MW IN AFRICAN LABOUR PARTY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18467, 19 May 1928, Page 1

MW IN AFRICAN LABOUR PARTY.

TROUBLE OVER PACT WITH NATIONALISTS. (Written for the “ Star ” by E. J. Howard, M.P.). It may be thought that these little faction fights in the various parts of the Empire are but family quarrels, and only of interest to those directly concerned. As a fact, the near future in regard tt> South Africa will interest New Zealand more and more, and we shall be forced to sit up and take notice. Our big sister Dominion called the Union of South Africa, will be one of New Zealand's greatest competitors on the British market. That country is <mly fourteen days away from the same market that we have to sell our goods in. She has an abundance of cheap labour, spending great sums on irrigation, and importing first-class stock in cattle and sheep. She does not owe so much money to British capitalists as we do, so that she is not compelled to sell her good* regardless of price. She is building cool stores at her ports, and large grain elevators. Even her coal can be, and is, stacked at her ports always ready for shipment. Although the present squabble or split in the ranks of Labour may not directly affect New Zealand, it isasinteresting to us almost as to South Africa. As a fact the Hertzog Party may go out of office as a result of this difference in the Labour Party. Beginning of Party. To get an understanding of the trouble we have to go back in history as far as the second Boer War. After the war ended, it wilk be remembered, large numbers of Chinese were brought into the country to work the mines. Labour was just becoming articulate and naturally took strong exception to the introduction of coolie labour. Trades unions sprang into being, and the first sign of a distinct political Labour Party also showed itself. In Australia a strong Labour movement had come into active propaganda work, and it was many of these men who remained in South Africa or returned there after the war. Mr <F. H. P. Creswell was a manager and engineer at one of the mines on the Rand. He took sides on the Chinese indentured labour question, came in conflict with the Chamber of Mines, and naturally lost his job. He set up as a consulting engineer, and he joined the Labour Party. At that time the Labour Party took up the same attitude as the New Zealand Party, of strict independence of all other parties. When the Act of Union took place in 1909, one or two of the prominent Labour men got into the Senate. The first Senate was not elected, but chosen partly by the Governor, partly by the Assembly, and partly by what is known as the Provincial Councils. There is a Provincial Council in each province, an elective body something similar to the State Parliament in Australia, but not enjoying quite so much power. Many Labour men have won seats on these bodies, and those are the members who are anxious to get into the National Parliament. Political parties take .up rather a different alignment in South Africa to that adopted elsewhere in the Empire. Space will not permit of this being explained just here, although it plays a great part in the psychology of the crowd engaged in political warfare. Labour Pact. In 1922 there' occurred one of the biggest industrial strikes that has yet taken place in South Africa. It was a miniature war. Entrenchments were dug in the main streets, bombs, tanks, flying machines and armoured cars were used, and the strikers were beaten. General Smuts was Prime Minister. and he naturally had to bear the brunt of the trouble. There was a hanging of men after the strike had ended, and thousands of people who took no part in the strike joined issues w r ith the men as a result. General Smuts, one of the front rankers during the Boer War, had become on Imperialist of the Imperialists, and led what would be termed here the Conservatives. General Hertzog was leader of the Nationalists, but that word means something different in South Africa than it means here. It really meant the unforgiving Boers; those who never did, nor ever will forgive Great Britain for the Boer War. The General Elections following on the strike were most bitter. Labour, although there was nothing in common, except their mutual hatred of Smuts, between them, entered into a pact with the Hertzog Party. This party won at the General Elections. Smuts actually lost his own seat. As a result a number of Labour men joined Ilertzog's Cabinet. This is the actlal cause of the present split. Whilst it could be claimed that ninety-nine per cent of the Labour Party were in favour of the pact at the time, only about fifty-five per cent were in favour of allowing Labour men to join the Cabinet. That five per cent has been swaying -back and forth at each annual conference. Practically it had disappeared at this j r ear’s conference and as a result Colonel Creswell charged the political Labour Council, which is the National Executive of the Labour Party, with dummying branches, that is, having representatives at the conferc ice of branches that had no rank And file. This caused an uproar and hence the split. Undercurrents. From day to day, we get cables but so far they have been unintelligible unless one knew the past history. South Africa is a peculiar country psychologically. Within South Afripa there is a miniature Ireland, the same undercurrents, the same hatreds and the same slyness on both sides. Those who knew Ireland in the 80's will know just what is meant. It is not fashionable to refer to it whilst you are there. In the house of the hangman one never mentions the rope. At all public functions it is usual for public speakers over and over to emphasis© the fact that the two factions, Briton and Boer, are working in peace arid harmony side by side. The thing is overdone and it must be remembered that they have always chosen a Boer as Prime Minister since the Union. If any trouble came to nc threatened South Africa from the outside all parties would com© together. There is an intense love for the country running through all sections. This phase again is a danger because for political purpose misunderstanding* mav be manufactured. The future of South Africa is going to be very interesting to the studaat o2 sociology’ and whether we like it or not, South Africa is going to afftet this country, so it is as well that we should keep in touch with what is happening.