Quite the most extraordinary part of the elections is the evidence afforded that Labour does not believe in its own policy. It has a marvellous programme of clauses, sub-clauses, principles and practice all mixed up together, and through the whole, which numbers 2,000 or 3,000 words, there is the red thread of Communism running, greatly hidden or camouflaged, The objective is set out as the "'socialization of industry, production, distribution and exchange,' and later on we are promised that the persons engaged in these occupations shall have a voice in their management, and that on top of all there shall be a supreme economic council which, in due course, shall take the place of Parliament. The "fighting platform" includes the abolition of the States, their Parliaments, and their Governors, and the appointment of local Assemblies (they might as well be called Soviets) which will take their orders from the Federal House of Representatives (or Soviet) which will be the only House of Parliament, the Senate being abolished. Under defence, there is to be the abolition of military oaths, distinctions between grades of officers, salutes and other forms of discipline. There is an ominous sound about a provision that after citizen soldiers have hech trained they should be allowed to keep their arms, With this, and much more like it, in its programme, the Labour Party has gained at least six seats, which, meaning 12 on a division, is worth) having in a House of only 75. The programme containing the above was adopted after much controversy, extending over many months, and was the subject of several conventions amongst the delegates of the various unions. There was no serious thought given to it by the electors. As the Prime Minister said on one occasion the peopl: were so happy, contented and well-off that they did not give politics any attention.
At the eleventh hour the acting leader of the Labour Party, in actual politics, issued a statement. flatly repudiating the whole programme, and said that, if his party got back to office, they would adhere to; the policy of the programme as interpreted by Mr. Fisher and cther Labour leaders in office from 1910 to 1916. In other words, the actual parliamentarians defied the combined organizations which had drawn up their policy. It is difficult to say where the matter
evictism out of its programme, or now end. Labour may out dismiss Senator Gardiner, the acting leader, and others who followed him. It is a curious position, but the chief fact scerne to be that the electors themselves, who voted Labour, did not mind what the programme wae.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.