LABOUR IN POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20236, 22 April 1929, Page 10

LABOUR IN POLITICS.

An exposition of his views on the political situation, given at Hamilton during the week-end by Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Labour Party, should have interest for a wider audience than the one he addressed. The result of the last election was, of course, a serious disappointment to the Labour Party, not because it failed to gain in numbers, but because it was not, as it had hoped to be, the chief beneficiary in the turnover of votes. Mr. Holland draws the moral that earlier and more energetic organisation is necessary before the next contest. If this is the view of the Labour Party, which carries on its propaganda week in and week out throughout the period between elections, which certainly docs more organisation work in the off season than the other two parties put together, the Reform Party, in particular, should learn the lesson preached by its opponents, should realise that elections cannot be won by beginning to plan them a month or so before polling day. The other point of interest in Mr. Holland's speech was his suggestion that while there was no clear line of demarcation between the Reform Party and the United Party, thero was a real dividing lino between Labour and the other two forces. There is certainly a very definite line of cleavage between the Labour Party and any other political group in sight so long as Labour actively presses the Socialist objective put at the forefront of its official platform. This, however, was carefully kept out of sight in the well-watered election programme the party offered the electors last year. It contained proposals that neither of the other two advanced at the time, but practically the whole programme, as officially issued, might have been accepted and propounded by either of them' without any violence bring done to their principles. There, after all, lies the real point of Mr. Holland's speech for the electors as a body. There is a real dividing line between the Labour Party and the other two in that it advocates the "socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange." This should be remembered when at election times it comes forward offering a policy constructed carefully to conceal what is, after all, its main characteristic aa a political organisation.

• SCHOOL COMMITTEES. Once a year parents and guardians of children in primary schools have an opportunity to exercise a somewhat direct influence on tho work of the schools. It occurs on tho occasion of the annual election of school committees at tho householders' meetings, and these ax*e to bo held throughout tho Dominion this evening. It is to be feared that, savo when a sharp cleavage of opinion has arisen on some matter in connection with the school, householders do not trouble to attend, and the business of the meeting is transacted by a inero handful of people, not by any means representative of the whole school district. Thero are exceptions, but they are so few that they do no more than establish the rule. This lethargy, which may or may not be duo to lack of interest, is regrettable. It may be deemed by some excusable on the ground that the school committees have limited powers, that they are no more than " petty-cash committees." Such a view, however, is insecurely founded on fact. The powers of the school committees are very largely what the committees make them. It ought to be remembered that the committees elect the education boards, and that tho boards, consequently, are under some sense of obligation to them. It is through the committees that the householders have opportunity to exercise an influence on the boards, and in the interests of good administration they should not regard the election of the committees as a matter of little importance. Quite apart from this aspect of the matter, there is an obligation on the older generation to keep in touch with tho education of the younger. When there is given at the householders' meeting, as there is expected to be given, a report by the committee and another by the head tcachei - , there is made public both the business done by the committee and the work done by the school. Thus is presented a chance of helpful discussion of matters vital to the district, as vital as any with which any other local body is concerned. Even where tho personnel of the incoming committee is a foregone conclusion, as it very often is, the householders' meeting may be mado a very effective means of assuring support to both committee and teaching staff in work that is approved or of salutary comment where there is need for criticism. So solitary and yet so real a link in tho scheme of educational administration should not fall into disuse.