Evening star., 1934-10-07
LABOR PARTY'S MACHINE
CRUSHES BRITISHLEFTISTS
Gives Section New Identity
of Socialist League After Struggle
Over Future of House of Lords.

ernment unless it is previously voted
out on a major issue in the House OF
Commons.
This resolution also was emphat-
ically turned down by the party ma
chine and its supporters, not alto
gether on its merits but partly on
grounds that such campaign issue
would be bad tactics for an opposition
party seeking to obtain power. Shortly
afterward the extremists met almost
as heavy a defeat in urging the party
to declare in favor of general strike
to prevent war, orthodox LaborlteS
having decided that this question
should be left to the decision OF the
Labor party and trade union con-
gress, if and when an immediate
threat of war arose.
On the question of the expropria-
tion of industries there again was
sharp division between the Left Wing
ers and orthodox party members, with
the former again being defeated. The
machine resolution proposed that in
vestors should be given a reasonable
dividend payment, with ultimate re-
payment of the capital investment.
The Socialist Leaguers countered with
an amendment providing for income
allowances to investors for a certain
number of years, but not for capi-
tai repayment. Regular party lead
ers strenuously opposed the latter
proposal on the ground that the
Labor party could not expect to win
an election with such threat hang
ing over the electorate in the event of
its victory.
The issue for the party machine was
plainly stated by Leo Smith, former
Labor postmaster general, who de-
clared, Lets consider the results of
the next general election. 1t means
you would be before the country say
ing if We are returned within six
months we will confiscate one-half to
two-thirds of the property of every
shareholder in every bank throughout
the land How long are depoSitors
going to leave their money in the
banks on those terms? AT the next
election if there was the slightest
prospect of our going in to carry out
this policy there would be a run on
pect of our returning under these con-
ditions even the same number Of
members as we're returned at the last
election would be small"
This confession" or un-
conscious-gives lead to the attitude
of the orthodox party leaders through
out the whole conference. The party
machine is determined to do every
thing possible either to win the next
general election or at least to return to
Parliament as the largest party there
in, as was the case in the last two
Labor administrations. In such an
event the support of anti-government
Liberals would be essential for the
Laborites to form government.
Hence, party dictators are doing what
they can to mold the party plat
form so that independent Liberals
may vote Labor at the next election
IN preference to the National Govern
ment ticket.
In other words, the Labor party's
program, as one official expressed 1t,
is being kept not far from the prin-
ciples which could be accepted by a
radical Liberal. What will happen If
and when Labor regains power de-
pends upon whether or not the party
has an adequate independent ma
jority in Commons. or whether, as for
| merly, it will have to depend for its
| formation upon Liberal votes there