CITY EAST ELECTION.

Observer, Volume XXX, Issue 41, 25 June 1910, Page 2

CI TY EAST ELECTION.

Labour's Little Lesson. THE a bice of the people has spoken in Auckland East/ and has spoken in' no uncertain-' tone. By an overwhelming majority Mr Arthur Myers has been elected Member, for Parliament for that electorate: In spite of the piteous appeals of fanatics — in . -spite of the mouthings of Mr T. E. Taylor— in spite of handicaps innumerable, Mr Arthur Myers has, to use a sporting term, " romped in " an easy wirner. Not only should Mr Myers be congratulated ' but also the constituency ; for it has gained a representative in whom it has every reason to feel proud. It may beanticipated with confidei.ce that Mr Myers will adhere consistently to his expounded ~ principles. He has sound LiberaT views, and _ his independence is above suspicion. ■ m m The result of the election-contains a distinct and luminous lesson to. Labour,, if that party will only have \ the common sense to it.. Labour hadjoudly. antfounqed it. . was " cut. to .win/, but v ance fell, vastly "short of.its.promises. From the, inception its chance was a one; '-\ The .-.• unwarrantable ,

and presumptuous interference ofirresponsible and windbag agitators from the South went far to nullify any be« efit that might otherwise have accrued to the Labour; party. The result of this interference W'js dissension and discord in" the Labour ranks ' and the only possible seomence was a debacle at ©lection itself. Certain Labour persons in Wellington within the last day or two,' s been triumphantly, pointing to the fact that the votes recorded for the Labour candidate in City East compare favourably with those polled by Mr Way in the same electorate in 1905, and by Mr Harhvin 1908. But, against this, it has to be remembered that Mr Way is a rabid socialist, and that Mr Harle was" never * accepted seriously by the workers, his glatform being more that of Proibitiori- than of Labour. » • *• Another circumstance that was an added factor to the defeat of Labour was the fact that it was never satisfactorily explained Why Mr McKnight, who was, by tho votes of the party, originally chosen as the Labour candidate, was afterwards summarily jettisoned, and Mr Davis elevated in his place. Such weathercock tactics were hardly calculated to appeal to the Labour voter, any more ,than they would appeal to,any other elector. The sudden change was sufficient to show that the house of Labour was divided against itself, and that the Labour castle was built upo'* a foundation of shifting sand. A more deplorable exhibition of inconsistency has r.ever been, witnessed here than the sudden and inex- -" j/licable change of front that was in- • dulged in by the Labour party. And the result of the poll goes to show conclusively what the workers themselves thought of- the tactics of their own leaders. • • ». It may be conceded without question that, Labour has every right to be represented in Parliament, but so long as dissensions and discord are rife in her house, she will never obtain that representation. Much of the Labour trouble can be traced to internal jealousy. Leader is warring against leader, arid sgitator against agitator. ' There is no combination, and without combination in a party, political po;ver &s a practicalimpossibility. It Avould: seem, therefore, that if Labour desires to have . her party represented in the House, she will need to select as a -oardidate sonebody outside of her own ranks. TFnless she adopts such a procedure, her chance of Parliamentary repre-. sentation: is too infinitesimal to be worthy of serious consideration.