LABOUR PARTY'S TACTICS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 4 August 1928, Page 12

LABOUR PARTY'S TACTICS

POLITICAL STUNTS (Contributed by the New Zealand Welfare League.) i This is I lie year of complaint (Election year) mid full advantage will bo taken of every opportunity to "blaino the Goverunient", rigbt reason" or none at all. Criticism is desirable provided it is sound and honest. What the electors have to be on their guard against is (he spurious form of criticism that has nothing behind it but political rancour and the desire to do injury to political opponents by iliiy means however unfair or misleading. People are apt to be misled by specious pleas and by whispered attacks which could not stand the light of open examination.. The Labour Party's tactics arc those of slogans and special stunts, supplemented by personal innuendo which is the most deadly method and most difficult to deal with. Slogans' in attack on Mr Coates are in free circulation but these alone would mislead no one. It is the stunts which follow that are expected to carry conviction. SAMOA A BOOMERANG The first ground chosen was Samoa. The leader of the socialist party, Mr 11. E. Holland M.P., imagined he could damage the Government by throwing a big stick at its Administration in Samoa. So sure was ho that he wrote a pamphlet to prove his case before ever the evidence was heard. The instrument used however, has proved a boomerang and instead of injuring the Government it has come back and struck the party which threw it. It is the Labour Party that is now on its defence in respect to the Samoan question. The finding of the Royal Commission; the decisions of the Mandates Commission of the League of Nations and the Privy Council have all gone against the position taken up by the New Zealand Labour Party It is left without a friend except the capitalist traders whose ease it very unwisely espoused. The party would now gladly drop the subject of Samoa since its stunt in this direction has proved a failure. Mr E. J. Howard M.P., is put up to cover the retreat with light pcrsiffleage suggesting that the Samoan question is really a mere trifle after all. UNEMPLOYMENT AND IMMIGRATION The next attack was on the subjects of unemployment and immigration. On this the Government should be grateful that.the attack was'launched so early. Charges were laid that the Government had consciously created the conditions of unemployment, flooded the' country with immigrants and were designedly attacking the wage standards of the country. These charges have been met and proved to be like what Mark Twain said of his reported demise "very much exaggerated." The cargo that the Government deliberately created unemployment was never anything else hut ridiculous. ■ Immigration has "been so restricted that only a small trickle of such flow is now coming into.the Dominion. The talk of 13,000 to 20,000 being off the land" has been proved much exaggerated and though the depression is not questioned a distinct improvement in conditions is already in evidence. That there has been no attack on wages in general was amply proved by the Prime Minister in the House. This stunt has fallen somewhat flat and ! probably because the attacking party spoiled tts case by the exaggeration it resorted to. IN THE SOUP We have every sympathy with the unfortunate men who are out of work and have been pleased to witness the general co-operation of the Government, local bodies and private citizens to relieve the situation. One party alone has sought to make political capital out of the regrettable circumstances and that is the socialist Labour Party. It has done so in various ways, casting the blame on others and taking no responsibility itself. As a side light on its fondness for exaggeration what has taken place in Invercargill is a striking incident. Not finding things as bad as they wanted them to appear the local party has resorted to sensational means. One leader said "numbers of men were sleeping in the parks." That was investigated and proved untrue. The party opened a Soup Kitchen which led the Secretary of the Hospital Board and ministers of religion to protest that such was : iiot required as ( means were available for cases of destitution. The attendance at the soup kitchen 'has been meagre and it is suggested that the only result is that the party ■has "fallen in the soup" over this particular stunt. That the sufferings of :any who are out of work or in destitute circumstances should be used to serve' party political ends is most reprehensible and will not meet with support from the citizens of this Dominion in general so we may leave it at that. GENERAL ATTACKS There will be stunts worked off in regard to the questions of Daylight Saving, the licensing question, Bible :n Schools and other issues on which unfortunately people show more interest ithan on the vital questions bf taxation, finance, trade- and others affecting the very living of our people. Jt remains for tlio electors to keep their minds open and to judge fairly and ■rationally. Even now we bear of criticism being levelled at the Government within the cities on the failure of the House to pass the Summer Time Bill. This appears to us as unreasonable. The Prime Minister said he would allow the Bill to have a fair run and he certainly fulfilled that promise.. It was not a party measure and some of each and all of the parties voted both for and against it. Four Ministers and fifteen in all of the Reform' party, voted for it. Whether the criticism originates from a party source or not we think it is distinctly unfair for supporters of the measure'to bold Mr Coates or the Government responsible for what has transpired. One thing most regrettable was the inane manner in which a- few members discussed the Bill when it was before the House. That sort of thing does not enhance the prestigo of Parliament <m bnng irespeef to those who indulge in it.