LABOUR POLITICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 9, 9 December 1936, Page 2

LABOUR POLITICS.

(To the Editor.) Sir.—Your correspondent, “On With the Eight,” is certainly in a class by himselt, and many of your renders who appreciate tolerant and impersonal discussion will probably hope he remains there. I say “he” because I am sure A lady correspondent would deem vituperation strictly offside when using a nom-de-plume. “On With the Eight” quotes Cowper; the honours for the quotation would have been very doubtful had not the author attached his name thereto; it would be equally heroic if “On With the Fight” tried to emulate Cowper. I don’t think “On With the Fight’s” thirst for knowledge is so desperate as his desire for cheap notoriety through your correspondence columns, because all the knowledge he requires is available by merely asking either of the two men on whom he vents his peevish sarcasm, Mr Christensen or Mr Hodgens, ALP., but of course they would wish to be approached in a friendly and straightforward manner. It can readily be seen that this course is not desirable. “On With the Eight” is evidently optimistic enough to think that Mr Christensen or Mr Hodgens is sufficiently unintelligent or illiterate to state something which is not true, and thereby hangs his hope; but in this case it will be hope deferred. “On With the Fight’s” remarkable outburst and frenzied appeal for an encyclopaedic reply to a battery of mixed and erratic questions from Mr Christensen is not warranted, because all who take an intelligent interest in their industrial and social welfare know exactly how things are done, and also what is going on. One thing is certain, those responsible for selecting the candidates for the municipal and Mayoral elections will be keenly awake to see that “On With the Eight” and his ilk will not camouflage their way into the Labour movement for purposes of disruption. The attempt to score on the airport loan was tragic; undoubtedly if Mr Christensen was of the same mentality as “On With the Fight” he would have led his warriors as a real general would lead them, but on present appearances we are bound to assume that “On With the Fight” would lead his warriors per media of an invisible ray controlled from among the floor piles underneath the house. The glib discourse on his pet subject, production, distribution, and exchange, and a parrotlike repetition and condemnation of same; and his apparent hatred of Socialism is peculiar and certainly not consistent, for someone found his weak spot and hypnotised him into voting for something ho didn’t believe in, viz., municipal Socialism. But then, of course, there is State Socialism and that is what the majority of those against the loan preferred to make it a national airport rather than saddle a large number of already overburdened ratepayers with more rates. “On V ith the Eight’s” pea soup mist that will not preclude the intelligent citizens from seeing the picture may be true but I am equally positive that a lot of intelligent citizens of Palmerston North would require an X-ray to see what he is aiming at. For instance he fails to understand why a salaried officer is needed in Palmerston ISortli with compulsory unionism. Many reasons can be advanced for its necessity , local industrial trouble may arise needing mediation, information desired on the spot, to sec that subscriptions are paid up to implement the trade union principles, also to wait on those dodgliu' their “subs” ; and say, if On With the Fight” did not believe m trade unions but was prepared to take all the benefits and privileges derived therefrom at the expense of those who are paying in (of course I’m not inferring that “On With the Fight’ would be of that calibre) the salaried officer and organiser would approach him and state the position, etc. . officer is essential for the wellbeing of the unionists industrially and socially. “On With the Fight” got better towards the end of bis harangue; he gave us an eye opener. He says democracy is “pinched.” He might have told'us if he meant it in the “burglar vernacular.” Then the socialisation of the means of production, distribution, and exchange policy, a moustrosi he would"have us believe. Since “On Wifh the Fight” is so definite about this it would he pertinent to ask him to give a definition of democracy and Socialism as he sees it, both in economics and ethics, that we might conic a hit closer and discuss it intelligently. In conclusion, sir, I would ask On With the Fight” to come out in the open next time and too the lino in the good old British iva" that we might have a look at each other and know each other’s name.—l am, etc., -poyr 2 Morris Street, Palmerston North.