LABOUR POLICY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22070, 28 September 1933, Page 6

LABOUR POLICY

TO THE EDITOB. Sir, —I note that “ Observer ” carefully avoids my request to name the " dangerous extremes” and ‘the "extreme Socialism ” to which he so glibly referred in his first letter. As for saying that New Zealand has no statesman, we have tried two, and because “ Observer ” considers that they have failed, we are told that we have no statesman. He is like the man who said that cars were useless, and when asked why, said, “Mine won’t go.” But then does he really .believe that we have no statesman, or is it that he would fain have the people believe so lest they should be tempted to look past “Observer’s” party in their choice ot one? Like the man discovered at a gold strike, he says, “ There is no gold there, so do not look for any.” His reason tor not answering my challenge is not lar to seek. The people have been driven to no dangerous extremes,. and “Observer knows it, as his silence indicates. As tor riding on the workers’ backs, we all know who has been doing the riding. Once upon a time a poor soldier was journeying along a country road when he saw approaching him a poor donkey, laden up with a big weight of goods. On top of the goods sat a great big, lazy fellow. “Hi,” said the soldier; “why dont you give the poor donkey a chance. .“I 011 get down off his back.” As the good-tor-nothing heeded him not, he grasped the fellow by the neck and proceeded to puu him off by main force. Help! Help, called the fat one. “This rascally fellow wants to ride on my donkeys How the very heart of “ Observer ” and his ilk must bleed at the thought of anyone exploiting the workers. iheir blood boils with righteous indignation at the very idea. Oh, yes! For many years the exploiters have been content to permit the exploited (and other sections of the community have been just as much exploited as the workers) 19 harbour the delusion that they were enjoying self-government, whereas, though their limbs were free, their minds were kept in bondage of subtle strategy. Now that the people are showing signs of. waking up, are showing signs of becoming tired of playing host to many parasites, all the high sounding humbug of . the past is jettisoned. It is suddenly discovered that democracy is bad and hastly schemes are formulated to rob the citizens of the rights and priveleges so dearly won by the sacrifices of our ancestors. A dictatorial system is to be set up, and it will endeavour to perpetuate present injustices by combining control of wealth with oppression of the people. As the Economist says: “ Fascism is the last throw of decaying Capitalism. ... It consists of a blend of the worst in Capitalism and Socialism, combining as it does the maldistribution of wealth consequent on unrestricted ownership with constant and clumsy Government interference with the automatic working of the economic structure.” „ ~ . 1 Oh yes, “ Observer lives in constant horror of the worker being exploited, dear sympathetic soul that he is. He hates intellectualiem, and I am not surprised for, when intellectualism comes in at the door, prejudice and bigotry go out by the window. “ There is no darkness but ignorance. Knowledge is the intellectual light of the world.”— l am, etc., Omega. Kurow, September 24.