THE LABOR PARTY.

Evening Star, Issue 12396, 9 January 1905, Page 3

THE LABOR PARTY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Political economy teaches us, in to pedantry, that "the poor in a lump are not bad." It further teaches us that a united Labor party, acting together in Parliament, is not a danger —or should not be one—to the body politic. We may expect- silly, idealistic nostrums seriously debated, as they have been in the past, till labor enunciators themselves admit their own follies and fallacies. As an instance, State banking. A united party will soon understand that we are our brother's keeper in the labor market outside, as well as inside, New Zealand; and this, again, may lead to some, at any rate, becoming Freetraders. They may learn, too, that a legal, eight hours' day will afford the means of employing more labor than an early closingi movement does. In the past they seem to have forgotten that the greatest assets of a nation are its men and women. Every earner is in his turn a consumer. Money must circulate, not coagulate. Unemployed labor means less production; and less production means. a loss to the total production and prosperity of New. Zealand or any other country. Political thought and enunciation is the magic mirror in which every one of us may read his own nature. These are some of the thoughts leading towards a united Labor party's position in Parliament. Then, we should remember, too, that all parties must have their casual innings from time to time, if the partv system itself is to endure. As Galileo" said, the thing moves; and politics, like all the other sciences, must be progressive and elastic For instance, a Fair Rent Bill would aid the cause of temperance, because the grasping and greedy landowner, owing to a reduction in the number of licensed houses, demands more rent, and this necessitates selling more liquor to pay it; nay, even compels the licensed victualler, in some instances, to break the licensing laws to do so. And all admit that Labor, to feel its potentiality, must keep sober; hence the advisability of united forces in the parliamentary arena. Modern economic thinkbig dictates thus. If the rank and file would only listen with admiration, and less faith, they would soon understand how their leaders have screamed more and thought lesa for their benefit. Man is by nature a political animal, a living being that can prosper only in an organised society; and the pride of labor is certainly both an economic and a political virtue. Many labor leaders, both here and elsewhere, are political chameleons only when seeking election and afterwards. Some obtain parliamentary honors in favor of licensing reform, gay, and then manifest their freedom from the prejudices of total abstinence by drinking a bottle, of beer coram populo. All things to all men to get there.—f am, etc -> F.M. January 9.