THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 12 July 1924, Page 6

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

. . (To the Editor). j. 1 /'-’ hat a despicable pass party politics have come to in this country alien an incident such as chat reported in to-nigiit’s Star, and referred to by , , , v oe ; the Labour member for Aucicland East, is possible! Even tiiough the proposals of the New Zealand League are not at once realised, o\ ei'yone with anv knowledge of noliticat events at all knows that there have been back-door conferences, secret meetings, to bring about a fusion of tne Reform and Liberal. Parties. And •\ e t dining the last week we have had the sorry spectacle of this self-same Liberal Party “Pits Majesty’s Opposition,” so called, moving a vote of no confidence in the .Reform administration, and talking as though the seas divided them iu principles, and vet listening to proposals to amalgamate with them in a National party. As Mr 4V i Lord is reported to have so heroically said: “If giving up the Liberal leadership will bring prosperity and political peace to New Zealand, I will give up gladly!” Of course, he will. But what is one to think of those who deceived us into voting for such a party, who here in Bavera, and particularly in the by-election of 1921. when there was a very able Labour candidate, Mr Mcllvride, now member for Napier, standing, told us from the public platform (and we even heard it from the pulpit) that this Liberal Party’ stood for definite principles; that it was essentially opposed to the Reform Party? One can only-mutter: ‘•Blind leaders of the blind.” However, if such proposals do result in a fusion and a divisin of parties into Labour and anti-Labour, it will at all events have the effect of clearing the political atmosphere.. But what the average person objects to is the hypocrisy which, while negotiating for a. coalition moves a vote of no-confidence and pretends to be putting up a big fight against those whom it is about to take to its political bosom in friendship.— I am. etc..

P. O’DF.A. Haw era, July 11. (To the Editor.) Sir, —Your correspondent Mr M. R. Murphy evidently holds some strange notions regarding Labour and .Socialism. In your issue of Saturday he (states that ‘‘the A.S.R.S.. which joined | the Alliance of Labour, thought they I had made a mistake and broke away | alter the strike; they changed their |mind.” Air Murphy is evidently tryj ing to demonstrate that this “change of mind” on the part of the A.S.R.S. is similar to his • own somersault on the political issue. But his statement will Jio news to most members of the A.S.R.S. as to the genera! public. The A.S.R.S. did not voluntarily secede from the Alliance, but left under eom- | pulsion applied hy the same Hon. J. G. Coates that Mr Murphy in his earlier letter selected and nominated as a suitable leader of a “party of national endeavour as opposed to national stagna- : tion and socialistic eyewash.” And this is apparently the same Mr M. R.

Murphy, of Patea, who: wrote to the Star as recently as November 7, 1922, proclaiming that “the one big union is our hope in spite of Mr Massey’s and his lieutenants’ fears that we are disloyal.” How are we to realise this “hope” if we accept Mr Murphy’s proposal for a Government led ~ hv Mi’ Coates, • who lias driven a wedge into the Alliance, which was certainly a step m the direction of “our. hope,” the one big union ? Mr Murphy’s, first letter in so far as it dealt with Socialism betrayed that he has not the slightest idea of what the word means. His conception of Socialism obviously has not yet developed beyond the stage of bogeys and nightmares. Before he again writes on the subject or proceeds further with his project for a united autiSocialist party it would he well for him to at least find what Socialism means, even if he can only find time to read one or two penny pamphlets on the subject. J. would suggest that he try Janies Connelly’s. “Socialism Made Easy,” Kirkup’s “Primer of Socialism,” or Snowden’s “Socialism Made' 1 lain ” If he reads these we will not hud him again" suggesting that Socialists “want something for nothing” or quoting fantastic examples about brickjaying under Socialism as he conceives it. He may even find himself converted and he able to say with George Bernard Shaw: “Socialism made a man of me. There is no future for men however brimming with crude vitality who are neither intelligent nor politicicaiiy educated enough to he Socialists.” —I am, etc.,

TT T , BYSTANDER Hawera. July 7,. 1924.