THE LABOR PARTY.

Evening Star, Issue 16994, 17 March 1919, Page 2

THE LABOR PARTY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The Labor party would, in my opinion, enormously increase their strength if the leaders would agree to change the name, and call it the Emancipation party, for it is emancipation that most of us want. We want economic freedom and a just distribution of the national earnings. Any statesman who has the moral courage to put forward such a policy would sweep the country at tho approaching General Election. What are the measures necessary to secure economic freedom and a just distribution of the national earnings? The answer is: Appropriation of economic rent by taxation and administration of the land by the borough and country councils. These

tiro .simple measures—■■which are treated almost with indifference by the Labor party—would benefit Labor infinitely more than all the Labor legislation we have had, and infinitely more than all that is in, the forefront of the Labor programme. Upon this most important matter I challenge the Labor leaders or any of their backers. If they think they can prove that I am wrong let them attempt proof, and I pledge myself to deal with it very thoroughly. The worst enemy of Labor is Labor itself. It has always been so. So great is the ignorance of some of the Labor leaders that they have not even yet learned the simple lesson in economics that the appropriation of rent by taxation is Socialism plus Freedom. If any Labor leader says it is not, I am ready to accept his challenge to debate the point. The Labor party always hit the wrong man—they hit the capitalist instead of the landlord. Now, I confidently assert that the capitalist, as such, is the friend rather than the enemy of Labor, and the beat friend the worker for wages has. Therefore the Labor party make themselves ludicrous in the eyes of all men who know anything at all about economics. Hardly less ridiculous is the support which the Labor party have over given to the iniquitous Customs tariff, which reduces wages, protects the landlords’ rent, and enormously increases the prices of commodities. With these facts before them, it is not surpaising that a large body of intelligent mental workers' and many' others refuse their support to the Labor party and demand that Labor shall be led by men who thoroughly understand, the science of political economy. This demand is made in the interests of Labor and not from any ill-will to any of the Labor leaders, who are well-meaning men—l am, etc., E.T.E. March 17.