The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1930. CONFESSION OF FAILURE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18501, 24 February 1930, Page 8

The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1930. CONFESSION OF FAILURE.

Returning from what they describe as “one of the happiest caucus meetings ever held,” members of the Labour Party who represent southern constituencies are taking great pains to repudiate any working understandings with the present Administration. “There has ‘never been any suggestion in the past of a. Labour arrangement with the Liberals,” declared the Member for Christchurch South, who returned on Saturday. Obviously, the Labour Party is preparing for evenualities, but no such inspired statements will clear the Labour Party of its share of the responsibility for the sins of omission and commission that must be placed to the discredit of the Administration holding the Treasury benches supported by the Liberal-Labour co-partnership. Not only is Labour attempting to escape the punishment the electors will inevitably inflict on the Parliamentary supporters of the present Administration, but thfi policy pronouncement issued at the close of the caucus suggests that Labour is becoming thoroughly ashamed of its association with the United Party, and is preparing for an appeal to the electors. “Everybody felt,” said one Christchurch Labour M.P., in conversation with a newspaper representative, “that a crisis is approaching, and that Parliament should be called together immediately to deal with unemployment.” Is this a confession of failure? One wing of the UnitedLabour alliance told every constituency at the general election that there would be “work for all,” if the United Party were given a chance to put its policy into effect. During the first session, members of the Labour Party, who were [ becoming restless in view of the grave position that was developing, were fooled into believing that the problem would be solved in five weeks and after that there would be no unemployment in the land. The Labour Party has repeatedly claimed (when not in office) that it alone possesses a sovereign remedy for unemployment. ’ It is all very well for the Labour Party to seek to cast the whole responsibility upon (lie uphappy United Party. The country does not forget that Mr Holland would like to have himself regarded 'as the kingmaker, who can make or unmake governments at will. But the great majority of the people do not look for anything so spectacular. What is wanted is that the United Party, with its twentyfour members, and the Labour Parly, with the backing o( its twenty members, should cease talking and set to work and “deliver the goods.” Both parties have repeatedly claimed that they can solve the problem of unemployment, and yet with the United Party in office, backed by the solid support of a Labour Party obedient to the orders of the kingmaker, the country is witnessing the spectacle of Labour members assembled in caucus and indulging in criticism—that is nothing but electioneering propaganda—embodying the statement that “in spite of the Government's promise at the end of last session to remove unemployment, it still remains in an acute form.” Would it not be ,nearer the mark to say that in spite of the electioneering promises of all the Members who found themselves in that lobby in the division that gave the United Party possession of the Treasury benches (including all the Labour members of Parliament, who boasted they possessed a sovereign remedy), “unemployment remains in 'an acute form.” Doubtless the Labour Party has noted the turn in the tide. Labour members of Parliament see—as most discerning electors see—clear evidences of internal disruption in the United Party, and Labour is not blind to the causes Fehind the breakaway of members of the ruling Party, who have expressed, in no unmistakable terms, their dissatisfaction with the performances of a party which promised so much. Mr Howard’s insistence that Parliament should be called together to deal with unemployment is nothing less than a confession of failure. The Government knows that it has the backing of at least fifty members (including Labour’s 20), in support of any practicable solution of the unemployment problem it can discover. Why then call Parliament together? All that«is needed is for the United and Labour alliance to put their electioneering promises into legislative effect, and a new heaven and a new-earth will come to the country. In other words, there will be “work for all,” if the Liberal-Labour co-partnership, which talked so fulsomely for so many years.in opposition, can “deliver the goods.”

The congregations of Chalmers and Trinity Presbyterian Churches commissioned a special train on Saturday to carry approximately 500 persons to Cave, this year’s location for the annual picnic. A start was made at -8.45 a.m, Mr G. Rich placing a large paddock at the disposal of the picnicers. Swimming and sports Ailed in the afternoon, the weather although dull, being calm and favourable. The party returned to Timaru shortly after 7 o'clock.