MR. TREGEAR AND ARBITRATION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1656, 24 January 1913, Page 7

MR. TREGEAR AND ARBITRATION.

(To the Editor.)

| -Sir,—ln. your :issue of to-day. (January 22), your, leader-writer is so good as lo animadvert: on'rnyi at 7' tho Labour. Coufore , iicfl;, < »y.t? I t siWWg J in r "Wf!t;; lington, and-bli;mV l greatjeoeptioii.", r laiu -not 'accustomed' ?o'«k. ' permission : of ..anyone 'as? to:, what ..meet-', kings','l '.may 'or:uiay- not 'atteud, and if I:tcceiyed. ii. heatty...welcbuie' it-Av'as,frqm' a meefjnj composed of men ■ who .ktewjthal, 'whetlier/aiy..opinions .agreed,, withtheirs .or liqt, I:am single-hearted.in hiy efforts to aid the.caiiso -of the'..workers. That position,,' whether recognised'.' by-' The Dojiraiou or not—which is to mo a small matter—as fully recognised by'the workers themselves. .'::.; .•:'■:

Tou ; Say that it ..was unnecessary-fori mo to-uiata : . a'preposterous insinuation which has.no fouriaation -in fact. That is,<|nito'.-.;true;'■ it was'-unnecessary, and thereforo.nbt:done'by .one who-is, as. I am'too lazv.;.'to "make, insinuations when 'one ;cnn -talk straight—and "hit 'straight.: I attended the meeting because the Arbitration Apt is now' bsing prostituted by those wtio ! have seduced ft from tho paths, of virtue.'That crime and that alone is brinjing'.labbur 'men of widely differing.' opinions and of diverse ; organisations' into liric and into solidarity. Tte ; Federation: of Labour; many of whoso men i are opponents of inddstriaL arbitration, Is com-, bining.w-ith the "United Labour party in the attempt, to cut-dway. the cancer which threatens tb;rot : tho life, but of tTode s -:. unionism, in New Zealand. I will.attend any' meeting,"accept:any position,'render myself liable- to any critic's. sneer,' if I caa help': thereby to bring back ■ healthy conditions into bur• industrial life. ' ■'.'

■ I have had half a'century's experience of social and problems in Naif' Zealand, and I assert without reservation that the '.present hour is the most r.rudial this colony -has yet encountered., 'x ho lessons, of' AVaihi arid Huntly are, taking curions arid unexpected forms, and Ihose who seem ' to have legally and ,socially triumphed niay truly say', as said .an -ahcicntKiuff,,"One more such victory, and I am .undone." You,'doubtless with .wisdom, rate my sagacity at a low standard, but I do not expect The Dominion will be warned even by the folly, of such a fool as . ' ; :■.'-.,. EDWARD TREGEAK,. [Our ..correspondent, must, not bu left in possession of such'an-erroneous idea as that- we Cai'e at all, what meetings -he attends: But wo think we must.be allowed, when wo'.find Mr.'Tregear.or.-.-vy.one else- mating- ri preposterous insinuation which has no foundation in fact, to make a noto of the matter. Our correspondent has yet to.defend the challenged.' the ordinary man jreqmres>umething more convincing than.the uncomely rhetoric which our correspondent has caught from his new associates.] .■