WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

LABOUR CONFERENCE

THE OUTSIDER’S VIEW

(Special to “Guardian”.)

WELLINGTON, April 10.

So fur as the public was allowed to judge, the. annual conference <d' the New Zealand Labour Party, which was held here during the early part of the week, partook rather of the character of an election rally than of a sober deliberative assembly. The speakers made no attempt to justify their own policy —or their lack of policy—hut they denounced roundly the policy oi 1 the other fellow,” of whatever colour it might he. The president of the C'onfrenee in his opening address .struck the resonant note that dominated the whole proceedings. Ihe old parties with their misleading names, he declared. were fast receding into the background of social development. I lie mad rush for profits, with the assistance of the Government, was becoming unendurable. The growing greed of the capitalists was a grave menace to the- social and moral welfare ot the nation. Ami so on and so on, to several columns of good newspaper print. Yet as to the remedy for all these evils—save the placing of a Labour Government in office —never a word, nor even a tittle of evidence that the iniquities depicted by the President had any existent c outside his own fertile imagination. In the circumstances it seemed fitting that a number of native gentlemen who had attended to seek the assistance of the Coniorenoe in getting round the Treaty ol M aitangi should have concluded the proceedings by dancing a liaka. LA [SOGit’S POSSIBILITIES.

But this is not to say that the Labour Party is going to play an unimportant part in the approaching general election. It is going to play a very important part. Ihe rank and file of the party, speaking generally, have a hotter sense of proportion and a closer acquaintance with the realities of life than have the majority of their leaders. and they are not constantly giving offence to the public bv talking socialistic nonsense. They are aiming at the attainable and will have the assistance of many electors, attached to no particular party, in obtaining it. it was stated at the recent conference that the membership of the party had increased ‘‘hv thousands ” during the preceding twelve months, and, of course, it would have required to do so to keep pace with the growth ol the Other groups; but Labour this year is going to obtain a considerable accession of strength liv delections from the older parties, tt has ceased to he surprising to hoar even business men of standing proclaiming their intention to vote Labour out of sheer weariness ol the inactivities of the other parties. Less responsible folk are clamouring for a change, merely ior the sake of change, and their votes are going to Labour. With these factors at work it seems highly probable that, with the Reformers and the Liberals standing apart, the parties may lie so evenly divided that any one of them may come into office. WHEAT AND Till E AT). > Bread consumers hero are not looking with approval upon the schemes of the South Island growers for keeping no lire price of wheat. i hoy declare that the -‘staff of life” already lias readied a price at winch its consumption in many homes has to he rigidlv limited. The statement made by

a high authority some time ago to the effect that loss bread is required in the

average home mnv-a-days than was tr.e ear;. •-before so many substitutes were introduced” is scouted 1 1 y house-wites who arc making their grievances known to the public through the newspapers.

Tin* substitutes, they declare, are dearer and I ess nourishing Limn good plain bread. ami ii is onlv the cornua ra.Lvcly rich that urn afford to buy them. If stories being told by perplexed and indignant mothers, with five or six growing .children to iced. lan lie trusted

this is nn time for a deputation of southern farmers to lie coming to Wellington to a-k the Minister of Agriculture for assistance in keeping up the price of wheat. The Hon W.Noswm-thy himself, with all liis concern for the Iran on Liu* land, would nut he disposed L;> give such a deputation a very cordial reception iust now. Having raised the duty on Hour to C 3 a toil lie declared his intention to do no more in tlie way of price regulating and, having public opinion in view, he is not likolv to go hack on ids loudly proclaimed resolution. MUNICIPAL POLITICS.

The Wellington Civic League continues to agitate itself in an effort to concentrate tlie anti-Labour vote upon one candidate for tlie mayoralty at tlie approaching municipal elections, and appears to be in some peril of making itself a little ridiculous in its I ear of a worker wearing the robes and the chain. It began by selecting Mr George Mitchell, a gentleman who slood down for its nominee two years ago, as its candidate, and vainly urged Mr Forsyth to retire from the contest in liis favour. Then Mr Mitchell accepted a commercial appointment which compelled ids renunciation of municipal polities, and the League, after due consideration, transferred its backing to the persistent Mr Forsyth. The members of the Executive of the League were not unanimous in its choice and presently Mr C. Norwood appeared on the scene with a grievance and a determination to contest the election. Since then the Executive lias been busy attempting to avert the split in the antiLalhiih- forces and Labour has been

looking on with satisfied amusement. All sorts of solutions ol the dilliculty havo been suggested, including Hie spin of a coin, and at the moment of writ-

ing Mr Forsyth and Air Norwood are closeted together, with a representative of the League as peace-maker, in the hope of saving the capital Mom the spectacle of a Labour mayor. Tins is

Wellington’s recurring experience as the time for the election of a mayor comes round and it seems strange that the city has not. yet thought of a less undignified way out of its perplexities. [ Since the above was written,, a telegram has stated that Air Norwood has been agreed upon as the luituince of the Civic League.]