HOME POLITICAL NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 6 January 1923, Page 12

HOME POLITICAL NOTES.

SOME OF THE NEW MEMBERS

INTELLECTUALS OF LABOUR

(C_ristchure& Press London Correspondent.) On the first day of the new Parliariient members had to be down early to secure seats. Many arrived hefore breakfa&t, and laid their cards in the place of \ their choice. Noticeable of the early'arrivals was Lady Astor, who wore a coat with a deep fur collar. She Struggled and managed to secure a cornel- seat below the gangway on the Ministerial side of the House. When she had raced to the place she coveted she saw that it was next to Colonel Gretton, who is a member of a well-known brewing firm. "I hope you don't mind "my sitting here," said Lady Astor. "'Not at all," said, the hon. and gallant colonel. So cards were deposited. Later Lady Astor laughingly remarked, with reference to her position next to Colonel 'Gretton: "Nemesis will overtake all those who, like Mr. Churchill, come against think and women." A Labour member shouted: "The new Cdalition," and the House had one of its heartiest bursts of laughter. Labour has doubled its numbers in Parliament, 'but most of the new" men who really represent Labour, as distinguished from Socialis^n, are entirely unknown, or have nothing more than a local /reputation. Such distinction as is included in the new members is found among the "intellectuals." Mr. Ramsay Macdonald. Mr. Phillip Snowden, Mr. Patrick Hastings. K.C., Mr. Sidney W^bb, Mr. Noel Buxton. Mr. Charles Roden Buxton, Mr. Arthur Ponsnribv. Mr. E. D. Morel, Mr. H. B. Lees-Smith, and Dr. Salter were nope of them in the late Parliament. Some of them have previous experience at 'Westminster, but only two of them as members of the Labour Party—Mr. j Macdonald and Mr. Snowden. These men, however, have no title whatever to speak for Labour as Labour. Their «#ne object is to capture the party for Socialism. MR. SIDNEY WEBB. The ordinary Trade Union leader has no chance in political strategy j against such men (writes a corresponclerit in the Morning Post), whose very presence in the Labour Party is destructive of its claim to' speak for Labour. Indeed, they have no more claim than the leaders of any other ■ party elected by the votes of working men to spe_k for it. All these are men of superior education who have developed a Socialist kink. Most of them were pacifists during the war. It is Mr. Sidney "Webb who has done more than anybody else, except perhaos- Mrs. Webb, to capture the Labour Party for Socialism. He" is a tireless wire-puller, and, whethef he appears much/un the debates or not it will be he wno will be directing the policy all the time. 'Mr. Ramsay Macdonald has real Parliamentary gifts,

but, as/somebody-once said about him, 'he is a Red Socialist on the Continent, a mild Labour" man in his constituency, and a good and reasonable Liberal in the House of Commons. Most; of the Trade Union men in the Commons know very well how to manage a mass meeting, but are not much good in House of Commons debates. Mr. Arthur Ponsonhx^was once page to Queen Victoria, aMd he confesses that even a Labour "audience is much more inclined to listen to him when j he refers, to those early days than J when jhe wants to talk Labour politics. !\He was once private secretary to Sir j H. .Campbell-Bannerman, and his Socialism is really an expression of his extreme Radicalism and his Pacifist sympathies. ~ THE NEW LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION. Mr. Ramsay Macdonald has been elected chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party; This means that, wilh the precedence to be accorded the Labour Party over the Independent Liberals, Mr. Macdonald will be the virtual Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Asquith, will on all formal occasions, be obliged to take the second place. The questions relating to business, which were put alternately by the Liberal and Labour Party leaders in the last Parliament, will be put solely by the. Labour Party. '' The sharing of Whips' rooms will cease. Other acI oqmmodation till be provided for the , Liberals.- • !._ Among the rights accorded to the Leader of the are: To folj low the Prime Minister in debate-, to I ask vital questions of urgent home and I £»reign policy; to, ask weekly on Ihursdays the question as to the pro- | gramme of business the following ■week; to have precedence in Opposition motions and amendments to Government proposals; to walk side by side with , Kf_ Prime Minister when leading the. Commons across to the House of Lords to hear a message from the King., ■ . •'LABOUR, PARTY'S ■. HOSTESS. Mrs 7, dynes, wife oF the dermtychairman of the Labour Party, will be the party's chief hostess. Mr. Ramsay Macdonald, the new Leader, is a widower. Mrs. Clynes, is a short brigM-eyed woman with well-cut reguur | eatures and an alert expression. Labour, 1 fancy,-will not entertain on such an extensive scale as other Opposition parties have done because it is poorer," said Mrs. Clynes, in an interview. "Most of our entertaining will be done I imagine, through the medium of the Half-Circle Club. I founded I the Club, jointly with Mrs.. Sidney j Webb, Jome years ago for the chief purpose of, bringing together, socially, the wives of the leading Labour men, who otherwise vwould have had little opportunity for'meeting." THE PROHIBITION MEMBER, j "I've come to shake 'em up a bit'" In these words Mr. E. Scrymgeour, tlie i Prohibitionist, who ousted Mr. Church- ' ill from Dundee, greeted a group of cheering admirers who met him at Exjston Station in jubilant spirits. He wore the white Prohibition colours in his button-hole, and was accompanied by his wife. Asked to give a reason for the revulsion of feeling against Mr Churchill, he asserted emphatically i that there had been growing for a long , time past a great antipathy to him on | Jfccbunt of '(his war disposition in general." ' Mr. Scrymgeour is under no delusion as to the reason for his Success. "I do not claim that this1 is a pure-victory for Prohibition," he declared, "but there is not a man or. woman, who voted for me on polling duy who did hot understand exactly that I am going to votes for Prohibition." He stated that he has strong sympathy with the Labour .cause, and that "Prohibition and Labour'? \would be. thei main planks of his platform, though, he added, the Labour Party officially "never wanted me at all." . • ' i "Prohibition has been a serious business with me* all my life, "and 1 am here to help.it forward.''.:_: j COMMUNIST TAKES THE OATH. _ The man who* sniggers; at Kings and ] laughs at Constitutions has. sworn all©- ' giance.to.King;George V.: Mr J T Wi Newbold, £he vCommunist MP. j

who strides about saying that he "|won Motherwell for Moscow," stood up in the House''of-Commons j raised his right arm, pointed his forefinger to heaven, and affirmed: "I will be faithful .and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King George V:, his heirs and successors, according to law." Mr. Newbold, having presumably made a mental reconciliation between his affirmation cf loyalty and his love of Lenin, shrugged his shoulders, grasped the lapels of his coat, and passed on to the" Speaker's chair. Mr. Witley grasped his hapd, engaged him in conversation rather longer than is customary, and the Communist M.P. passed out with diminished swagger, but greater dignity.