LABOUR IN POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 649, 28 October 1909, Page 8

LABOUR IN POLITICS.

/VALLiANCE .OR INDEPENDENCE?^, „- : ,:."80mb.'; ;poLmciANS; r . raiTicisED; - v J;.i. > V THELABptJB . CONFEEENCE;''•':;".' v, The. question whether the Labour movement 'snottld.; rapport the, political, party "now in power, or, form an independent party, was Vigorously/debuted at the, Trade? Council Conference yesterday afternoon. ■ ';.■.'•'•;■;■ ' Th# proposed constitution for a ; New : Zealand' Federation, of. Labour, -was..''farther discussed and amended, and the, executive was instructed to gbjinto the matter of. appointing an or/Mr. T.;'o*Byrno (Southland) moved:". ' That the!time has now arrived when the Trades and Labour Councils'' should lake •definite 'action in endeavouring to return Labour members to Parliament "We ha»e been dragged at the heels of the Liberal party long.enough, and the dust they have kicked up/has -got into our eyes," said the mover. If. we. had' had a Labour Prime Minister in power last June -he would not have sailed away in pomp and powe'r : and left hii people v to do the. best, they, could-Hnany ol .them in distress. '■;'.:: '.'•"' //

; Mr;: A. flart (Canterbury) seconded '/the motion. ';■,, ■:■■,.■■ -,- '■/',: i.'.■':■•: '•.''■;'■■■■■"'■'

. , : ,v '; Against a Separate Party. , .Mr.. H.. ;jE.. Ensbridge (Canterbury) : opposed tho motion,. but said he had always supported, and ; ' Would support, the 'election of Labour members. 'He however, ■ resented the disparaging- references' that had been• ■ made to • ths Liberal; party. All the concessions that had been.gained for. Labour in New Zealand had been 1 gained by the competition of the Liberal and/Labour parties. He regarded Messrs: Ar. nold, :Ell,-andDavey as Labour members. They.had learned to get things in the only way in which they could-be got.- Lbt 'them send more Labour members to Parliament, and thqy .capture the Liberal party, but to got up an independent Labour party would lead to; the evils of the three-party system.'-' 1 - . - '■ ' '• Mr. E.: Howard.(Canterbury) objected to the last speaker "reneging" when ;his .council had instructed its delegates to vote for the remit. Labour had not been blinded by dust, but had l«e'n hypnotised by political 1 patronage.' The Government'had -taken some of the best men from-.the .'Labourv;movement.by giving. them Public Service: . ;Mr; Busbridge said he considered he .was carrying ,bnt- the instructions of his council.'.. . . v ;V.: Present Labour -Legislators. •. ; . .llr.VEj J- Carey (Wellington)' said he gave credit to Messrs. Ell.and Arnold, and .Others •for what they, had done vforV'labour, but; the trduble; was that, .when',a.Minister- issued instructions; they -.voted accordingly., V : .':Mr, W..T.,..Young .(Wellington)- said that .Messrs. Arnold,-Ell, and Davoy were not . representatives, because • they were pledged to tho Liberal'-.'party... The position-of the'Hon;Mr. Paul in the Upper House.to-day was.entirely .'subject: to, the will of the Liberal :party. ;;...' .'. •:.■■'.:■ .i * .;.'.-. . ~... ~ ••..■ Paul; M.L.C.: That is untrue. Mr-.Toungilf Mr. Paul happened to do' anything ,that. displeased the party, it was'in ite power to remove .him from" office at the end of ihisv:term :of seven years., He'.thought that was perfectly true. The same remark applied to the Hon. John Eigg. He had done something .that; displeased the ''Liberal; party, 'and consequently • ■ when - his term ■■ expired a short time., would not have been reappointed had not,influence-been used on his behalf, lliat was because Mr.yßigk had come out and adyocated Independent Labour." The Government formerly-paid the expenses of delegates to ,the• Labour• Conference;'but had now discontinued ' doing so. He, was glad ; of; that; They did not want to craw to anybody, and could afford to ,- pay their own ; expenses. y.One: object of the Liberal :^P u , r :^ r T a .t; o n ,was;- to; induce tho workers ■J? YP**-* 1 ' candidates. If a Labour had : been mi power, during, the, last 15 years; they, would- have ..been: much further' in '&?' m "f .Elation than at

."■"'■;'': i "'. " . Mr. Horning:(Arickland); speaking'from' his Australian experiehce, idviseS the 'workers to lur^SS^^^^dva^ M^i'^f™^'''** that Mndehf T fc d ° n i- m A «stralia ™th Inde.Laboui; -niembers had. to th' 8 . ' pij- J.' Jackson.' (Greymbuth) said nrevionkXSS,T <^T h £ d deo .^ favour In! dependent Labour, party. He etn,Kl) „„i? j J.lJarr, J. T. Paul,: and J. Eire : 'with':LabJur, but Sted on th ' ?f^' f^: stT Png ..Independent .'Labour partv in ..the,Souse.:., labour, did notVsupport il representatives, as-it, should;, and' he thought lm 97 Th n n ld 'R^r :to^ peal l » th^eneral ? pn" : Government came in on a ,i!on-borrowi.Dg po icy, but the present G6vern-' ■ ""^li 3 ?''I 0 ? 6 ri^fc away from thatJ- The country'haagone^stark,/staring, raving mad ?L^riT lllg ' : ■'♦ Gorernment;-;.had pledged ;the whole'country,-body, and soul to the'jlws Z&"}& n - never Wtdpped unW. the. workersiSent.iabour.men. to.fa?^! Mr.,J.,Hall (Gisborne)Supported the demand Independent .'Labour party.. ÜBU ? raaM j . 'V;/V,;;'Hon/;Mr,: Paul Again.; . i rt^ l^': - K -'/ tite %Ki C^> testified to'' -the .'.independence .of •-, the Hon. Mr. "Paul as ! : shown in a'pamphlet-by him. • : raul ' " I explained that'hispoint was that 1 the power to remove'Mr ?S se^ en ; years, but' he did' not.behave .that, Mr. Paul, would allow that !-.faot',;; to 'influence.■.-;, his '.actions. '.. (Hear,, hear.) ~The Government had almost used that' , power in the. case of Mr;: Bigg, anditwas owing tojtfr Paul .that they.fd. not do so.- • Mr.: he; was very, glad" to have tho explanation.: He had alluded to tho : matter on purpose to elicit.it '". Mr-' W-IS-'/Wajren '.(Otago) the movements The Liberals and Tones together.had made such, a''mess of tils' world: as could hardly, be conceived, -j -ihoHon. J. Barr (Canterbury) said he had always ,been; against a separata Labour partv m Now, Zealand .It had been said that Labour members ;■ supporting the Liberal • uarty must ■obey the orack oflhewhip; but Lidependent Labour members in /Australia had to obey the caucus. Was. that not the crack of' tho whip?. ~v : .■.'.;.■..•..•;■■;.■ .-■■■ •..■■,.-,, .. ..... ;.- - ... Mr. Carey said the'caucus itself-received instructions from the electors ; - '/Mr. Barr said such was--not' the case a New' Zealand organisation, now defunct. - _:Mr.:D. G. Sullivan (Canterbury) spoke /in favour, of. independent political action. : The debate" was ;adjourhed..' ; The' conference resumes at a.m. tcrday,