like to know how that was to be done. Mr. Holland: "Read the plank of our platform." Mr. Stewart: "But there is a new one every year." Mr. Holland: <'Oh, no, we don't somersault like the Reform Party." Mr.; Stewart: "Well, I would like to know how it is going to be done." Mr. ' Stewart thpn passed on to other matters./ ''„' '