WHERE ARE THOSE LEADERS?

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1915, 25 November 1913, Page 6

WHERE ARE THOSE LEADERS?

It must be very plain to everyone that- at the present juncture a serious responsibility rests on the leaders of that section of organised Labour which does 'not- range it-self under the Ited Flag of the Federation of Labour. It is to tho credit of Mr. M. J. Reardon and the Hon. J. Base, M.L.C., "that they have openly and in the strongest possible terms warned the more reasonable section of Labour unionists against the danger of associating themselves with the lawless methods of the Bed Federation. A manifesto on the subject has also been issued by the United Labour Party. But an active and persistent campaign is needed if Labour unionism is to be saved from being made- a sacrifice to the blundering strife-makers, who are seeking to prolong tho present ruinous struggle, under the pretence that Labour has something to gain thereby. The folly of tie action of the Federation of Labour can be judged by noting the course of recent events here, in Auckland, arid in Christchurcli. In Auckland and in this ei-ty the strike is crumbling to pieces. We aro told that in Auckland particularly the back-to-work movement has set in- so very markedly that it was recommended that the whole of the unions outside of thoso engaged in the work of transport should return to work. Hero in Wellington we have seen watersidcrs and drivers who had becu on strike returning to their employment, and the places of others filled by Arbitration unionists. AH along the line ill the north tho strike is collapsing. Now, after five weeks' experience of the futility of the strike in Auckland and Wellington, the Federation of Labour is seeking to embroil tho Labour unionists of Christehurch, and has so far succeeded as to induce- the drivers to come out on strike. In Christehurch, as in Auckland and Wellington, the same procedure will no doubt bo gone_ through. There will be a short period of dislocation, and then the various services will be gradually but surely restored to normal, and many Labour unionists will find that they have been sacrificed to gratify the insanely hopeless ambitions of the strike bosses of tho Federation of Laboisr.. Why does not the United Labour Party rise to tho occasion and make clear fo The Labour unionists of Canterbury and Otago the full truth of the position I here and at Auckland? There is not an intelligent- Labour unionist in Wellington who is capable of forming a reasonable judgment who cannot see that the back of the strike has been broken. Each day brings some new evidence of this fact. Wliy then do the leaders of Labour, who profess to have the interests of Labour so much at heart, mid who aro not dragged at the heels of the Red Federation, neglect their plain duty and through_ their inactivity allow tho Fcdal'tttion to drag in froslj victims J