UNITY WANTED

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 72, Issue 6243, 17 June 1946, Page 3

UNITY WANTED

COMMUNISTS AND LABOUR PARTY ATTITUDE! OF DEMOCRATIC LABOUR Persistent overtures from the Communist Party and the Democratic Labour Party for a “get together” of all labour forces in the approaching election are proving embarrassing to the more conservative sections of <the New Zealand Labour Party and the Federation of Labour. All delegates to the conference of i the Federation of Labour were handed by Communist Party representatives at the door of the Trades Hall a handbill from the national executive of the Communist Party, beaded:—“Open Letter to Labour Party Delegates. Communists seek unity with Labour.”

Statements in the handbill included the following:—“The Communist Party consider that a get-together conference between our two parties is a matter of vital urgency if the entire might of the Labour movement in New Zealand is to be mobilised against the reaction in the general election campaign. The return of a Labour Government can only be assured if the working class is organised round the slogan of unity.” “The Communists have no illusions that unity will be won without a struggle. The irreconcilables and right-wing diehards in the Labour Party will use every quotation they can find, and take statements from their context to justify their contradictory argument against the Communists. Recriminations from the past will be used to confuse and distort the modest question posed—a get together conference.” “Fundamentally the Communist Party are sympathetic and very friendly disposed to, and express admiration for Communist keenness and organising ability in the working class movement. But appreciation alone of the good qualities of the Communist will not win the elections. “Many present members of Parliament, including the Prime Minister, know full well of the excellent work done by the Communists during previous election campaigns. . . We want electoral understanding which would delight all true friends of labour, and terrify its enemies.” The issue of unity with Communist forces in the election campaign is likely to be raised at the conference of the Federation of Labour, as there is considerable Communist sympathy iin some trade union quarters. Similarly there is a desire within certain trade unions and trades councils for campaign-iunity with the Democratic Labour forces led by Mr J. A. Lee.

Democratic Labour Party sympathisers have issued a booklet entitled “Labour unity or Labour defeat.” A writer in this booklet states: “Quite frankly, 1 am for unity, and have been for some time. So, I think, are many of my political friends. Mind you, we are not prepared to leave Lee to attain it. We are 40,000 strong, numbering our votes. At the coming polls we may well be 60,000 strong, for it seems to me an increasing number of radicals feel more and more uncomfortable in the Labour Party. They are looking for a more militant set-up—a party where the interests of the worker are first and always first.” It is considered (unlikely that these overtures from either Communists or Democratic Labour Party members will achieve success at this month’s conferences. There is concern within the Labour Party >to rally every possible vote, but the question asked will no doubt be whether the proposed unity with the two parties of the Left would in fact add or subtract from the Labour vote at the polls. The last annual conference of the Labour Party, in November of last year, refused to be associated with Communist Party propaganda.