MR. COLEMAN’S ADDRESS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10734, 3 November 1928, Page 6

MR. COLEMAN’S ADDRESS

> (To The Editor). • : Sir, —I. have carefully- read Mr. Coieinan’s address with interest', but 1 could-not' help smiling when he tells us of their ambition to be the rulers of New Zealand. He says: •'The (Labor, party . are the challengers ■ for the ' treasury benches and thb’ fact that we occupy; this position (Official Opposition) is < • using no' little concern to the anti-Labor forces/’ The land'question, he says, occupies the foremost place m Labor's platform,' and they would deal with it as soon as they got in the Treasury Benches. Good on, you, Dave! -Let me tell you it will be a long- time before the land question will”,be dealt with by the Labor party for-you will never reach .the Treasury Benches. Toil won’t, even be returned to get your nose inside the House. Why. don’t you keep more to facts ? Ho you" think anyone wifi believe you when you say there are .1.4,000 less people employed on the land than there were in 1926? I think 1400 would be nearer the mark, and these were mostly women , and girls, who have lost their places through the. introduction of milking machines. Mr. Coleman’s statement ' about men earning so little on relief- works .must be taken with a grain of salt. Mr. K. Si Williams mentions cases of some men on these works mating from £1 to 30s per day on co-opera-tive work. Now about the trams? He certainly did promise the ratepavers that he would vote to keep the trams' running, but, as «o«n as he; was elected Mayor, he turned them down. So Lysnar \ «3S not so far 'out. Mr.- Coleman attacks Mr. Lvs bar for saving the extremists are not loval. I would ask him, does he remember Mr Holland declaring himself a -Revolutionary Socialist and, at a meeting in Wellington in 1913 at, Newton Park, saying: “We are eoin<>' to win, and by God we are to do it. No matter what means we are gohm to use.’’ An ice sort of leader to have on tlio ireasury Benches. Does Mr. Coleman remember the “Worker,” the Labor Party’s paper, • saying, H Ireland achieves her independence it means the breaking up of the. Empire. That will be a blessing to the world and ah inspiration to the cause of Labor who are opposed to Empire root and branch.” ~ Does Mr. Coleman agree with this? Also, does Mr. Coleman remember when he was a member of the executive in 1921 when the Australian Labor Congress, of which Mr. Holland was a member, adopted The principle of over-riding the. Legislature Hv direct action, and,:.after his (Mr Holland’s) return to New Zealand -on hiS recommendation, the N;Z. Labor Party conference m August 1921 approved and adopted _the recommendation unanimously? Will Mr Coleman deny that he was present 'at this meeting? I would also ask• Mr. ' Coleman, as oric of the executive, did he approve of the Labor Partv sending a cable ot sympathy to' the ’ Soviet: Government. on the death of' their- arch- fiend 'Lenin who was guilty of the murder of over a mi Ikon of the better class Russians, including the murder m cold blood of the Czar and all the Roval -faipily.-. It makes loval Neu Zealanders disgusted to see a pant like this 1 trying to get into power in a loval country like New Zealand. 'Will 'Mr.- Coleman tell us the attitude that was taken tin bv the Labor Partv during the British Seamen's strike,’ when They refused to lond_the ships with our own prnauce for Lnglard. Thev did not show much sympathy for the, man on 'the land then and now they want. Ins vote. Also what was the Labor Party s attitude when the railway strike was on when he was gallivanting vnth AL Holland in the South- Island. «m 3 ** pitched out of the car! The capita, lew was one, of their plains hut they have the soft pedal on that now. Would Mr. Coleman tell us whether or not he approves of making the farmer na v income tax ns well a.-, laijd tax?' I know Mr. Holland approves of it. so I suppose he must ( also do so. I think Mr. -War was not far out when he said it was I.x--treme Labor we were fighting. We want to return a man that ml. represent'all classes, s- that farmers and others will be well advised U vote for. Mr. Lvsnar, the official candilate for the. Reform. Party, vho will do so.—l am. wours etc., will ao so. OiLD C OLGNIST.