WHO SHOULD GOVERN?

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24178, 21 January 1942, Page 4

WHO SHOULD GOVERN?

Sir. —The contention in Mr. J. Johnstone s argument seems to be that because the Federation of Labour was of considerable assistance in returning the Labour Government to power it should shape the Government's Mr. Fraser claimed that the Federation of Labour controls 300,000 votes, therefore, according to Mr. Johnstone, onethird of the electors should dictate & policy in which the other two-thirds have no say. This may suit your correspondent, but will not be acceptable to the majority of electors. It must also be remembered that it was not the Federation of Labour alone which re-elected the Government, the electors responsible including a large number of persons beguiled by specious promises, and others induced by selfish motives, who now regret their folly. I do not think that Mr. Algie claimed that Chambers of Commerce and other outside bodies should share with the Federation of Labour in the shaping of policy. He was merely refuting the implication of Mr. Fraser that the views of these outside bodies received as much consideration when policies were being discussed as did those of the Federation of Labour, which, of course, was sheer nonsense and evasion. W.M.