THE COUNTRY'S NEED

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 74, 28 March 1930, Page 10

THE COUNTRY'S NEED

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Your contributor "Searchlight" beats the political air with many words. He says little: has no real suggestion of value. Mr. Savage's declaration that "if the Government did what Labour wanted the Labour Party was not likely to vote against it," is turned by "Searchlight" into this: "The Labour Pary intends to dictate to the Government," which is quite a different thing. Mr. Savage does_ not rule the Labour Party, and the majority of Labour members must say things to gull the gullible of their supporters. "Searchlight" talks about a dissolution and another election. He argues about constitutional methods in the case of a no-confidence motion and about the position of parties. Let him take it from me —there will bo no dissolution and no General Election before the due date. The Labour Party and the Coates Party have not money, to burn in an election this coming winter, and the members of Parliament of all parties know that at least one third-of them would lose £1100 each in such an event. Is the Labour Party likely to hazard a dissolution and the spending of public money needlessly on an election with . hundreds at starvation's door in winter time? Your contributor says, "In view of all the haze surrounding politics a* present," etc. But he created the very haze he talks about, and although his pen-name is "Searchlight" he fails to clarify the atmosphere, and leaves the reader in a greater haze than ever. He talks of "a drift too apparent in national affairs," but lie does not show us any "drift" or where it is leading to, and he concludes his effusion with a reference to "the aggressiveness of Labour and the purblind attitude of other politicians'," and another election which might at last force the two moderate parties "to see the wisdom of joining forces." And that after their "purblind attitude" as politicians! Then in a grandiloquent final paragraph he talks of improvement in party leadership being essential to putting the country on the road to stability and prosperity. Rubbish! "Searchlight" does not understand the foundation principles of democratic government. The country's stability and prosperity does not depend on party leadership, and the Dominion is stable and prosperous. There are difficulties ahead, no doubt, but these will have been created largely by the legislation and conduct of our business by a past Administration.—l am, etc.,

STANLEY J. BRIGGS.

28th March.