The Daily News SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1929 BRITISH LABOUR’S POLICY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1929, Page 8

The Daily News SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1929 BRITISH LABOUR’S POLICY.

While the head of the British Labour Party is on his way to America in order to fostei’ international peace by a reduction in naval armaments, representatives of the trade unions are holding a conference at Home. They appear to be in high spirits engendered by the position the party now holds in the Motherland. The presidential address delivered by the Minister of Transport (Mr. Herbert Morrison) was one well calculated co earn the approbation ’of his audience. At the outset he struck a chord that could not fail to meet with ready response when he declared that Labour refused to dilute its final objectives, and what these are were expounded with much emphasis, even with militancy. The purpose of the party, declared the president, is as much as ever 1 ‘the conquest of our country for the people of our country, and the conquest of the world for the workers of the world.” It is, however, with the aim of the party that the people of the Empire should he most concerned, that aim being to create a new Society—the Socialist Commonwealth. That pronouncement, if it means anything at all, denotes that if Labour has its way the Empire will lose its distinctive appellation and become a Socialist Commonwealth. Outside Labour circles such a step will certainly meet with the strongest opposition, there being far too many Imperialists in the Old Country to permit the happening of such an objectionable change. Labour ought to remember that although it has the honour and privilege of being for the moment in charge of the government of the country, it is only a minority administration that can be put out of office at a moment’s notice, so the threat may be regarded as harmless. All the same, it shows all too clearly the direction of Labour’s policy, and the need for counteracting it. Mr. Morrison claimed that it was not without justification “they regarded the Labour Party as a miracle of politics.” He claimed for the party that its achievements in the sphere of foreign politics had already made history in regard to Mr. Snowden at The Hague, the evacuation of the Rhineland, and the steps taken to secure a treaty with Egypt- It so happens, however,’ that in all those matters Labour was . simply continuing the policy of the Conservatives, who had paved the way for what Labour has done. As a matter of fact, there was no acceptable alternative, and had any other course been mooted the Government would have been ousted. That Labour is in power is sufficient evidence of the strength in politics to which it has attained, and it has been a matter for much satisfaction that in these important affairs Labour has wisely adopted a continuity of action in regard to the policy of the preceding administrators. It is evident that so far as the Minister of Transport is concerned it will not.be his fault if, when Parliament meets after the recess, relations with Russia will be reestablished. As that step cannot be carried out without the sanction of Parliament, whatever provisional arrangements may be entered into will not be binding, and Parliament may be relied upon to take a firm stand relative to safeguarding British interests, both as to financial obligations and Sovietising propensities. Probably the Minister’s remarks on the subject of domestic legislation will attract more attention than the trumpet-blowing over foreign affairs. It is in the arena of domestic policy that there must be fought out the question of a continuation of the Empire as against the sensational project of a Socialist Commonwealth, and it is somewhat comforting to find that Mr. Morrison fully realises the handicap of his party owing to. its being in a minority, inasmuch as nothing can be done which the Opposition parties are not in. a position to support. It is quite as well that the point was made clear so that Labour should not be too greatly disappointed and discouraged at the overthrow of ideals cherished by the extremists, whose hopes for the suprem-

acy of Socialism appear to be deeply rooted. There is certainly an anachronism in the fact that the Labour Premier has gone on a mission to the United States to forward international peace, while his confreres at home are making much of a domestic policy which portends class war and industrial strife in the Motherland. There is an ample field of operations by Labour in promoting industrial peace and co-operation, and in that direction the party can do great, useful work that will result in employment as well as better conditions of life. In that work both the other political parties will bestow their approbationThis task is most urgent, and its achievement will be of much greater service than philandering with Socialism.