The Dominion. THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1912. A HUGE BLUNDER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1453, 30 May 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1912. A HUGE BLUNDER.

It is beginning to become obvious to everyone that the Federation of Labour has made a huge blunder in thinking that the Waihi strike would more than repair the damage inflicted on the cause of unionist terrorism by the sequel to the recent labourers' strike. The Federation is wholly unrepresentative of tho artisans of New Zealand; its leaders do not really represent the true feelings even of those foolish men who actually belong to it. Apparently there was an opening last week for the Federation to disclaim responsibility for the outrageously tyrannical action of the Waihi Miners' Union; but, either because they feel that their living depends upon hostilities, or because they are really as foolish and short-sighted as they are coarse and loquacious, the Federation's leaders missed their opportunity. _ Posing as heroes, ready to do or die at the cart-tail, they took up the strikers' case and issued an incoherent manifesto decreeing that the members of the Federation shall contribute ten per cent, of their wages to assist the Waihi strikers in their war against "hated capital." The decree has met with a very frosty reception. There is no sign of any enthusiastic response; Mr. Sejiple is forced to make the most of the fact that a handful of wharf labourers in Timaru have promised financial assistance ! "How many members are there?" he was asked; and he had to reply that they were "very few indeed. "But they are staunch," he. said. It really has come to this: that the people who support the Federation in their hearts are very few indeed, and dependent entirely upon their "staunchness" for success in fighting the community. AVc do not know what Mr. Sejiplk and his friends really expected when they left Wellington on Monday for the scene of action, but if they fancied that thoy would find tho Engine-drivers' Union shivering with fright lliev erred very sadly. What they found" was a determination on the part of the new union to let the Federation do as it elinoses. As to the mine-own-ers, they simply do not care a rap what the Federation mav do; they are content to wait until the Federation begins to repent and promise better behaviour in future. So it has resulted that the Federation leaders are desperately anxious to find some means of getting out of the difficulty into which they so boldly plunged. The Federation is not without resources, of course. It can order so much of a general strlko as it can and it might pogaiWy bo-

euro obedience; although nobody doubts that a general strike, even if it could be attempted, would fail dismally and at once. The essential, motive for determination in pushing a general strike is wanting: very few working people think that the Federation has behaved as itshould. Mr. Semple and his friends, in short, are making themselves ridiculous. The. Federation is an ass in a lion's skin, faithful to the figure even in its bray. But is there nothing, more in this incident than the folly of a few noisy demagogues? Is there not a lesson in it concerning the United Labour party'l During the local tramway strike Mb. Sem°plb and his friends were fighting side by side with the leaders of the Labour party—with Mn.-Mius, Mr.' Keardox, Mr. Treoear. and, not least, Mr. Payne, M.P.' Then we saw the party's leaders making advances to the Federation onlv last week. The Federation is merely the ripe fruit of which the United Labour'party is the bud; and the community can rely upon it that although it can easily wring the neck ot the Federation in the event of any conflict, it may find it less easy to deal with the United Labour party when, throwing off its mask, it resorts to warlike tactics. In the meantime, there is no occasion to apprehend, any trouble. If the Winders Union will only stand firm, it will have nothing to fear. The public will watch with interest for'the outcome of the opposition that is to be_ presented to the new union's application to the Registrar. The sooner the Federation and its leaders are out of the way the better • they are merely a nuisance creating enough noise and dust to disturb the general public's view of the manoeuvres of the United Labour party.