THE VAG AND MR McDONALD

Grey River Argus, 12 October 1922, Page 3

THE VAG AND MR McDONALD

(To the Editor.) Hir, —That Mr,l. A. McDonald (member of the Socialist Party of Canada) during his recent sojourn in New Zealand effectively exposed the opportunist proclivities and intellectual poverty of the heads of the New Zealand Political Labour Party, is plainly shown by articles that have recently appeared in the “Alaoriland Worker." In fact, in order to give vent to their I outraged feelings it seems that they I have specially commissioned their comedian, “The Vag," to write a coI lumn of abuse in a pitiable attempt to i got even with Mr McDonald, who alls o had the audacity recently to very I effectively review a pamphlet by Air. .11. E. H< liana], ALP., Loader of the New Zealand Labour Party on the Marxian Theory of Value. After wading through about half a column, headed “Oh, be Careful!" we find “The, Vag" makes the following statinent, which he should have known was not I exactly the truth, viz.: That Air AlcDoiiald, after lecturing bo young and enthusiastic Communists at a meeting in Wellington, decided that was the section he would shout- for. The real facts are that Mr McDonald came over to Nrw Zealand at the special invitation ■ f the Communists, to do some much-?! 1 ’ i d propaganda work, and he knew, long before he came here, that ho would receive very little finaneia assistance. However, being financial and prepared to give his services ii the interests of his class, this iten did not deter Afr McDonald ,who, liac he wanted to play the opportunis game, could very easily have follower the examples of “The Vag" and hif

ilk. The Labour Party's comedian 1 roes on to suite Mr. Ale Donald backed the wrong horse, and wont home sour and disappointed. Certainly ho backed the wrong horse from a jiimneiat viewpoint. But Air AleDonnld has it in his favour that he played the garni from the viewpoint of principle. Another statement in “Gh, be. Careful: is that one Canadian told him (“The Vag”) they could send us shiploads o. AlcDonalds. If so, the Canadians are extremely fortunate. My experience o the Labour Alovcment is, unfortunate ly for the working class, just the opposite. “The Aug” and his Canadian friends arc evidently mixed. The real position is that there are shiploads 01 gentlemen of “Tire \ag’s” calibre available, but not too many AlcDonalds, -hence the confusion and disorganisation that exi.-.ts amongst the workers. “The A’ug” states that he heard Air Ar.cDom.ild three times, am! got so cold that he got the influenza: “The A’ag,” for once in his life, failed io correctly diagnose his compiaim It was mental concussion be cimimw cd, from which he is evidently onh recovering, after having learned rim AlcDtnald was thousands of miles away. To those who think for them selves, “The bag 's’’ buffoonery makes very poor camouflage by which to explain the painful silence main'a.aw by the big wigs of the Labour Tar > when Air AlcDonald was in .New Zea land, and they had tire opportunity t». debate with him from the platform “i through the Labour I’ivss. Air AlcI Donald, in his “Western Clarion'' i article, states that the real revolution ■ ary movement in New Zealand exists I amongst the miners, both of the North [and South Island. J’oisonally 1 don’t I see how he could s’o.uc otherwise, ari ter coming in contact wiiTi those of ■“’The A'ag’s” type.—l am, etc., ANcTIIEIi DI’LB.