The Timaru Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1929. IS THERE A SPLIT?

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18201, 28 February 1929, Page 8

The Timaru Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1929. IS THERE A SPLIT?

When four hundred years ag'<> that unsophisticated cat allowed the liistoi ieally-faniaus monkey to use her paw to pull chestnuts out at the tire, she little thought that her action would be immortalised in the expressive simile “pulling- the chestnuts out of the fire,’ or that the New Zealand Labour Party in the year 11)28 would be rendering* the same service in the inteies'ts of a rival political party. All the talk about a split in the New Zealand Labour Party may be “just a silly canard’’ and “somebody’s imagination may be working overtime,’ 1 but the fact remains that file rank an> file of the New Zealand Parliamentary Labour Party must experience deep searchings of heart when they contemplate the results of the polling at the general election last year. Unpalatable as the truth may be the fact remains that Labour pulled the chestnuts out of the fire for the United Party. Months before the United Party had selected its campaign leader, the Socialists were raising* a veritable tornado of criticism against the ruling Administration. From end to end of the Dominion, the spokesmen of the Labour Party denounced the Government’s alleged sins of omission and commission. Moreover, Labour was so confident of reaping' the r eward of its vigorous campaign of criticism that the people of Timaru were told on the eve of election day that on the following day Mr H. E Holland would be invited by the Governor to form a Ministry and become not only the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand, but the most illustrious of the whole line of political lenders who- have occupied the Treasury benches in the Parliament of New Zealand. But what a surprise? When the strength of the contesting parties had been assessed, it was found that not only had the Labour Party lost its place as the official Opposition, but its months of hard and costly campaigning had resulted in the chestnuts going into the pockets of the United Party. Hence the heart searching being indulged in by certain critical members of the New Zealand Parliamentary Labour Party. Why did the people who listened to Labour’s criticism vote for another Party? If Labour does not understand, the leaders and the rank and file of the movement are not so keen-witted as theii supporters claim.. The secretary of the Parliamentary Labour Party, sensing- the sulphur of an impending eruption, declares that there is not a tittle oi truth in the reported split in the ranks of the Labour Party, and he went on to- say that there were no more loyal members of the Party than those named, and they had proved their loyalty by many years of service to Labour. Mr H. E. Holland’s re-election to the leadership of the Party for lie life of the present Parliament, he went on to explain, which took place during the leeent. brief session, had not only been unanimous, but enthusiastic, those present indulging in eulogies of his work for the movement and Party. So much for that statement, but we have a. shrewd suspicion that many of the Labour M.P’s of moderate views will not be content, for many years longer, to go on “pulling chestnuts out of the file,” if they become convinced that the Labour movement has within itself the power to cancel its captivity in the camp of the extremists.