LABOUR'S ATTITUDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20563, 14 May 1930, Page 10

LABOUR'S ATTITUDE.

A question about his party's atti- j tude next session, in the event of a no-boniklenee motion being moved by the Reform Party, led Mr. Holland, at his Frankton meeting, into giving an accomplished display of evading the point. He said the party discussed situations as they arose, and had not discussed its i attitude in such a situation during the coming session. That means that tho caucus held in Wellington some weeks ago gave all its time to drawing up a comprehensive indictment of the United Government, without considering for a moment taking any action against it. Mr. Holland docs not exactly say this, but he implies it fully. His only positive statement was that if the United Government went, Labour must take' charge. The Labour Party, 20 strong, is, in his opinion, the only possible alternative this Parliament holds to the Government now in office. The United Party is surely destined, then, to remain the Government for the lifetime of Parliament. Even New Zealand, constitutionally tolerant, even almost apathetic, toward political happenings between elections, would scarcely accept a Government j formed by a party holding 20 seats in a Parliament of 80. The sug-1 of it comes peculiarly from Mr. Holland, who has waxed ko , virtuously indignant in the past: about minority government. Pos- j iibly he believes circumstances alter •uses. He has shown many signs of hat pliability of mind lately. Jn 'act:, he has flown in the face of so nany principles that he once used o proclaim as fixed and unalter- j ible, that nowadays he is often al- I nost unrecognisable as the Mr. Holand he used to be. The blunt truth :>f it is that the Labour Party will ■ontinuo to keep the United Party, ii office next session and (lie session I ifter, if it is at all possible io do io. That fuel, is stamped deeply | hi the answer Mr. Holland made al; ! h 1 rank ton, as it is on many recent! iroriouncements from the party. The | nily new development is that it has 1 •ecoine a little more outspoken regarding the. price it will demand for is support. Yet, although political ifc has reached this pass, an appeal o Ihe eountrv, in the endeavour to nake it healthier, is still represented us a calamity to he avoided at all •ost. il will be avoided certainly, mi Mr. Holland's statement. The jountry will know the real cost, later.