LABOUR PARTES AIMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1726, 18 April 1913, Page 6

LABOUR PARTES AIMS.

WARNING BY MR. ■ MORIARTY. WHY HE DECLINED TO STAND ON .'.. . THE TICKET. In the course of his, speech at the Concert Chamber ..last evening, Mr. D. Monarly, a candidate for the City Council, made interesting reference to his reasons for declining to stand on the Larour ticket.

Mr. Moriarty. said'that he was secretary of the Wellington Furniture Workers' Union and the New Zealand Federation of Furniture Workers. He was not standing was getting a recommendation from them (who knew his work best), as those who were nominating him were the chief officers of the union. He was a Ntfw Zcalauder, and, therefore, deeply .interested in the country. He had neon waited on by a deputation from' the Labour party, who wanted to know what he was standing as, and he had replied: "Independent.',' They warned him not to use the word "Labour," as they were "Labour." The word "Labour" had been prostituted; but he (Mr. Moriarty), used it in its broad sense.

He had been asked why he was not on the "Labour" ticket. The reasons were:— (1) That he was (against , union funds being .used foi;. jwlitical purposes; and (2) because the Unity Labour party have en•dorsed the Unity Labour scheme. He objected to Syndicalism, Socialism, . and "I.W.W-ism." He-had been nominated by the United Labour party for their ticket, but had declined, so, apparently, they thought him a fit and proper person to represent .Wellington. If a man was bound to join a union to get a job, was it fair for his funds to be used in support of 4 principles: lie disagreed witli? These funds could. 1 now be so used,. and were freely used. But if this condition of affairs were done away with there would soon be less heard of tho "Labour" agitator, who tried to get into Parliament by using the labourers' funds. (Applause.) In July (the,time of the Unity • Conference)' there was going to be the biggest war there ever had been. He claimed that the "Labour" party had already adopted the Unity basis, and ho read a circular which, he said, bore out this allegation. The Unity people wanted to abolish the Arbitration Act. Where, would the workers be without the Arbitration Act? They forgot tho ladder on which tliey had climbed, and if it was taken away some would have a. very nasty fall. If -Mr. M'Laron did not agree with the Unity basis (as he had said), it was strange that on the "Labour ticket were several men who were promoting tho Continuing, Mr. Moriarty ' said that after he had deliberately omitted to attend a certain conference to which he had been invited, Messrs Itoss ("Maoriland Worker"), and L. M. A. Rearden hod waited on him as n deputation from the United Labour party. They said'that it had been reported to them that Mr. Moriarty was standing for tho council as an Independent, and after lie gave them his answer, Rcarden snid: "You understand that we have not come to ask you to stand." Mr. Moriarty replied: "No; you have come to ask me not to stand." To whiph the deputation replied that that was iho cat'. 1 . Mr. Moiinrty said: "You bnliovc in proportional representation, don't you—it is one of your planks?" Thev replied that, they did, and he then told them that they did not practice it, as there were only fifieen seats on (lie City Council and I hey wanted the lot. The deputation then proposed that, if Mr. M'oriartv would -tain! on their ticket I hoy would put a man out, and put him in tho lifieen. He refused. .They f aid that he would have >thc Labour licket's backing against him. and he replied that ho would be pleased to b» opposed by that section which really' believed what it; prcached. "Do you realise." lliey asked, "that the 'Independent' enndidate always gees to the wall:" "Then,',' replied Mr. Moriarty. "you need not worry about nie; that will just suit you." The deputation offered to run him as a candidate at the next general election, but lie declined again.

At qnc.-^lion lime, someone asked if it. was honourable of Mr. Moriarty to divnlpo what transpired at.thcconfrrcncotliatw;js not opeu to tlio pro??. Mr. Moriarty replied that everything lie had said oi' the January conference he had quoted from the "Jl.ioriln.wl Worker" and the daily press. The letters ho had used were private letters, not his union's.