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Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16252, 1 July 1918, Page 6

The interesting announcement is made to-day that the late Mr Alexander Turnbull, of "Wellington, has bequeathed to the nation his wonderful library of New Zealand and Polynesian books, charts, manuscripts, etc. We referred in this column on Saturday to this great collection, and we give som,e further particulars of it today. Benefactions in the spirit of tho late Mr Turnbull's bequest have been so rare in New Zealand that this one would in any case have called for remark. But such a gift as tho late Mr Turnbull's would bo notable even if tho record of gifts or bequests to tho nation were a long one in New Zealand. It is a truly noble bequest, and one which New Zealand may well bo envied, for Mr - Turhbull'a is. by far the finest collection of New Zealand records in existence. Its value can hardly be estimated, for in a sense it is priceless, and we hope that the Government can be relied upon to express the nation's gratitude due for such a gift, and its < sense of the Incomparable good fortune of coming into possession of such a treasure. This the Government can do by making careful arrangements for the housing of the collection in a manner whlcn will be worthy of ifc and which will at the same time be a fitting memorial of the late Mr Turnbull.

"Whatever may be the other results of the decision of the British Labour Conference to dissolve the political truce, one probable effect will be towiden the growing breach between two sections of British labour. This breach has been most marked for some time, and its existence led a Labour member of the Government, Mr John Hodge, Minister for Pensions, to express his doubt if there were a Labour Party at all. One section was in one lobby of the House, and the other section in the other. "One section," he continued, "talks about its friends in Germany and about peace by negotiation. Well, we know what peace by negotiation has done for the simpleminded Bolsheviks in Russia." "1 am wondering," added Mr Hodge, who was addressing a meeting of Staffordshire branches of the confederation of iron and steel workers, of which he is president, "whether in our own interests as a confederation the time has not come when we ought to make a movo to have a trade union party instead of tho mongrel nondescript kind of thing that we have to-day. You cannot blend oil and water and you cannot blend good, sound, honest trade unionists with the friends of Germany." Speaking for himself, he declared that he did not feel that ho could work with these men, either now or after the war.

One thing is certain—the friends of Gennany in the British Labour Party will receive no support from the American delegation that is coming over to exchange further views with British Labour. The most important message taken to England by the Amerfcan Labour Mission that visited the Old Country in April, was the statement by Mr Wilson, the head of the mission, that the American Federation of Labour had unanimously resolved not to meet any representatives from an enemy country so long as the war lasted. For America the only way out of the war was through it. The strongest noto in the speeches of all the American delegates was their determination, as representing millions of American workers, to assist the Allies to inflict a crushing and final defeat on German militarism and emergo victorious from the struggle before consenting to talk of peace. ♦ That is most emphatically the attituro of Mr Samuel Gompers, who has just been re-elected president of the American Federation of Labour, a position he has occupied for over thirty j years. In that position his influence ! in tho States is second only to that of President Wilson, and like the President, lie has only one idea in his head these days, and that is ""Win the war." A month or two ago ho visited Canada — as lie said, to receive inspiration, and to urge unity of action between the Government and the workers. In the place in Parliament House in Ottawa where last year Mr Balfour, for Britain, and M. Yiviani, for France, spoke to Canada, the little old grey-headed man who is King of American Labour, delivered a speech which time after time brought tho assemblage to its feet with cheers. To the arts of the popular orator is added in Mr Gompers some touch of genuine eloquence, and his words showed how very close to his heart lay his desiro and his resolve, so far as it lay with him to bring it about, for the victory of democracy in this great fight.

"This enterprise in which we are all now engaged," he declared, "is no

longer to be described as a war. It is the most wonderful crnsadc ever entered upon by man in the whole history of the world. No nobler cause, no holier undertaking, has ever commanded the intelligent and self-sacrificing natures of men." Then followed a noble eulogy of the action of Britain, "the Mother Country of democracy, 1 ' in responding to the call of honour, and vindicating her plighted faith, "with an alacrity and a purpose that sent a thrill to the hearts and consciences of libertyloving men all the world* over." "1 have an abiding faith/' he added, "that the cause of right and justice cannot die. I would rather drop while fighting for the right than not fight at all." It was a speech which revealed Mr Gompers as a great asset to America and thfc Allies. ♦ It is noteworthy that while in Ottawa Mr Gompers, addressing a gathering of local trade unions, advised them not to aim at forming an independent Labour Party.' The workers, he thought, should be left free to vote for any party; they would thereby secure more than if they concentrated their efforts on tho election of Labour candidates. Although Labour has not busied itself politically in Canada as it lias at Home and in these colonies, there evidently exists there a section who see in political representation a remedy for all the grievances, real and imaginary, under which Labour suffers, and naturally to that section Mr Gompers's counsel was not very welcome, but it was believed that it would bo accepted. Mr Gompers at least practises what he preaches. At any general election to Congress ho could undoubtedly win any ono of a hundred seats. Ho prefers to remain the working head of the greatest federation of labour in the world.