Thames Star SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1929. CLASS RULE OR NATIONALISM?

Thames Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 17761, 7 December 1929, Page 4

Thames Star

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1929. CLASS RULE OR NATIONALISM?

“With malice towards none; with charity for all; with in the right, as God gives us to see the right.”-—Lincoln.

Politics here and in the Old Country in the past have always produced parties divided on fundamental differences on national importance, such, for instance, as free trade and protection, freehold and leasehold tenures or matters of foreign policy, but in recent years there has come on the scenes a party which openly * and of declared purpose, advocates legislation on purely class lines. This party has assumed the name of- Labour, while it is admittedly Socialist in its objective and has gained its strength by advocating a policy in the sole interests of one class and promising legislative attack on another class —in short, the national weal is being subordinated to purely class interests. This is very plainly shown in the recent Labour Party Conference in England. The executive brought down a proposal to broaden the basis of membership by admitting “national associate members” at a guinea per annum, that is, persons who were not usually identified with the “wage-earners” movement, but who were willing to support it. This was objected to and thrown out, and the majority showed quite clearly in the discussion that they were determined to make and keep the party a class party, and not al- f low the so-called “black-coat” workers to join. The incident is instructive as it was quite in tone with the whole attitude of the conference, which showed clearly that it is a grave error to imagine that the Socialist Labour Party’s present pose of moderation is at all likely to be permanent. It must also be remembered that, by defeating this proposal the Conference ..declared for a tight party discipline, so that it will be able to completely reverse the present moderation when it attains actual majority in Parliament. This incident should be noted here in New Zealand, for our SocialistLabour Party is also playing . the moderation game; its members are good fellows and able men, expresszing such moderate views that elec-

tors are apt to think there is no great danger in their creed. But, like the English Party, our Socialists have their hard and. fast constitution 'by which they are bound hand and foot, and its pronounces a policy in favour of one class, and straight out to despoil another class. National well-being does not come into it, and if they, gain a working majority their class machine must come into actiop. It is almost amusing how easily these tactics can be exposed. When Mr Herbert Morrison, M.P., president of the Labour Party Conference at Brighton, opened the proceedings he, besides declaring the party’s unalterable intention to * “bring in the Socialist Commonwealth,” emphasised how Mr MacDonald had “convinced the country that Labour was a party of the nation and not an instrument of a section,” yet the very next day this same conference threw, out the proposal to broaden the 'basis of membership on the ground that it would destroy its “class character.” The alleged “national” attribute 'of the party'was well advertised; the other was not. It is the same here —moderate opinions well broadcasted and put before electors; the real class policy is kept in the dark.