Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, FRIDAY, SEPT. 18, 1936. LABOUR LEGISLATION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19123, 18 September 1936, Page 6

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, FRIDAY, SEPT. 18, 1936. LABOUR LEGISLATION

A.s the Prime Minister pointed out in the House of Representatives the other day, it is not possible to pass radical legislation without some mis understandings and’ disputes occur ring, but it would be extremely un

wise if undue importance were at. (ached to protests that are made during the necessary transition-ary period. The Government is in an unenviable and unfortunate position. For many years it, gained -support by lending a sympathetic ear to every little group which had a political grievance to ventilate -ami promised redress if only Labour was returned to power. Labour is now in ollico, and its supporters, quite naturally, are looking to the fulfilment of its many pledges. So far it lias not been possible to accomplish everything, but even the most bitter opponent of the Government, if he is willing to consider the matter dispassionately, must be prepared to admit that the Labour administration lias displayed remarkable vigour in the prosecution of its programme. Agreement on this point, however, does not necessarily betoken approval of the- programme itself. It is significant that the bulk of the criticism of the Government is coming from its own supporters, and that, generally speaking, its avowed opponents are ready to give the Labour policy a fair trial. Nowhere lias- this been more noticeable than in Parliament itself, where the Opposition, contrary to the experience of recent years, lias been exceedingly restrained and moderate and has been in no small measure responsible for the speed with which it has been possible to conduct- the business of the House.

But if the country lias been prepared (o accept the Labour legislation without any excessive protests, it does not mean that the programme in its entirety is viewed with complacency. On the contrary, a good deal of real anxiety is felt, but the public, as a whole, is not unwilling to give the Government ample opportunity of testing out its theories. There is, indeed, a public, responsibility to abide by the verdict of the electors and lo slant! behind the Government. which has been returned in accordance with democratic principles. It is still permissible, however, to endeavour to convince the people that their judgment was wrong, to show that the Labour Party is not. an ideal Government, and lo prove that socialism is not a remedy for present-day economic ills. Experience itself may provide all the proof that is needed, and the by-election to be hold this month may be the moan® of showing that even those who previously voted l'or Labour did not expect the type of

legislation which they have received in such large closes. This legislation is mainly of an experimental nature, and the Prime, Minister has already sounded a warning that it may be found necessary for the Government,

to some extent, to retrace ils .steps. Ln the meantime, the very least it is entitled to expect is that its own supporters should give it sufficient time to justify itself, for nothing can do more to discredit the party as a whole than the widespread discontent that has manifested itself in recent weeks.

The one point that stands out most clearly is that the Labour Government cannot possibly succeed unless it is able to restore prosperity to industry. That is the crux of both the economic and the political situation, and it stands to reason that the moro industrial unrest is fostered the more will the Government and the country suffer. The point has been, well emphasised by at least two Ministers oi the Crown. Mr. Semple’s warning that if obstruction tactics continued the Government would get out and let .someone else in was echoed this week by the, deputy-Leader of the Government, Mr. Fraser, who directed attention to the fact that nothing could more effectively endanger the Government’s programme than a disruption of industry. The whole trouble is that too much has been expected of the Government. For this the Government has itself to blame for having made such lavish promises, but this is no reason why it should be

castigated by its own supporters who assume that it is only necessary for them to threaten in order to have their demands acceded to. The Labour Government;, or any other Government, can only go so far as economic conditions will permit, and the more it. attempts to blind itself to realities the more will its own people suffer.

There are two features of the Government's plans in particular that have demanded attention. The first is the fact that its legislation has had the effect of severely penalising juvenile labour and the second that the forty-hour week has not proved either so simple or so satisfactory as had been hoped for. If the Government finds that it has made mistakes, it will not bo an act of weakness to remedy them, but will be the only possible course if it is to study the interests of the people as a whole. Mr. Fraser did a wise thing when lie reminded his Auckland audience that the shorter working week was not intended, primarily, for the benefit of those in work, but aimed at spreading work among those at preseimt unemployed. The Labour Government is pledged to stand or fall on its ability to remedy unemployment within twelve months of taking office—nrnl more than nine months has already gone- and there are still

-bi,ooo unemployed—so that the importance of this aspect cannot bo exaggerated. Everything associated with the Government's programme should be designed with this end in view, and if it is found in practice that any part of the legislation of the past few months has the effect of increasing, instead of reducing, unemployment, then it must be revised, and it such steps are found to be necessary, the Government is entitled to the support, not only of those in its own ranks, but of the whole community, and most of all, perhaps, of those who know, and should appreciate, the inestimable benefit of being in regular employment under conditions w'hich, at the worst, are certainly better than they were.