LABOUR PARTY'S AIMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20236, 22 April 1929, Page 12

LABOUR PARTY'S AIMS.

LESSONS FROM THE PAST.

PRESENT POSITION IN HOUSE.

PREPARATION FOR ELECTION.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.! HAMILTON. Sunday. Speaking last evening at a social tendered to Mr. F. W. Schramm, Labour .candidate for Hamilton at the recent general election, the leader of the Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland, commented on the present position and aspirations of his party. He appealed for better knowledge of the history of New Zealand and its political condition among working people.

Tho Labour Party, said Mr. Holland, must learn lessons from the past. Its success, or lack of success, depended upon tho knowledge people brought to bear upon the problems of tho day. Lack of knowledge on the part of the working people was tho principal reason why tho Labour Party was not yet the strongest in the country.

Mr. Holland urged supporters of the party to select their candidates for the next election, and to open their campaign lists immediately. All representation committees throughout New Zealand, he said, would bo advised to do the same. This did not mean that his party contemplated using its balance of power to precipitate an election. It m.erely meant that Labour would be ready if an election came at short notice.

At present tho position of the parties in the House created a situation that was unique in the history of New Zealand, but unsatisfactory from every viewpoint. No ono could say at any li mc whut tho development of tho next months would be.

In a number of electorates last election the Labour I'arty was wholly unprepared, and consequently its candidates were placed in the field too late, or not at all. In ordinary circumstances that must never bo permitted to happen again. If the various local organisations failed to nominate candidates by the end of Juno in an election year, the National Executive of the Labour Party was to have power to placo candidates in the field as it saw fit.

"I venture to predict," said Mr. Holland, "that if the United Party remains in power for three years it will become as unpopular as the Reform Party was before the last general election. It will not be able to carry out the programme promised to the country before the election. The Reform Party has gone for good as a possible Government in this country." Referring to the outcome of the present position of the parties in the House, the speaker said two things could happen. Thero could be a coalition between the Reform Party and the United Party, or some of the members of the former party could go over to Sir Joseph Ward's side. This would be about the best thing that could happen. Between the United and Reform parties there was not a clear line of demarcation. Between Labour and the other two forces thero was a real dividing line. Labour was the real opposition in Parliament and had been so for the past nine years. Making an appeal for co-operation, Mr. Holland said that industrial organisations should be affiliated with political parties. Trades unionism was not complete unless it was organised on the political field. It. was little use spending money on the industrial side if they were robbed of power by political weakness.