PETER BOWLING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 988, 1 December 1910, Page 4

PETER BOWLING.

ARRIVAL IN WELLINGTON, PRISON AND POLITICS. "THE TRUE LABOUR PARTY,"! Peter Bowling arrived here "yesterdaj* He i s a man of unassuming demeanoui with nothing in his appearance to indicate tho militant strike leader or reck-c ' less demagogue. -This was the impre* sion one gained on boarding the 'Warn'' moo yesterday morning. A very acoes< sible man, too, is Mr. Bowling, and ha readily consented to step aside for a fen? minutes' conversation. ! As ho led tbtf way to the upper deck he chatted. pleas* antly about tho trip across, and men." tioned that he was accompanied by Mrs« Bowling and three of his sons. He hafi three other sons in Australia. • _ "In the first place," said Mr. Bowling, in reply to an initial question, "I ami here at the request of the New Zealand Federation of Labour. What their object was in sending for me I do not actually know. I take it that their invitation is in the first place due to a recognition of my struggles as a trades union lender, and probably also because of certain incidents that have happened lately in New South Wales. Also--I daresay they intend me to help them in. any industrial organisation work thai they may think I am best fitted for." The Imprisonment. "What is your personal view of youß treatment in New South Wales and' events that led up to it?" inquired tho, interviewer. , ■ • "It is „ a m 'g history," Mr. Bowling reprel - Proba My I may go into it fully at tho first meeting.l address. I present a justification, not for myself but for the Colliery Employees' Federation, of which I am president, and a. condemnation of the.late Government of New South Wales. I think the people of the Commonwealth have shown in the most practical way, both at the Federal and State elections, their abhorrence of the treatment meted out by tha New South _ Wales Government, and thebarslk conditions that had been imposed by the< colliery proprietors. About my own treatment as a prisoner I have never 6aid much, nor do I intend to do so. Anyone can see that I was classed inexactly the same category as a reprieved murderer or a burglar would be classed and treated. No. one can deny that I was given just tho same conditions. This in itself is sufficient to show the class of men we had to deal with in the Government of Now South Wales. I have' dona nine months of 'that,'" said Mr. Bowling, with a reminiscent look in his eye, "and I don't want to do another nine. My colleagues were classified as isecondclass prisoners, and ' did not get the treatment I did, for which I am very glad indeed." "The late Government of New South! Wales," Mr. Bowling continued, "was part and parcel of the coal combine or Yend. This is well known, and not denied by some of the Ministers of the late Government. It was really a Government Act on behalf of the Vend that we had td fight."

His Idea of a Labour Party. The present. Administration in New South Wales lie dismissed, with a quiet word, as a Labour Government in name only. "I honestly hope," he said, "that if ever New Zealand has a Labour Gov* eminent it will be one in Teality. By that I mean that any party formed to re« present Labour must, in my opinion, b» composed of one section of the commuui ity only, namely, the wage-earners, ths men who have to work for a master." ■■ Would you exclude even professional men, lawyers, and so forth? iat quired the reporter. "I consider," .replied Mr. Bowling, "that in a sense these men are wageJ earners, but eo far as legislation is concerned,, they are a class 'apart, and already sufficiently protected. The ordinary wage-earner has in that character! very little protection, by legislation. The Labour Party, should be composed eni tirely of wage-earners. People ; who livo on profit, interest, rent, etc., cannot possibly have. the. same interests as-wageJ earners, those who provide the ■ profit, in- : torest,. rent, etc., for. their fellows. .Ther conditions of life to-day divide peoplo into classes because their interests are directly opposed. It is time," said Mri Bowling, "that at the present time, and noS for the first time in the history oftha world, we have found intelligent, earn-} est men- of the middle classes taking up the cause of the wage-earner, and fighting it for him. These men are welcome! I do not blame the middle-class business man for combining and endeavouring tq get legislation to suit himself, but, afterall, that is not my interest, as a wageearner. I do not blame the farmer forj doing- the same thing. No doubt faiy mers as a class should be encouraged. But the interests of the wage-earners ara entirely different, .and, if they are to haver a true Labour Party, they must combing politically and industrially 'for their own particular benefit,- just' as other classes do. If the wage-earners get on top, that will be their turn. They have not had a turn yet, and, if they got it, thejl might look after other classes better thanj the parties that have been invested with' power up to the present time."

Entertained by Socialists, Mr. Bowling was last evening accordeoi his first official welcome in New Zealand by the Socialist party at their rooms in Manners Street. Amongst those present were Mrs. Bowling, Mr. E. Tregear, and Mr. and Mrs. R. Hogg. Addresses welcoming Mr. Bowling were. made byMr. G. G. Farland, who presided, and Mr. R. Semple, organiser of the New Zealand Federation of Labour. Mr. Bowling replied at considerable length.. Touching on matters which he intends to handta on the platform at an early date, he utterly condemned industrial arbitration, and in a gentler spirit blamed the Socialist party for a laci of system in itj methods. Musical items were rendered during the evening and supper was provided when the formal proceedings had concluded. MR. BOWLING'S SALARY. MINERS LODGE A PROTEST, : (Rec. November 30, 9.50 p.m.) Sydney, November, SO. The Aberdare Miners' Lodge has adopV ed a resolution.protesting against the extension of Mr. Peter Bowling's furlough; on full pay, and recommending that hU salary be deducted while he is absent in New Zealand.