THE LABOUR PARTY’S POLICY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22064, 21 September 1933, Page 6

THE LABOUR PARTY’S POLICY

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Ninety per cent, of your readers will agree with “Observer’s” statements regarding Mrs M'Combs, but few will be in agreement with the botch potch of unfair criticism, vague imaginings and appeal to fear psychology which follows. “Observer” has been floating on the tide of political prejudice and far indeed has it borne him from the moorings of facts and sound judgment. His whole plea is that Labour must be kept out of office, and he makes use of those illogical fallacies which are so dear to the legion e In the early days of the formation of the legion wise men in the towns wrote to country folk telling them that the Coalition was breaking up, and that unless the legion got busy Labour would go into office. “ Observer’s ” letter reminds me of this. In his letter we have the fallacy that the failure of the Coalition is due to the system of government. It is the policy, and not the system, that is at fault. A good law is a good law, however enacted, and a bad law a bad one. The failure of the Coalition does not represent a failure of government, it represents a failure of the lory Party, a failure of the Tory policy. _ Fearful lest the people should realise this, the loiios amongst us are frantically endeavouring to cloud the eyes of the people with nonessentials. ... r , .... “ Observer ” criticises the Coalition Cabinet for its dictatorial attitude. No one with any politiwil knowledge would be deceived by this. Coalition is not a party; it had no policy. Mr horbes asked the people to elect a Parliament pledged to do as he thought fit; The people probably including Observer, M Forbes his blank cheque by sending the majority of members of Parliament pledged to do as Mr Forbes thought best. Then why complain because Mr torbes insists on their honouring their promises. I prefer a man who can be relied upon to keep bis word. The lesson to learn is that it is unwise to vote for a man who has no definite policy and to refuse to vote for a blank cheque, whether he be legion, Labour, or Coalition. As for the ex-Minister of Finance, he did record his vote against the .raised exchange despite the fact that Region speakers have gone all over North Otago saying that he did not. The list of reasons Observer” gives for Mrs M Combes victory are all “ eyewash. Apai sympathy and her own integrity, the con tributing factor was Coalition s failur to deliver the goods. . • “Observer” gets'more imaginative as his letter proceeds. Note: “The Coition Dictator has driven the peopieoftis country to dangerous extremes. footing Labour a dangerous extreme when the Labour Council in Christchurch pays its sterling debts in sterling, whereas the Tory Board in Southland pays in New 7mland currency? His statement is all th T dangerous extremes? The legion is not one. .It « more funny than dangerous. I challenge “‘observer”’ to tell us in plain, simple straightforward language what these dangerous extremes are. ,Is this sort oi humbug expected to scare the people from voting for the only sane policy before New Zealand to-day? Many hundreds of years ago a Greek philosopher wrote, « Man, reputed the wisest of the animals, is really the most silly, for he is ever and anon deceived by those wiles of which he has the sad evidence before his eyes." How true to-day! Those wales of which he has the sad evidence before his eyes—Coates and Confidence, Seventy Millions, Coalition, New Zealand Legion. The people of New Zealand have learnt their lesson and no longer will they flee like sheep from a man merely because he carries the Labour banner. I lie davs for the success of such propaganda as is contained in “ Observer’s letter are past, and happily so. In future, candidates will be judged by their characters, ability, and policy, and electors will reiuse to be stampeded. “ Observer goes on with clap trap about extreme Socialism. The swing m New Zealand is to nothing of the sort. It is to the sane, sound, common sense policy of the New Zealand Labour Party. I challenge “ Observer " to name one single part of Labours policy that is extreme Socialism and, as he probably knows naught of the Labour policy, I am enclosing a copy of it for the editor to send him. ~ . , . «Observer ” gives himself away in hia last paragraph, where he turns from maligning Mr Coates to urging him not to do anything calculated to bring about an election. Obviously, in spite of all ms loud-mouthed criticism, “Observer is a Tory supporter and his desire is to beep the Tories in office. Mr Coates no doubt knows the proverb, “A barking dog never bites.”—l am, etc., Omega. Kurow, September 16.