N.Z. LABOUR PARTY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2018, 3 August 1920, Page 6

N.Z. LABOUR PARTY.

WHAT DOES IT REPRESENT? (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League.) In 191.1 (here was in the Dominion a political organisation, named the New Zealand Labour Party, which was entirely different in character, policy and purpose to the'present organisation that has assumed the name. The Labour Party of 1911 had branches all over New Zealand. Between 1908 and 1911 its voting strength had increased 300 per cent. It was a national party seeking progressive reforms on constitutional lines for the good of the whole people. By the agitation of the Red Federation and the trickery of one named Professor Mills, the old party was destroyed. The present organisation is a combination of trades unionism, syndicalism, Socialism and aspirations towards communism. Were it honest it would take the name of "The Syndicalist and Socialist Party of New Zealand," but for the purpose of roping in those who are neither syndicalists, Socialists nor communists, it takes the name of "The New Zealand Labour Party," in order to try and camouflage its real intentions. Conference of July, 1920.

From the report recently published in its own paper, we learn that the conference of the party opened in Wellington on July 8. There were 55 delegates present. Of these Wellington supplied 18, Auckland 7, and Christchurch 5. The following is the record of where delegates came from:—Nelson 1, Levin 1, Feilding 1, Hawke's Bay 2. Mas terton 2, Dannevirke 1, New Plymouth 2, Timaru 1, Hastings 2, Palmerston North 4, Buller 1, Grey 2, Westland 2, Wellington 18, Otago 1, Kaiapoi 1, Riccarton 1, Christ church 5, Auckland 7; total 55. The financial statement published shows that the year commenced with a credit balance of £233 11/7, and closed with £l3O 15/-, but against the latter were liabilites amounting to £5)4 1/C, leaving a net credit balance of £42 13/6. The party claims to have 25,000 paying members, but we iind in the statement mentioned these words: "Capitation (indefinite)." What that means is difllcult to understand without further explanation. General Election. At the last General Election the party had 46 candidates in the field, of whom eight were elected. It claims to have polled 128,000 votes (and that being 150 per cent, over the previous General Election), also, that 52,000 votes were cast for its candidates in the country districts. Comments on the Position.

It is recognised * that this party polled a very large number of votes at the last General Electon, though if has not very materially increased its strength in Parliament. It has lost Messrs J. T. Paul, A. Walker and R. Semple, and gained Messrs llowjard, Sullivan, Bartram, Savage and Parry. The big vote which the party secured cannot be taken as endorsing the policy of cither its leaders, or its conference decisions. Thousands voted for ils candidates because they presented their cases as moderate Labour men, and kept the semi-Bolshevik propaganda of their party out of sight. It is questionable whether all the members returned endorsed the extreme attitude of revolutionism pronounced by Messrs Holland and Eraser, but there can he no question that the party's official decisions are of the Red Revolutionary cast. This applies even more to the recent conference than to any previous one. It is very evident that the wildly reyolutionary elements in Wellington and Auckland practically control and direct the party, lis past strength has come from the asuinption that the party is representative of the workers of New Zealand. That is far from being correct, as il does n£t hold in membership onehalf of the members of the Labour unions, ami its main doctrines are not upheld by (he great majority of the workers within the Dominion.