THE LABOUR VOTE

Grey River Argus, 3 July 1914, Page 5

THE LABOUR VOTE

LIBERALS BTJSY ANGLING. A LIB.-LAB. ALLIANCE SUGGESTED. REACTION IN FAVOUR of REFORM. * " ' '■ (Our Parliamentary Reporter). By Telegraph.-^Special to, "Argus." WELLINGTON, July 2. 3 A member of Parliament, who lakes a keen interest in Labour politics, inform me that in his opinion the reruli of hte .h Jy Congress will be^i-i. Labour iv ihc mass, he says h.\a ii'..*v n<> time fj- the Red Federatio.-i .md the United Labour Party will not i~"'<t> wi^h. it. .. it is understood that in some 1 < n slituericies tl?<- United Labour P»,nv will put up its own candidates, and that the Social Democrats will si>o nominate ca"flidates. There are indications that in a number of constituencies an ar.n.7;»o'.i>':it for mutual support will be enna to between the Wardites and the 7 -iWarl te s- >■*■ . ;.* ■; . „: . - '1) ere is, however, a .seeti -n -f T sibour that prefers the Reform Ocvr-rr-uit-nt to either the War-1 P'-.ny, theUnited Labour Party or th^ £ <• ai Dome erats,_ but whatever -.he .'< sji.lt .«f the conference may be it is qi»r« ovl-tk-nt that a determined att'fipt is n-.w being made to remould the old LiberalLabour Alliance, because in si«h a combination lies the only hopo •■•£ Mie Liberals at the next .election, and an indication of the direction in w^ich affairs are trending was given last night by Mr. Veitch, the member for Wangauui. Mr. Veitch found his way into Parliament owing to a combination of Labour and Reform votes at the second ballot, and in his first session by his suave manner and-non-combatitive tactics shewed that he had still some regard for the Reform voter, but now that a Reform candidate is out with some chance of winning the seat, we see Mr. Veitch in his true perspective. In short, he is strongly anti-Reform, and out for an alliance between Liberals and Labourites in the hope of retaining his seat. The independent evening journal here also notices this point, and says that his speech was an unmistakable indication to the Ministry that arrangements for such a partnership on a basis of a bargain were going forward. The scheme was set in train during 1912, and some progress was made last year. , The common cry is ' ' out with Massey! '.' and of course, the Liberals are working overtime in attempts to inflame Labour 's mind against the Government. This is the usual party warfare in election year. It should not be difficult for the Government to prove that genuine Labour has not suffered by the change of administration. Revolutionary Socialists have not been encouraged in their reckless destructive tactics, and this checking of thoughtless extremists should have the warm approval of rational Labour. Indeed several prominent leaders of . revolutionary Labour by their free and frank condemnation of the Red Federation have practically admitted the wisdom of the Government's policy against incipient anarchy.