DEFEAT OF LABOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27384, 9 May 1950, Page 7

DEFEAT OF LABOUR

Fart Played By Internal Dissension APPEAL MADE FOR UNITY PA AUCKLAND, May 8. Some members of the Labour Party had been too ready in the past to criticise the party and the late Government in public, in the opinion of the president, Mr James Roberts, M.L.C. In an address today at the party’s annual conference, he said many good members thought that this undeserved criticism helped to lead to Labour’s defeat last November. “ Whether this is so, I cannot say, but Labour’s history shows that the outstanding virtue of our movement has been the comradeship and friendship expressed by members of our party,” Mr Roberts stated. “ Disunity has always been a bad servant in the cause of Labour and progress, and the best, ally of the powers of wealth and reaction. So, in the name of Labour, I plead for unity within our party. By all means let us have differences of opinion, but when a decision is made by the majority all should loyally support it.” Mr Roberts said he thought there was no valid reason for the defeat of the Labour Government. Its legislation had brought happiness, comfort, economic and social security to the people. Labour had had its defeats, but had always arisen stronger. Mr Roberts added that the essential work of this conference was to reaffirm the policy which had been put into operation and to add proposals to meet the demands of the present.