"A GREAT SUCCESS."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1800, 12 July 1913, Page 3

"A GREAT SUCCESS."

UNITY CONGRESS RESULT. VIEWS ON SECESSIONISTS. Mr. W. T. Mills, political organiser, of the Social Democratic Party, left for tho south by last night's boat to assist the Labour candidate in the fight for the Urey seat. As political organiser tf the newlyformed body, Mr. Mills was questioned by a Dominion reporter, prior to the departure of the boat, for his opinion on the congress. "Tho matters which have been most seriously discussed," said Mr. Mills, "were adjusted in a way that is satisfactory to all of tho Labour organisations which are really active and aggressive in their policy, and should bo satisfactory to all bodies. "Tho questions which caused controversy between the Federation of Labour and the United Labour Party- wero those concerning strikes and arbitration. These had been settled satisfactorily. The right-to-striko had been maintained, as it had been maintained in tho past by both the Federation of Labour and the United Labour Party, only it was now moro carefully guarded against abuse than had been tho case in the past." "But tho United Labour Party have already broken away?" was the statement, put -in tho form of a question by tho reporter, and a prompt reply was elicited. "Tho people who held an unauthorised and unrepresentative gathering in the namo of tho United Labour Party were people who wero never members of the United Labour Party," said Mr. Mills. Continuing, ho stated that tho meoting held in tho Trades' Hall on -Thursday night was not mado nip of elected delegates of the party, and any action taken by thorn was in no way representative, or binding, in any way. The proposals put forward at tho meeting, in Mr. Mills s opinion, would not be taken seriously by anyone familiar with the facts. And how does the Social Democratic Party view. Mr. Fowlds's action? "Mr. Fowlds attended the congress as a delegate from the District Council of the Auckland Federation of Labour, and that council never took out a charter under tho United Labour Party, and Mr. Fowlds has no right to speak in tho namo of that organisation." Ho considers tho Social Democratic Party too revolutionary? "If Mr. Fowlds means that it is an organisation formed with a view to promoting disorder in tho industrial worldami his complaint, in tho connection in which it is made can mean nothing lessthen I say he is entirely without justification. No organisation of labour has ever been created in which the conditions leading to industrial revolt aro more carefully guarded than in tho now Federation of Labour. It should be remembered that Mr. Fowlds withdrew from tho conference Lcfore tho constitution and platform had been considered." Mr. Mills stated that tho Unity Congress had been a great success, and this despite tho fact that already tho executive of the Association of Raiiwaymen havd withdrawn, that tho Hou. 6. Fowlds and Mr. D. M'Laren have seceded, and that tho United Labour Party in Wellington has decided that there could be no union with the revolutionary faction of which the congress was largely composed.