NEW LABOUR PARTY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 28, 27 October 1917, Page 11

NEW LABOUR PARTY

EXTREMIST DOCTRINES DEPREC ATED A NATIONAL BODY A movement is afoot to form a new Labour Party in New Zealand, and -Air. W. P. Block, of Auckland, is at present in Wellington engaged in organising work in connection ivitli the movement. lu an interview yesterday Mr. Black said: "As to the present Labour Party, it is trading under five different names— the Federation of Laobur, the United Labour Party, the Labour Representation Committee, tho Social Democratic Party, and the New Zealand Labour Party. 11l essence they are one, although they go under fivo different names. The reason why they do so is that they wish to ho ! able to accommodate themselves (o cir- | cuuistances. The whole of this party is ■ supposed to be the official mouthpiece of j Labour. It is claimed that'the nominal i strength of the trade unions before the war was about 600,000. Only about 10 per cent, to 15 per cent, take an active interest in their unions, and that unfortunately ds .the extremist element. That element make it their business to attend the meetings. I'lie great body of moderate workers has no voico: as a matter of fact they are so disgusted with the conduct of meetings that they don't attend them. Sinco the war began the extremists have gained control of the whole of the executives (or the official machine) of tho trades unions. Tho extremists believe in tho total destruction of the capitalistic system. With them it is not a question of the wrongs or th'e rights of a dispute. They go on tlie idea tlißt a 6trike (win or lose} is of benefit to tho working class. If they lose they say they are being persecuted; if they win they say that great gain can be secured by revolutionary methods. No effort to socuro harmony will bo mads by Labour whilo the revolutionaries havo control of the unions. There is no doubt great credit is due to the Employers' Association for the conciliatory tone it has adopted. 'Until a party is formed which will co-oporate on commonsense lines with the Employers' Association and the various political parties, no reconciliation between Capital and Labour is possible. "A strikinp example of how tho activo minority claims to represent the workors is their claim that 95 per cent, of tho workors are with them. I deny this. At the last Auckland municipal elections, from a roll of between 55,000 and 60,000 electors, the revolutionary candidate scored only about 2000 votes. "Recently a movement has been started in Auckland for tho formation of a national Labour party, which .would cooperate with various bodies to foster national social legislation which would not hinder our industrial development. Tho moderate section of Labour recognises that when there is an industrial upheaval or a go-slow strike the cost of living must go up. The moderate worker is recognising to-day that wages (with exceptions, of course) have_ reached their highest, and that industrial matters must not be strained to berakingpoint, and that the only way to secure improvements is by a series of social reforms which will have to be tackled soon after the war ends.

"This new party will comprise both workers and employers, and will be a Labour party In tho broadest sense. It will accept no union as a body: simply tako individual citizens. I have had letters from all over New Zealand saying that the time is rlpo for a movement such as this. Tho party will be opposed to strikes and lock-outs as detrimental to the workors, the employers, and the public. It is not necessarily aiming at ebing a governing body, but it will give support to any political party whenever a national and beneficial measure is to be put through." Mr. Black proposes to tour' New Zealand to organise the new body.