LABOUR INTERESTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 909, 31 August 1910, Page 8

LABOUR INTERESTS.

Sir,—There is no split, in the Labour party, for the simple reason there is no Labour party. Because a few . highlypaid secretaries with the income of bank managers meet once a year and give themselves a'new name it does not follow they have any following. When . the press wcro excluded from the Trades Council it, was stated, "Having a Labour paper of their own it \}"as advisable .to give council reports, iu that organ." As ari ardent. Trade Unionist; I have .looked, for these reports in vain, which leaves ■ one to imagino there is no business being , done, or perhaps -the many important banqueting engagements of the council executive leave little time for anything but getting over the. effects. ••The Trades . Union, movement in New Zealand is ;as dead as,. Queen Anne, in spito of its numerical': strength. There are unions of 300 to 500 members that cannot get together a quorum of : eight members to conduct the business. For why ? Because the members are heartily sick, of. the whole farce. When a Labour M.L.C. cannot secure ■ 300 votes out of a roputed 6000 unionists for the office of Mayor, .one can-.be. excused for saying •Labour Unity and..strength is a myth, existing in the imagination of Labour's high priests—the paid secretaries. Surely past . experience 'in elections has convinced" the . Labour party (?) they have riot got the men capable of conducting a' boy's cricket match, less national affairs. .".Because a man .announces .be .is a "Labour man," it-doesn't follow his character and capabilities arc not to be inquired into, and, until men with, loftier ideals than an, extra a day . acid a defence of; "locker:' system" can present Labour's ' ideals, thero .is little hope for Labour'representation. While .1. could afford abundant proof of the wanton, reckless extravagance, of Labour's inner circle, I refrain' for the - reason the self-appointed Labour leaders, represent their particular-following, and not the great majority who will; not attend meetings, because it is in many instances a sheer waste of time. Not to-go further tlian , last week's comic meeting, the business of the council had to be, suspended because a Labour leader wouldn't ■or couldn't' behave, himself. Charity forbids 1 me to' say more. Th'e New Zealand Federation o'f Labour .will show its gnod sense by not affiliating -witli this "get-me-into-Parliament": organisation, otherwise the New Zealand Labour party. Personally I would Eooner waste a vote on ■ a full-blooded Conservative—J am, etc. '. " ' .. "; " ' • , . TWRXTi* TEARS A TRADES ■ " ' :" 1 ' ' UNIONIST.