THE BRITISH ELECTION.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 278, 4 November 1924, Page 6

THE BRITISH ELECTION.

(To the Editor). Sir, —One would be led by the press to suppose that all Britain is rejoicing over the election of the Tories to power. The fact of the case is that far more than a half are deeply disappointed, though perhaps not surprised. The press were solid in the Tory favour, misleading the thoughtless in every possible way. All the same it is a bad change for the Empire, but a good thing for the Labour party. The cliange is not to the good, because it restores the power to vested interests and inherited privileges, which is not good for the Empire or the world. The ideal of Labour is that of humanity, and though it is not in power yet. the future is all its own. It can well wait a while, and better that it should do so, for the whole march of modern life declares that it shall come to power. Before that Labour will shed much that is at present in the minds of its few fanatical extremists, and shall include not merely manual workers but all wage earners in every department. That is coming ir the movement of the past twenty-live years is real. The lories have held the position off and on for generations, but consider seriously the present vote of Labour, with the fact tnat thirty years ago tne appearance of a labouring man on the benches of the House of Commons ‘ ‘was looked upon as a ridiculous anomaly.’ As late at 1901 fifteen labour membera went to the poll and only two were elected, in 1906 they returned /or Labour 29, and in 1910 they were increased to 101, and the “Tribune” told us tho other night that they were now 146. By and bye the vast majority, in spite of the press, shall come to see that the British Labour party is neither Communist nor Revolutionary; they shall come to see that their only hope for a fair deal is for all wage earners to unite and rule the country, and that it i s their right to rulePersonally I am neither Socialist, Communist, nor Labour, but merely a student of history, politics and economics, who looks in the press in general as the slave of the capitalist and tho foe of the people.—l am. etc.. HUMANITY. [ln the statement that “the press were solid in the Tory favour,” and “is the slave of capitalists,” does “Humanity” include “The Manchester Guardian?” the bible of the Radicals, Free Traders, and Little Englanders? That renowned newspaper is surely above “Humanity’s” suspicion of being a traitor to its cause, yet its homo town, Manchester, which, at the 1922 elecuon, returned, with big majorities, four Labour members, five Liberals, and only one wicked Conservative (with a bare majority), this election returned six Conservatives and four Labour. And this notwithstanding it is one of England’s biggest industrial centres, and is “guided politically by the powerful anti-Tory newspaper.” We would remind “Humanity” that his unworthy attack on the press is consistent with the policy of the extreme Socialists who realise that to attain their revolutionary ends they must undermine its influence. It is a twoedged weapon that he is using, and its second blade is to be directed against uiie pulpit which the Red Extremists regard an obstacle, as formidable as the Press, across the dow’nward path they would force the Empire. We would also point out to “Humanity” that not all Labour members are wage earners, nor are all Tory members capitalists. Also that the so-effued labour Party” ha s not a monopoly in humanitarian ideals. —Ed. H.B. T-]