LABOUR CHALLENGES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 847, 20 June 1910, Page 6

LABOUR CHALLENGES.

THE AUCKLAND ELECTION. STATEMENT BY MR. T. E. TAYLOR. j (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) '■ Christchurch, Juno 18. Mr. Taylor, M.P., interviewed on Ms ireturn to Christchurch, said Mr. M'Bride, ■Air. Mliaren, and himsolf went to Auckland at tho urgent and almost unani- ;''. mous invitation of tho Labour leaders in Christchurch, and of tho executive of tho Labour party in Auckland. With, .regard to the split in tho'Labour ranks ':' before the election, there was every in- :"■ tention to give effect to tho selection of Mr. M'Kuight by a mass meeting of Unionists, but tho day after tho selection prominent Unionists objected that ,Mr. Sl'Knight was opposed to statutory preference to unionists, was a three-fifths man and a State.controller on the liquor ' question. Mr. MlCnight promptly agreed to sign tho Labour' party's platform when questioned on these points, but, said Mr, Taylor, his sudden conversion on matters of vital importance failed to give ;. the. bulk of tb« workers confidence in his '! candidature. At a meeting of.unionists I,' subsequently, a deputation was appointed to ask Mr. M'Knigkt to withdraw. Mr. 31' Knight declined, and the unions, with .one exception, decided to ignore his can'didatnrc, and nominate Mr. Davis. There was no real division in Iho ;, Xabpur ranks, as . the election figures showed.. The feeling 'of those who sup- '. . ported the Labour candidate was one of satisfaction. The fight was a fierce ono. )He had never seen such an array of . motor-cars, carriages, and other conveyances as -were at the disposal of Mr. Myers. His friends made a frenzied .' fight, and "if they had had 48 hours instead of ten, thev could not have raked out of Auckland East another dozen votes to support their man. In the brief time at their disposal tho Labour party was not able to make an. effective canvass, and had little money at its disposal. ; Referring to Mr. Davis, Mr. Taylor said . ho was a fine type of working man, but '.. • had .no Mayoral record to boast of.. "Auckland," he continued, "to a great- :■■ ;er extent.than porhaps any other city !. 'in' New Zealand, is possessed of commercial ambitions. I think she is jus- '.. tiiied in believing that it is her destiny to become the chief commercial ccntreof the Dominion." Many business men supported Mr. Myers ;' because.they regarded him 'as the guardian of the city's commercial interests. Mr. Taylor, described the contest in .' 'Auckland East as the forerunner of Labour challenges in every electorate in Now . .Zealand.