THE PARLIAMENTARY LABOUR PARTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22823, 6 March 1936, Page 5

THE PARLIAMENTARY LABOUR PARTY

TO THE EDITOB. Sir a, asks: "Who paid for Labour's election campaign?" Before going any further 1 would like to ask " Citizen": How much did he or she contribute? Then he refers to a statement that appeared in the press, regarding a certain rich man who was willing to Day £30,000 to put the then Government out of office, 1 think most of Labour's fighting fund came from the workers and email business and manufacturing concerns. Of course it does not follow that even if this rich man was i willing to pay £30,000 to put the then Government out, that he subscribed it to the Labour Tarty. Perhaps he gave it to the Democrats, If he did he backed the wrong horse for a dividend. It might be a good thing if wage-earners were the only persons" eligible to become members; but if this was so then much valuable material would be shut out. Furthermore, we have plenty of wage-earners who are anti-Labour in their outlook, and plenty of people who are not wage-earners who support Labour. Then "Citizen" seema to have some doubt whether the Labour Party s objective is still Socialism; and in the next breath he says: "Whatever that means." He asks, if it is Socialist in objective, "why not call it the Socialist Party?" If'we didn't do so at the elections the opponents of the Labour Party did. " Citizen " seems to deduce/that because a person is not actually/' working for wages, then it is impossibly for that person to have strong sympathies _ with the worker who does. Has '"Citizen" read any of Mr Upton Sinclair's books? If "Citizen" has any money, or knows anyone who lias, and wants a good investment, then I think the object of the Labour Party is one to invest it in. It probably won't bring him a dividend in £ s. d., but it will reward him or her in such wealth as making children, women and men happier and healthier than many of them now are and have been for some time now. It will assist the party to see i hat all our necessities are produced and distributed on a basis that will assure to those who do the producing and distributing the highest standard of life, under present conditions, and along with this, see to it that where applicable such services shall become part of our State economy for use only, instead of as now, for private profit. We can only have thi9 when a majority of the people support such a policy. I do not think this ! stage has vet been reached. —I am. etc., P. Neilson. Dunodin, March 5.