LABOUR AND POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 836, 7 June 1910, Page 4

LABOUR AND POLITICS.

The latest development; in connection with the Auckland by-election must prove very discouraging to those friends of organised labour who have been led to expect so much from the recent efforts of some of their leaders. .Spurred on by the success of the Labour party in Australia, organising work of a political nature has been actively carried on throughout the country for weeks past, and wo have been told that the response has been most satisfactory. The vacancy for the Auckland East seat arising at this time gave the party an opportunity, which if taken advantage of might have meant the beginning of a complete change in the politics of the country. With neither of the. two principal political parties running a candidate of its own; with the Prohibition party strongly antagonistic to the most dangerous candidate in the field, Labour had an excellent chance of securing support for its representative, which under normal conditions would go elsewhere. A , Labour candidate of reasonable, views and "some standing would not only have secured solid Labour support, but many votes also from Government and Opposition supporters—especially the latter—unfavourable to tho Independent candidate. Tho effect of a Labour victory at tho present juncture would have been far-reaching. But Labour, unfortunately for itself, has of late' years in New Zealand handed over the control of its affairs to tnc wrong sort of loaders, and the result can be seen in the sad bungle that has taken place over the choice of a candidate on this occasion. After making a choice by ballot, and after publicly announcing the name of the selected candidate, and opening the campaign in his behalf, he is coolly told by some of the leaders to stand aside in favour of someone else. Naturally he has refused to do so, and as a result there arc now two Labour candidates in the, field, and much soreness no doubt exists between the rival factions.

Those who know tho men who usually speak in tho name of Labour cannot bo surprised at the petty bickerings and consequent disorganisation which exist. Mb. D. M'Lauen's personal worth may be great, but who for one moment can seriously contemplate him as the leading spirit in a great Labour movement"? Mil'. T. E. Taylor has some of tho qualities which .go to make a leader of men. He has courage, ho is a great fighter, and can arouse enthusiasm; but his political history affords an object lesson of striking talents discounted by outbursts of recklessness, intolerance of restraint, and extremes of speech and action. Yet theso two members of Parliament have, practically constituted themselves the leaders of Labour in Now Zealand at the present time. Thay, with Mi:. aro the principal Labour figures in the Auckland by-election contest. They called upon the candidate selected by ballot to give way to a candidate rejected at the ballot. Whether they did this on their own responsibility is not quite clear. Possibly the "Central Committee," whoever constitutes that body, decided to overrule tho ballot and made tho three gentlemen named their spokesmen. Who individually is to blame does not matter very much. This sort of, internal bickering and wire-pulling has been Labour's handicap for years past. Members of the various trades unions know this perfectly well. More than half the trouble between employer and employee is due to the mischief-making propensities of a particular class, of paid labour union official. At the 'present time there does not appear to be very much chance of remedying this condition of _ things. Possibly tho incidents which have focussed attention on the muddlement in tho choice of a, Labour candidate at Auckland may lead to changes, but in tho meantime Labour in this contest has done exactly the opposite of what it sot out to do. Instead of adding to and welding its strength, its leaders have sown dissension..,.