I McCombs at Auckland

Maoriland Worker, Volume 6, Issue 243, 13 October 1915, Page 7

I McCombs at Auckland

i Mr. James McCombs. M.P. for Lyi|i<'ltoii, addressed a well-attended meet- ' ing in the Clohe Theatre, Auckland, ; last Sunday evening, his subject being ! "Tho Indcpendcnco of Labour in ParI liauieru." '..Mr. .Tom Blondworlli pre|.sided. The speaker described the Naj iional Cabinet and ihe incidents thatj led. up to its formation., pointing out i that although it appeared to have been j formed for patriotic reasons, tho real 1 cause, for its existence was due to'the 11'aet that neither side, 'with its small i majority was able to carry .on j neiI thor side cared.to face an election, and ! neither side; could .sev. any sensible rca- • son . why two parties with identical principles should remain apart. Tbo j result was a. coalition of Liberals and Tories. They were now in' the one I camp, and the speaker hoped and felt [sun? that they. were, there for'good. IHe quoted the .speech of Mr. Doivriio | Stewart, the Tory member for Dunjediu West, who said that there was no ! economic difference between..tho Liberal ; and Tory parties, their-principles were i substantially the b:\iue,-. the only dif- ! fereiices-being personal ones. Mr. McI Combs; .said that Labour must : ceasesupporting '.'.Advanced--Liberals"—such ! men wore of no use to Labour so. long as they supported a Cabinet, which stood in the way of working-class pro- ! gress. His exposition of tho ' Budget was similar to that 'delivered in Parliament, on September 1, and which appeared in "Tho Worker" two weeks ago. Although the National Cabinet had said that they would mako a "reduction in the cost of living" one of their first steps, yet through the increase in Customs and Excise duties, j in Postal rates, in railway freights and fares, the cost of living was going to bo increased and nofc decreased. Had they tackled the land taxation in anything liko a courageous manner, more fi-nanco than is necessary could bo raised without injuring anyone. In mentioning the National Registration Bill, the speaker quoted Mr. Lloyd George, who said that, the war would be won with the "silver bullet," or in other words "by organising the wealth of'the country"; but apparently the Ne7 Zealand Parliamentarians were more concerned with the organising of flesh and blood than with that of wealth. In the face of all these things, asked Mr. McCombs, would they have liked to havi? seen Labour connected .with such a Cabinet P But now that the opponents of Labour are in the ono camp, the workers of N.Z. will leeogniso that they both stand for the same thing, I hat neither party stands iv tho interests of Labour, and that if Labour is ever going to accomplish anything, they will havo to como together, cease bickering, cease supporting progressive Liberals, and on election day vote for clear-cut Labour principles and not for men. PROSPECTOR. 2.9.13. •