THE LABOUR POINT OF VIEW.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1487, 9 July 1912, Page 6

THE LABOUR POINT OF VIEW.

"LIBERAL PARTY LIKELY TO BE ELIMINATED." •' FUTURE PROBABILITIES'. (From Our Special' Correspondent.) s .•■'•.. Christchurch, July 8. ■Mr. Hiram Hunter, chairman of fho Ivorth Canterbury Labour Kepresentation Committee, when interviewed on the political situation, said that he had anticipated the present state of things for some considerable time, and he considered that the Liberal party had contributed to bring about that state of affairs by giving support to candidates for Parliamentary hononrs holding freehold views. That had been, done for a number of years, and, in view of the fact that the policy of the party was supposed to be a leasehold one, the support given to freehold candidates was bound to bring about tho Liberal party's downfall. Labourites generally, though regretting that it would be .necessary for Mr. Massey to have a" term on the Troasurybench.es, had" been fully alive to the fact that the present situation was bound to arise. They were pleased that it had arisen because, if Mr. Massey continued in jOffico till 1914, when, in the ordinary course of eyents, a general election would be held, the Lib-' era! party' was likely to be eliminated altogether, and , the' fight would probably • be a straight-out issue between Labour'on the one hand and anti-Labour on the other. That was the position that Labour wanted to see brought about as soon ns possible. Knowing-the present personnel of the Liberal party, Mr. Hunter Ifi'l that he thought that it'is. likely thairMr. Massey would gain quite a number of recruits, arid would not have the slightest difficulty in carrying -on-'till the present Parliament ended by effluxion of time. 1 He considered that men-like Mr. Craigie, Mr. Buxtqn, and Mr. Myers, ivho had large vested interests, were out of place in the Liberal party—that was looking' at the matter from the standpoint ot the policy promulgated by' Mr. Ballance in 1891. Tho Liberal party by working down to and catering for the other sido (as it had done on so many occasions) had gradually lost sight of the principles for which the party was .supposed to bo fighting, with the result that the policy of the party had gradually undergone almost a complete change until it had become hardly distinguishable from the policy of the Eeform party "I don't think that there will be a. dissolution," continued Mr. Hunter "I feel pretty sure that there won't be a dissolution, although I know that a number ol prominent members t>f the Liberal party-Sir Joseph Ward and Mr I? Al Ivenzie-have stated that there wouldbe a general election about Senteuibor next. That, points to the likelihood of an attempt born? made to bring about a dissolution- Still, I don't think that they will bp successful, though I regret tlint the Reform party.is likely to think tlmt Mr. Massey and his party will fly in the fnco of public opinion, amd repenl anyj>f the progressive Acts placed rm Hip Ptahitp Book by tho Liberals. Aftor. all is said and donp, whatever parrv is in power must be guided largely bv public opinion, and legislate according to the expressed requirements of the people,. ■ .

TUB POSITION IN AUCKLAND. (By Telegraph.-Presa Association.)T ' . „ , Auckland, July 8 In view of the political changes -now pending, inquiries were, instituted amont; prominent trades union official* this moraine to ascertain how the situation is regarded in Labo.ur circles. The impression gathered as' the result of several interviews was that remarkably little interest from the unions' point of view is taken in fcho struggle, of political parties f>s at present constituted. Political action has not been a marked feature of the Labour /Union movement in Auckland unci, indeed, many unions have expressly deprecated nny activity in this direction 11ns attitude is, however, being dropped and now there is a growing feeling that trades unionism must ultimately tend towards political action, but the change has not yet found expression in any clearly donned policy. To somo extent this absence of united effort of one sort or another has been due to changes in Labour organisation. The Trades Council lms been merged into a branch of the United Labour party, and only some eleven unions have so for affiliated with that body. Many' of the trades have class federations, and with those federations rests the decision as to whether'.'or not the workers concerned shall throw in their lot with the United Labour 'party. This organisation has mado great strides in the south, but it ia yet in its' infancy in Auckland. "WHERE TO SIT."

"INTERESTED' MOTIVES." Apart from the general changp of position from Right to Left which is about to bo made by membere of thn House of Representatives, a number of minor changes are being made, eome of wlilich are; dictated by considerations of n. nonpolitical character. One or two members Have frankly confessed that they find it very convenient to have .1 lawyer lor a. bwifli-niatc. as his seniccs <m; iinaliialjle when an amendment has lo ):<• drafted in haste, or on ether similar occasions, when 0 technical knowledge of legal

subtleties is a valuable asset. One member, who was probably joking, said that lie liked to share a bench with a doctor, because the long hours of debato opened up valuable opportunities of Retting free consultations. There are members, some of whom lmve no claims to be looked upon as orators, who avowedly endeavour to secure a commanding position in the House. Most men like to see the faces of the people Ihey nre talking to, and nervous and diffident speakers hold this preference quite as strongly as more practised orators.

MR. NGATA. WHY WAS HE ABSENT? Tho belief is general among, members that the. absence of Mr. Kgnta from his place in Parliament when tjie fate of the Mackenzie Government was put to the test, .was not due to any insurmountable obstacles precluding his attendance. One story put itbout was that Mr. Ngata was bar-bound at Port Awanui, but there is an alternative overland route, by which lie could have reached Gisborne. In the absence of an explanation definitely accounting for his absence, n theory is entertained that Mr. Ngata, like otfier members, has come to the conclusion that tho "Liberal" party is no longer worthy of support. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. CHAT.EMAN OP COMMITTEES. On Friday tho Legislative Council adjourned until to-morrow, when it will meet to elect a Chairman of Committees. It is expected that tho H:ui. \V. C. ¥. Carncross will be. re-elected to the position without opposition. Unless in the meantime Mr. Massey has appointed a Minister to represent the Government in tha Upper House, tho Council will probably adjourn till Thursday or Friday. CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES. STILL POURING IN. ' From almost every telegraph office in New Zealand Mr. Massey has received telegrams congratulating him on the victory of the Eeforni party. They have arrived literally faster than ho has been able to open them. Yesterday there wero many cablegrams from overseas. About six hundred messages wero received by Mr. Massey on Saturday, arid this number was far exceeded yesterday, when telegrams poured in by the hundreds. Private members as well as the Leader of the Beforin party have received their share of the shower of congratulations. Almost nny member of the party is in a position m produce on demand a largo handful of. telegrams. NEWS AND NOTES. Mr. Massey was informed, at a recent I Miners' Union banquet' at Auckland that he was the first officially-enrolled member of that body. The new Prime Minister was also the first-officially enrolled member of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association , Mr. A. E. Glover, member for Auckland. Central, was asked yesterday what attitude he intended to take up towards the new Government. "I am not prepared to give an expression of my opinions," said Mr. Glover, "until such time as I visit .my constituency and consult: unfriends. • .1

Sir Arthur Guinnes3, Speaker of the House of Eopresentatives, has lately been suffering from a bad cold, but he has now almost recovered his normal good health.

_ Speaking in the House of Representatives on Saturday morning, Mr T M Wilford stated that of the eighty men who were in tho House at tho time of Mr.. Seddon's death only thirty now remained: ' ■

WiTen members of the defeated "Lib°,V a !'. P al ' tv > Just after the adjournment division on Friday night, called upon Mr. Isitt to take the floor, he was unable to respond to the- invitation, because lie had • seconded the motion on which the division was taken, and had thereby lost his right to speak. Some members consider that the' Labour party would have better upheld its claim to independence if it had refrained from voting with the Liberal party in tho noconfidence division on Saturday mornin* Commenting upon this opinion, a labour member, declared that it was untenable. He admitted that no direct result of value should accrue from voting with a party that was doomed in any case to defeat but justified the course "of action adopted by Labour on the ground that it expected to gain recruits from the outgoing part}-. It is anticinated that not only private members of the Liberal party but several ex-Ministers will at no very distant date join hands with Labour Every member of tho Reform Party, except Mr. W. H. Herries. who is to arthe lonic to-morrow, will bo in' .Wellington to-day.