THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS FRIDAY, JULY 6, 1934. LABOUR'S PLAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21845, 6 July 1934, Page 10

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS FRIDAY, JULY 6, 1934. LABOUR'S PLAN

The country will lose nothing if, by the decision of the Opposition not to participate in the debate on the Address-in-Reply, this preliminary of the session proves to be merely the shadow of such verbal exercises of the past. As a rule these purely formal debates have never contributed anything of a constructive nature toward the solution of

national problems or thrown new light upon any question of moment. There has been a spate of words, a reiteration of threadbare argument. Members have displayed an eagerness to talk to the country and to place their opinions upon record in the l:ittle-read pages of Hansard, with which the electors are becoming more and more impatient. The action of the Opposition may have some permanent value if it helps to drive into the political mind the fact that the country would prefer less talk and more concentrated thought v on the part of its Parliamentary representatives. The stringing together of a mass of generalities which constitutes "the average speech in such debates becomes less and less impressive to the mind of the average elector. There is no reason for believing that had the Labour Party followed traditional procedure, had it adopted the tactics so long employed of introducing a no-confi-dence motion, anything of value toould have resulted. There is, therefore, no call to criticise the. Opposition for its decision. There is no reason for imagining that the country will be either regretful or resentful. Obviously the course adopted has been prompted bv a desire to gain a tactical advantage through bringing the debate to a speedy close and embarrassing the Government in the event of it not being then ready to proceed with its legislative programme. If, through having been deprived of the time upon which it counted to frame its measures, the Government had found itself in a quandary, a lesson would have been taught., for, as a rule, Cabinets give too little time to legislative preparations prior to the opening of Parliament. Rush in the framing of bills is too common a fault.

After announcing the Labour Party's decision, the deputy-Leader of the Opposition proceeded to detail a plan for meeting the economic situation. It is an age of political and other "plans." The term so used is supposed to be impressive, suggesting something unusually comprehensive in the mind of its authors. But this Labour Party production is no plan. It is merely a statement of the vague and diffuse policy which it has been proclaiming throughout. the country for months. If, as is stated, the Labour Party is particularly desirous of learning what further steps the Government proposes to take for reconstruction, it might well have adopted a different attitude. Instead of framing a series of such propositions it could have strengthened the hard-pressed national business by practical co-operation in those things which are feasible and urgently necessary. It has shown no spirit of co-operation at all. Mr. Fraser, in appealing for "a bold and effective plan of reconstruction," certainly stated that the Labour Party would support proposals in that direction, but tho mere fact that he had already read the eight points of the Labour policy shows the emptiness of this promise of support. Clearly the Labour Party will not support a single proposition that does not conform to its own socalled plan.. The Labour Party is suggesting that the Government should abolish the depression by Act of Parliament. All its main objects—the ics oration of the purchasing power of the people, the ending of unemployment, the rehabilitation of industry—are precisely what every country desires to achieve and what would have been accomplished had they been within the realm of immediate possibility. JMew Zealand is invited to believe that the Labour Party has some secret magic of its own. It has presented a beautiful perspective drawing of a noble building, but has provided no detailed plans or specifications, nor has it an engineer or architect to raise this structure of its dreams. And what of ways and means? Th.at is the primary problem to-day for all those actually responsible for the administration of affairs. A dispassionate analysis of the Labour policy shows that there is absolutely no suggestion anywhere of the ways and means that must be found if it is to be made possible. There is the crucial point. As an ideal at which this country might aim the pro-

gramme propounded in the Opposition statement is attractive. To suggest that the objectives named constitute a sessional programme, something to be attained in quick time, is merely trifling with grave issues. In the brief elaboration of the actual proposals there is repeated tho common assertion that this country embodies the paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty. It is entirely inaccurate in the literal sense. This country produces in abundance a certain rango of commodities the exchango value of which in the markets of the world has fallen heavily. That is one of the vital factors in the situation for a country with heavy overseas obligations, a country which must look overseas for many of the common necessaries of life. To suggest that the cure for its financial, industrial and social difficulties lies wholly within its borders is to ignore realities and to forget its entire economic history, in which overseas trade has always been the dominant factor. There are many points in the Opposition statement by which it fails to coincide with the facts of the present situation, but none divorcing it so completely from reality as the one implying that the cure for the ills of the day can come wholly from within, the rest of the world being disregarded.