The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET, AUCKLAND TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1929 LABOUR’S CRUCIAL TEST

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 836, 3 December 1929, Page 8

The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET, AUCKLAND TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1929 LABOUR’S CRUCIAL TEST

A FEW months ago, )vlien Great Britain rang with praise of the Labour Government for the initial success of its foreign policy, a Conservative journal in London politely advised the Administration to remember the old saying, “Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you.” The advice was as timely as it was true in prophecy. Labour’s national popularity is wearing thin under the friction of widespread discontent with its home policy of vague promises instead of acts. There is a split within the Labour Party itself, while the tolerance of rival parties in maintaining a minority Government in office threatens to become impatient and brittle. It is at least clear that Mr. MacDonald’s second Ministry has found it easier “to stand up to the foreigner” and to get closer to America where, after all, English is the official national language in spite of varied evidence to the contrary, than to meet the demands and needs of its own people in the United Kingdom. Unemployment is no better tlian it was under the Baldwin Regime which contented itself with planning, and threatens to become worse as the winter hardens. Since midsummer there has been an increase of 150,000 in tlie number of unemployed, and the total next month may exceed 1,300,000. Thus, there is within the ranks of the Labour Party the mutter of revolt, while the Government, it is said, is affected with anxiety and even alarm. It is unable to please those who were simple enough to believe that a socialistic Administration would be able to accomplish in five months that which another Government had failed to do in five years.

The Clydeside group in the House of Commons is as the Scottish lion rampant. Its numbers can be counted on the fingers of one hand, but they represent a handful of political trouble for the Government. Even when they are most peaceful—a condition which is rare enough to be a idienomenon —their anger glows like “heather smouldering in the sunset.” Today, their attitude suggests that the heather soon may be on fire. Mr. J. Maxton, the leader of the Doric band, who has been looked upon as a rival to the Prime Minister, makes no secret of intention to bring tlie Government down if it should fail to reduce unemployment to a tolerable level. Indeed, the Glasgow “rebel” apparently looks upon the bonds of loyalty as the chains of political slavery. In ordinary circumstances the secession of five malcontents would not be an embarrassment to the majority of the moderate Labour Party, but the Government unfortunately cannot afford to lose even one supporter. It is in a hopeless minority in the House of Commons, and must go forward warily with its legislative programme. In fairness to the Government it should be noted that its pre-election policy was marked with unusual caution. It did not make too many rash promises, but still it promised to do a great deal more than its administrative predecessor had done in laying the spectre of unemployment. So far, the Labour Ministry has failed to discharge the least of its promises in regard to reducing unemployment. That moderate promise was to accelerate .the remedies which had been tried slowly by the Conservative Administration. In order to secure rapid fulfilment of a pledge, the Government appointed the Lord Privy Seal, Mr. J. H. Thomas, to act as Minister in Charge of Unemployment, with generous Ministerial freedom to co-operate with other Ministers in a widespread attempt to solve a baffling problem. Mr. Thomas has not been equal to his stupendous task and already has lost the popularity he enjoyed at the outset of his special mission. He has done very little more than reiterate the platitudes of former administrators, but he has been honest enough to confess that unemployment cannot be eliminated by any sort of political magic. He was given authority to spend £.25,000,000 on development works, as well as the interest on a similar sum for the promotion of private enterprise, particularly in districts where industries have become paralysed, and an additional million pounds a year for colonial development: The harassed man has had to confess that unemployment runs far ahead of his schemes and his financial authority. It is reported that Mr. Ramsay MacDonald intends “to take a hand” in solving Labour’s greatest problem. His first act is characteristically British. The sympathy and prospective service of economists and commercial experts will be encouraged at a luncheon entertainment. It is to be hoped that the hungry unemployed ultimately will obtain some benefit after the experts’ feast. Meanwhile, the Labour Party is confronted with the supreme test of its administrative ability.

AS OTHERS SEE US

THE editor of the “Polynesian,” the daily newspaper printed aboard the tourist ship, Maloio, gave New Zealanders a good character in liis advance reports circulated for the benefit of tlie Malolo’s passengers when the ship was nearing the Dominion. Under the caption, “Meet the New Zealander,” the “Polynesian” says: “He has no dialect or twang, or other peculiarity of speech.” We New Zealanders are credited with speaking- the mother tongue purely. Let us hope that the encomium is well deserved. The difficulty with the English tongue is to find in all the opposing mannerisms a correct and reliable standard. We believe that here in New Zealand we are very close to it. In the view of Americans, according to this refreshing article, which has the advantage of an entirely independent and unprejudiced outlook, tlie New Zealander matures earlier and is more self-dependent than the Briton at Home. We may be forgiven for adding that America has not helped us very much to be self-dependent. She finds in this country a ready market for commodities which, to her credit he it said, are only too acceptable. They are even purchased when we might profitably favour tlie locally-made commodity. Yet in this business of being self-dependent America is a fine example. She has shown the nations of tlie world that the policy of protection of home industries and tlie payment of good wages raises the standard of living with benefit to the whole nation. In the little matter of being self-dependent, therefore, we have, economically, at least, something to learn from America.

The New Zealander is . . . “inclined over much to gambling.” This is a friendly indictment to which we must blusliingly plead guilty. Perhaps a fondness for “taking a chance” is one of the tilings implanted in us by the circumstances of national development and environment. We are “sober as regards liquor.” This is a high compliment to come from representatives of a nation that adopted prohibition some years ago and is now doing its best to enforce it. The Americans consider we pay our executive public men too little, an observation we may seriously consider. It comes from a nation that knows how to carry through big undertakings by getting the best brains and paying for them. Lastly we are “law-abiding, charitable and generous to a degree.” If the Americans retain these impressions after they have left us, we shall have no reason to be dissatisfied with tlie results of their goodwill visit.