LABOUR VIEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1937, Page 6

LABOUR VIEWS

REPLY TO MR COATES. (Contributed by Publicity Committee, Hokitika branch of'N.Z. Labour Pal'ty). “One of the chief .obstacles to intelligence,” says Bertrand Russell, “is; credulity, and credulity could be enormously diminished by instruction as td' the prevalent forms of mendacity.” The most prevalent form of mendacity in the New Zealand press to-day is the bogey-bogey raised by the National Party to prove the Labour Party anti--1 Democratic. Mr Coates emphasises the need for unceasing vigilance in the p:o----tection of democracy,,, serenely forgetting the time when he and Mr Forbes needlessly, prolonged the life of parliament—a most undemocratic action!

He also declares that “in matters, of finance the country no longer enjoyed the freedom which it had had in the past.” May we add, the freedom of, the. banks to dq as they, liked; to expand or contract credit as they chose; tp help Or ruin industry as they pleased., ■, ~ .. ■ .....' jjC. Mr Coates looks to the future leaders to “stand four-square for, the maintenance of freedom in thought and expression” forgetting , apparently that the Forbes-Coates regime stiffed freedom of thought and expression to such an extent, that at one stage two; or three people who stopped to talk on the street corner, were not safe from interference in the cities, and larger towns. The future leaders will maintain freedom, for those leaders will be Labour leaders, and true democracy and Labour are interchangeable terms. The Tories and the Communist Bogey. A determined attempt is being made by National Party spokesmen to saddle New Zealand Labour with the stigma of Communism. Of course, every informed person knows that the only characteristic possessed in common by Socialism, and Communism is. “the socialisation of the means of production,, distribution ,and. exchange.” In spite of this, however, such Tory Leaders as> Hamilton and Bodkin persist in trotting out the Communist bogey in. their speeches, .with the obvious purpose of disiefediting Labour by the well-known but highly unscrupulous method of misrepresentation. Mr Bodkin Wants To Know: A little'while ago Mr Bodkin, during a propaganda speech’ to liis supporters at Kaiapbi,.quoted Mr- Nash as having Vaid;that “the remedy (for our woes) is organised production .for use.” “fa that,” demanded Mr Bodkin, “not Communisni?” The only possible answer is:, “No, RorUt be, silly.” ‘ , l % Capitalism and Socialism: b/T'he alternative to “organised production; for use”, is unorganised' 'pro--djLi.dtjon! for profit.” -But we can label for that is Capitalism. The essence of Capitalism is its planlessness aniLdts insistence' upon' private profit. is a Socialist because he die? likes muddle, and waste and shoddiness, ■and because he sees that if a dozen men pull in opposite directions the resultant pull, is just about nil. He .wants to;know why. we can’t all, pull together, towards some objective that we- all recognise to, be good.;-; •we add to this pulling together a little ordinary, .intelligence, we’rei not far from Socialism. .... ; Lord Bacon said. This: , “Usury bringeth the treasure of the realm into few hands, for the, usurer, being at certainties,, and the other at. uncertainties, in the end of the, game most of the money will be in the box, and a -State ever, flourislietb where wealth is more equally spread.” ; Even in the time of Queen Elizabeth therefore,- the curse of, the prot, fit motive >vas in' evidence, and one. of the most brilliant minds of the. day, had. realised a fundamental economic' truth'.