WILL-O'-THE-WISP IN POLITICS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 107, 1 November 1935, Page 8

WILL-O'-THE-WISP IN POLITICS

It would be quite easy for the Labour Party to go before the electors with a will-o'-the-wisp policy, declared Mr. P. M. Butler.at Mornington on Tuesday, but the party did not tell fairy tales because its roots were embedded in the homes of the people. Moreover, the Labour Party had not deviated from its policy. We can agree with the candidate fully that the possession of embedded roots is a hindrance both to will-o'-the-wisp flights and the telling of fairy tales, though, tales from trees are as possible as sermons in stones. But we cannot agree .that Labour'is tb.e consistent party which has not deviated from its policy. At one time it had a land nationalisation policy; then it proposed the usehold tenure; now it offers . guaranteed prices—in the hope -dial at last it may spread its roots" in the rural electorates. We' do' not disapprove wholly such changes. Rather we welcome them as evidence of modification of the Labour viewpoint. But while such changes are being made Labour cannot hold itself out as the party of firm consistency; nor criticise the seeming uncertainly of others as Mr. Butler did when he said that the people of Wellington Suburbs did not know for certain which way the present member for the district was going to vote.