NOT POISON GAS!

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

NOT POISON GAS!

(To the Editor.) . I Sir —Your journal has every reason to know that I am not a lover of vour nolitic.il policy, hut I am a Br tisher* who has served, voluntarily under .the Union Jack and always willing to uphold it as the flay of the greatest nation on earth. As such I must insist:-on at least a modicum of fair play. Mr Clayton, the United Party candidate, also claims to be a staunch supporter of the same ideals—in fact he borders upon what might be termed the superpatriot,” not that I hel'nve any man can think too highly ot n is country, But is it necessary or typically British, to be always bragging about it to an almost disgusting degree ? Every Britisher prides* himself upon being able to take bis giue and Mr Clayton professes to follow that idea. Does he? He knows very well that a candidate lor 1 ornament is open to criticism in the press. I know that press tactics are not always ideal, but. in one feature, Mr Clayton is most unjust, to vour journal and particularly to the staff 1 also imagined at one time that'vour staff were not plavmg the game in reports sent into yon. I also remember well the result of m} personal complaint made m your office i n d I am firmly convinced that the reports a given by/the staff to your journal are as clean and complete as any staff can reasonably be expected to take them down at the press tables at the meetings. I must admit that there are cases "where matters dealt. with by speakers .are not in the printed reports in entirety or rather verbatim, and it.is quite truo that sometimes a misconsti ncti V> the reader may occur. I have re. a vour iiport of. Mr. Clayton’s meetfng .at the City Hall and I see no reason for complaint as o >. i _<' curacy of that report -excepting that X report. Mr -A. J- Cox as the mover 'of a thanks motion, -instead 3 Mr J- G. C’ox. Your readers are aware that I am a supporter of the Labor Party, and at various times have taken up the cudgels on iSS’s part, in controversy with •far journal. You - have attacked rAeHn severe strain, : and I have retoliated in like manner, hut you So never -failed’ to give the ful ibi/tv 8 1 am-not a member ottlio MrtV ai a bodl, and tar. no nta SSoni&Stet ! to bo clearto take . this onportnnplayng in ignorance oi party i a Labor. r.r.d -m,-a. k and S'" must accept it., This is n , Habor, policy is framed by a , mg "of delegates -from-• n - of.tbe J.nber- hartv in the • Dominion, and) is determined by the.vote of majority. Before any policy, is niac£i,i before this : conference of;: ceie-

gates, the various suggestions and remits are analysed and revised by the rank and file of each branch and the majority of opinion rules as to the acceptance or rejection of such remits. Therefore, every person who is a member of the Labor party lias a voice in framing, that policy. Mr I.ysnar. in his address at the r Hall, was asked what he meant bv “Extreme Labor.” In answer be stated that he believed that 95 per cent, of the. Labor Party was not“extreme,” but were being led by the other 5 per cent, of leaders. Mr Lysnar forgot that Labor insists upon “majority rule” in all cases. Mr Holland has been maligned more than cnee because he voices the policy of the 95 per cent, which Mr Lvsnar is prepared to grant is not “extreme ” It is quite true Mr Holland is Leader of the Parliamentary Party in the House, but it is a misnomer to call him .Leader of the Labor Party as a whole. He is miithe. spokesman, authorised to deliver the policy of the 95 per cent -Mr Lvsnar admits are not “extreme” in their ideas.i. It is a well-known principle in the Labor Party that a man Who fails to fulfil-his trust to the major'ty decision is subject to withdrawal "from his position. Therefore it may bo rightly assumed that the alleged 5 per cent, extremists would not”bo allowed to operate an adverse policy to that .favored by the 95 per-cent, -sane Labor members which Mr Lysnar admits comprises the Labor Party. While the party system reigns, the elector has no '"choice but- to select the policy wh most favors his personal ideal for the community’s good as a whole. Many faults may be found between, party and personal ideas, Tor instance, Mr Lysnar is a bitter opponent to trusts and monopolies, a: Clayton is a strong supporter of fostering ‘the operations of private enterprise. How would either of these gentlemen vote if- a Bill were introduced to enable any person at all to erect premises and to brew' and retail beer o*f an equal standard as at present' in existence? This is a profitable industry.' Would they support private enterprise to such an extent ? Certainly not! There are admittedly extremists in all things and parties, and why condemn a majority for the impotent ideas of the minority. As 'Mr Coates is after all only'a unit in the Reform Party, it quite uniusi to hold him blameWorthy fur the Reform policy and it is equally unjust to blame Mr Holland for the policy of the Labor Party. But where does the United Party stand ? From all we have heard locally, the whole of their policy goes to the credit of Sir Joseph Ward nnd his “millions,” all minor details being born of that seventy null on lean”idea of his. On nresent showing the United Party are playing an undoubted game of “follow my loader” instead of adopting a policy of the majority directing the leader.— I am yours, etc., SAM J- PEARSON, .■ . 14 Parau St.