The Daily News MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1928. POWER, NOT PROGRAMME.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1928, Page 8

The Daily News MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1928. POWER, NOT PROGRAMME.

Amid the stormy scenes which were a prominent feature of the Labour Conference in the Motherland, there came to light a pronouncement illustrating the one and only true aim of Socialist Labour. The subject under discussion was Mr. Ramsay MacDonald’s manifesto entitled “Labour and the Nation,” and Mr. E. Shinwell gave utterance to a truth which has long since been apparent to all observers, namely, “that the Labourites wanted power, not programme.” It may, of course, be argued that the aim of all political parties is to obtain power, but there is a vast difference between the kind of power wielded by such reliable eonstitutiopalists as English Conservatives and that which the Red Communists of Russia exercise whereby the citizens of a country are terrorised into slavish obedience of the dictates of a coterie of ruthless tyrants. The real meaning of Mr. Shinwell’s demand is obviously that it is waste of time and energy to formulate a programme for years to come, carrying out the full Socialistic idea, but that Labour should unite and seize power so as to carry out Socialism speedily. The particular brand of Socialism which he has in mind appears to be indicated in his further remark that many of the party would be communists “if they did not faint at the mere sight of blood.” There can be no misconstruction of the meaning of such a pronouncement, or of the nature of the revolution whereby Communistic Labour would, if it could, seize political power, as

well as capital wherewith to maintain power. Mr. MacDonald’s manifesto emphasises that industrial peace is dependent upon Labour’s continually increasing control and management of economic power, and that it must also find the means of pooling wealth. The mildness of this phrasing does no* conceal its identity with the claims of such an extremist as Mr. Maxton, who contends that if, instead of getting the Communists by the throats, the Labourites started getting the capitalists by the throats, Labour would have a clear majority at the coming general elections. An illustration of the trend of Labour’s policy is at the present time being given in connection with the strike of watersiders in Australia, where the maritime unions’ conference practically adopted a motion to the effect that: “Realising that the Federal Government and the shipowners hive united their forces to smash all the marine and transport unions , . . the conference has now no alternative but to fight for the freedom and liberty of the members of the unions.” That resolution, freely translated, simply means that the council of trades unions arrogates to itself the right and intention to control the destiny of the Commonwealth. Such a decision is on a par with “getting the capitalists by their throats” and choking the life blood out of the nation. Making all allowances for the excitement of the moment and the tendency of all blatant demagogues to roar and bluster, there can be no doubt that underlying the frothy utter-' ances and the extravagant demands of the Communistic section of Labour there is a distinct menace to constitutional government, as well as to law and order. The threat of the Australian maritime workers “to fight for the freedom and liberty of the members of unions” indicates resort to revolutionary tactics. It would be folly to treat a warning of this kind with contempt. There is only one effective means of counteracting the tactics of Moscow -communism, and that is for every government to be prepared with organised means for repressing disorders firmly and justly. In order to ensure the safety of civilisation and to prevent industrial upheavals paralysing a country, it is imperative to take steps that will place governments in a position to cope with the machinations and devices of Labour extremists. It is the manifest duty of all law abiding citizens to bear in mind, 'when casting their votes for parliamentary candidates, the vital necessity of selecting only those who will uphold the laws and constitution. For genuine, honest and law-abiding Labour representatives there is no laek of sympathy and support-