"STRATFORD EVENING POST." SATURDAY, MAY 7, 1927. REPENTANCE OR TACTICSWHICH.

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 3, 7 May 1927, Page 4

"STRATFORD EVENING POST." SATURDAY, MAY 7, 1927. REPENTANCE OR TACTICS—WHICH.

But it short time ago t;ie Socialist parly known as 'vine NZ. Labour Party" exhibited the character' ol : a body that was out heart ana soul for revolution in Our time, it, was militant Peel in its programme, speeches, election and other demonstrations. "Go slow" practices in industry; irritation, strikes; coven it not open disloyalty and the genera] activities ol' class warfare were constantly encouraged, and in some instances openly preached, as flio party's plans for attaining its object of complete social revolution. The Red flag was waved in lace or the public, not merely sung at the party's conferences. At leilections the party members wore red ribbons and displayed red streamers. Now apparently a change has come over the spirit of the party's dream. It has found out that the people of Nhw '\Zejjla-nd '"re neither Ho be frightened nor influenced by such wild display of red militancy. Politically the open profession of revolutionism did not pay. As a result the party's attitude in face of the public has undergone a. change. With the swing round, the publio are likely to be impressed with the idea that this is a, case of true re. pontance. When it finds the President of the Party, Mr R. Semple, proclaiming that the party "stands for high ideals; its propaganda is based on truth and righteousness" it may be disposed to think that a IT the sins of the past have cone in. ». flood of repentant tears. Before being in a. hurry to make up their minds in this, direction we would remind the public, that this is a, political party and that its chief aim is to gnin power- Whilst professing tc» he a party of principle, when after votes,, its candidates adopt the role of being "all things to all men". It finds the revolutionary card does not pay politically, so it has decided to adopt moderation for electioneering purposes. Whatever evidence is' there that the party has at allf changed in fundamental character." We can find none. The Party still holds to its socialist objective "thai socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange." Tti is as Red as ever in that respect. Tts candidate For the Mayoralty in Wellington voiced a note of petulant protest when that fact poinW] out but he did not repudiate the objective. This is what we wish' to pmphe^ise: tint wbi'st the party lenders and advocates, are nutting forward new professions on tines of lovnltv, nWWnh'on and constitutional practice they tike back nothing, of the previous affirmations fn favour of warfare revolution and the socialist nm'prl " |: and class autoernev. Tim "Red flag is put awa.v in Hn cupboard. Red ribbons, and streamers are not used now. The "iisehp'd land tenure" is put) aside in favour of "perpetual lease-i hold''.. At the same time there is no acknowledgement that these thinos were ever wrong, lust".'?'! of* repentance or reform the evidence) is that this change is but one of tactics. The Red objectives—class consciousness, land nationalisation, caucus rule in municiral affairs—these and other red purposes are simnly held in reserve that the partv mnv win sents and power on' sentimental anneals, hicrli sounding freneralifies and earnest professions of lovalfv and moderniinn. In the recent municipal elections Ulo p.w l,_\ rt buUHCS w ' JJI uiuSailiH iUI ' \t ;.i.,s oui, Vcij ai.rqng.iy. Jji nliCKjujid Mr i. .Dioou worth, tiie party's candidate iui' l lie ju.iiyo. uiyj , maue pi'oius&iOil, mat lie was ior the citizens as a, wnole. '■There, was," lie said, "no room for pany in local government, airairs." fs'ot bad, that coining] noni a party candidate, Tlie Auckland people were nor, deceived by such profession. Jn Wellington tlie. party having chosen twelve candidates for tlio City Council alterwards repudiated one of them on the ground that he belonged to the. Communist party. Stiange. that they did not know this before putting him oii their ticket. Mr R. Semple seized the occasion' to trounce the Communists. lie said:—-"The time had come when the Labour Party had to deal with the Communists, who, through orcrers from the Third International, were pursuing. a treacherous poliey of boring within, or, in other words, "white-anting our movement." "No lie is too black, nor tactics too low, for them to descend to in order to achieve their wicked ends," he declared. "We have nothing \ ti common with this group of defamers and slanderers." From this profession of having nothing to do with the Communists we believe Mr Semple received a much increased vole. Why had the time just emue when an election was on when the Labour Partv knew there were Communists in its own ranks:' is the question to be answered. f>, is not, correct to .sav the labour Pj,,., v ]ins nothing j n common wiib the Communist croup, seoincr +W, bofb Live o-.,fl v tfio come rl.i'nntVn „.<<('.„ ~,-,,.;,, ] !„„ f ,'„,, n f + T.o nwi„, o*' n,>e-)nr.|,V.n. .-li-'.-;tvi- + !on n,„l o-,-.1,n,.„.. " A) . A„nM„IV?, f«.,:,t n i„„.„1,, fJ^T^nn' mid elsewhere the professions were

all "we arc moderates." For the most part, elcctoys doubted this /SU.d.7 don conversion. It js no reform tliis party lias undergone but only a change of tactics and people must, not lie deceived by what is taking' place.