LABOUR AND ITS LEADERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1583, 29 October 1912, Page 4

LABOUR AND ITS LEADERS.

. The Huntly miners have very wisely decided to yield to the right of the mine-owners to make an 'example of men who leave work and make holiday when it suits them, in spite of the wishes of their employers. Even the aggressive Mr. Semple for once abandoned his bombastic talk, and urged the men to go back to work; and in doing so he made an interesting admission. , It was necessary, he said in effect, that these men should go back to work so that they could contribute to the funds to enablo the strikers at Waihi and llcefton to hold out. And yet, if we mistake not, Mr. Semple was one of those who urged the members of the Federation throughout New Zealand to cease work and take a day's holiday,, and incidentally lose a day's pay as a "demonstration" in favour of the Waihi strikers! It is becoming very clear-that the thoughtful section of the Labour party are beginning to appreciate how badly their cause is served by the tactics of their irresponsible and reckless leaders. Only a little time back there were hints of a general strike. The whole community was to be punished because a body of unionists at Waihi was not abje otherwise to intimidate a smaller and weaker union of workers, who refused to come under the banner of the Federation of Labour. And who would have suffered most? Of course it would have been the misguided followers of these strike advocates- Mr. Semple hinisolf now admits that it is undeshv able even that the comparatively small body of men at Huntly should continue out of work because of the financial difficulties of the situation, and how many times more difficult would it have been for them had the whole of. the men under the banner of the . Federation ceased work. The thing was absurd—the emptiest bluff. And when the strike at Waihi collapses utterly, as it, surely will, the folly of the methods of these blundering leaders will be brought home more forcibly than ever to the rank and file of labour.