CLASS HATRED.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 20 August 1924, Page 8

CLASS HATRED.

CONDEMNED BY LABOURITE. .A remarkable speech by Mr. J. H. Thomas, Colonial Secretary, whicli caused Lord Derby to acclaim him as a Conservative, marked the opening, at the London Guildhall, of the congress of the British Empire Chambers of Commerce. “There is no victor in war; -we arc not a warlike people,” said Mr. iliomas, “but iye do believe in honour and keeping our word “1\ e say that not only out of pride, but because we want ‘ the .world to realise that there is no nation prepared to make more sacrifices for peace than the British Empire, and as we have pioved in the past, there is no nation more jealous and proud of her honour. “If only we could get back to the spirit of 1914—-that spirit which appealed very much like a religious revival when men and women of all ; classes and sections said: ‘Not what can I get, but what- can I give’: that is the spirit that will pull us through this difficult period following the war. “Nothing is more dangerous than the dioctrine of class hatred,” Mr. Thomas concluded. “Cheap labour is bad, but, while we demand the best, we should be in a position to give the best in return. That can only be done by sweeping away that absurd and dangerous doctrine that the Empire belongs to one class or section of the connnunitv.”

(i ‘‘l always understood that Mr. Thomas was a political opponent.” commented Lord Derby, “but. having beard his speech, I have come to the conclusion that lie has at last seen daylight and come over to my side.”

A resolution urging the re-estahlish-nieut of penny postage throughout the Empire was carried unanimouslv.