MILITANTS ISSUE CHALLENGE TO MODERATES

Chronicle (Levin), 4 June 1947, Page 5

MILITANTS ISSUE CHALLENGE TO MODERATES

WELLINGTON, June 3. By this afternoon, some 200 delegates to the annual conference of the New Zealand Federation of Labour will Oe assembled at Trades Hali, there to discuss 189 remits, and, in -partieular, to elect their officers at a momentous tinie and to eonsider the ali-important quesLions of stabilisation. Affairs of 0procedure were the principay consideration this morning, and the conference, vvliich will take four days, will not be fullv in operation until ilxis afternoon- The first activity today was by the credentials committee, which was engaged with examining the standing and the authority of all delegates. Lt is not a case, at a Federation of Labour conference, of wandering into ihe meeting room, There are some rumoufs that the sirnggle for power between the "moderates" and the " militauts•', may not bo as acute as has been generaily expected, and that the "militants', are not likely to be aggressive in their bid for office. "Militants" Committed. Not much credence is given to these rumours. On the contrary, it is considered that, especiallv since the General Election in November, ffmi^tant,, unionisin has so committed itself^ and embarrassed the Government, by word and deed, that a retreat is impossible. The "militants" would lose faee by yielding after so niuch hostile talk and recrimination, and they are virtually obliged to press their demands with the greatest vigour. The issue runst be joined, industrial pundits say. Against them are arrayed the ' 'moderates,"- more eocfident now, and, indeed, shewing s.igns of relishing the combat. A decisive win for the 4 'moderates' ' would, so it is argue d, do an enormous amount to strengthen the position of the Government. That the fight is on seems abundantly clear, and the debate is likely to be vigorous. The ' ' mo.derates ' ' are actually avare of the extensive and hostile propaganda nsed by their opponents, ,and this passage, cohstituting a preview of the Federation of Labour conference and appearing cnrrently in a unioh publication, is cited as illustrative of the temper of the timest "White Ants of Virile Unionism." ' ' Today j'our labour power is in acute dernand. That will not always he so. Today, you are strong, and while hireling editorS soreaui and whine they and their' bosses can do little else. Of one tliing you can rest assured— they will not take their coats dfii to stoke furnaces, hew coal, qr work in freezers, "When conditions are again their vvay, and- they wili be, if allowed to take their natural, capitalist course, action will replace the whines with vicious anti-woi'ker action, and the editors will be silent. " . . . a great responsibility rests on all delegates to the conference. By their votes will the trade union movement of New Zealand be governed . . . l Given honest and intelligent leadership.

no force can withstand that of the united trade union movement, We are at the crossroads. This conference is vitally important. Let tlie white-a-jt-J ers of virile unionism, the boss cla-..-; ! toadies, and the potential Fascists be relegated to their rightful sphere. " The Crossroads. It may be remarked that those par- ! ticular sentiments havje served pi"ifoundly to conv-inoe the "moderates' : that the industrial Labour movement is, iudeed, at the crossroads, and. to in crea-se their deterniination to'meet the challejige of the "militants." TaJ. "moderates" are resolved to resi'st any agitation to exploit the present labour shortage. They are mindful of the political and industrial eft'eets t'ar be yond the present. issues, although the/ are serious enough. The "moderates" stvie any.policy of union exj/ioitation of the labour short age, with measures to increase prodqe tioi.i, as a senseless attempt to pui-siie the prices of goods which are made, and the costs often determined abroad.