The Dominion TUESDAY, MAY 27. 1919. A HOUSE DIVIDED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 207, 27 May 1919, Page 4

The Dominion TUESDAY, MAY 27. 1919. A HOUSE DIVIDED

The trouble that has arisen between Mr. W. A. Veiicii, M.P., and the extremists who are intent on dominating the' Labour Party supplies still another illustration of tendencies that have become familiar in the industrial and political organisation of Labour in this country. The issues raised are not novel, but they deserve the earnest attention not only of Labour Party supporters, but of all who recognise that organised Labour, if it succeeds in concentrating on a national policy, will find a great part to play in forwarding the development of the Dominion. It has «ap■pened time and again that men who have won standing and influence in tho ranks, of Labour by service and effort, on behalf of the workers have found themselves sooner or later directly opposed to activc and influential sections in the organisations to which they belong or with which they have been associated. When the person who is to this extent disowned by his own-party is a politician, 'positive proof is frequently supplied that the repudiation of his leadership is the work of a minority. Experience has shown that a Labour politician rejected by industrial organisations is not of necessity doomed to defeat at the polls. In a country like New Zealand this is partly, accounted for by the fact that a candidate of moderate Labour views is supported by many-electors who do not belong to' industrial organisations. But this is not a : complete explanation. It is a fact well established and familiar to all who arc in touch with Labour affairs' that very 'often the political standpoint of the active and dominant scction of an industrial organisation is neither shared nor approved by the bulk of its members. It is notorious that most unions are run and controlled by aggressive .minorities, a majority of the members either staying away from meetings, or, when they do attend, allowing themselves to be passively led by extremists with whom they have' little real sympathy, It is largely in these conditions that Labour shapes its industrial policy and that' men of moderate views are thrust aside or officially denounced; At elections, however, union members are much more likely to vote according to their personal convictions, and so it happens that candidates who have been banned by "militant" Labour arc often returned to Parliament and other public bodies with a considerable measure of Labour support. As matters stand the political Labour Party seems to reflect accurately the condition of the unions upon which it is ehicnv based—a condition of minority rule by' extremists. ..

Only one verdict is possible upor a state of affairs in which organised Labour periodically casts out experienced leaders whose sole offence is that they prefer a policy of constructive reform to one of insurgent folly. ■ Between them, the' extremists who crcate this state of'affairs and the much larger body of nominally organised workers who toler-' ate or passively support them are wrecking the prospects of the Labour Party from within. It would be a. more exact statement of the position, perhaps, to say that they arc blocking-the organisation of a genuine Labour Party. Not only arc the men who arc best qualified to lead the party on soundly progressive lines being expelled, or gagged, but strong elements which would readily support a sane policy of radical reform are repelled and antagonised. The truth is that the Labour Party as it exists in. this country to-day is an anachronism. Justifying its claim to represent and speak for the whole body of wage-earners, it would stand for a bold and enterprising policy of in- i dustrial and social reform, and' would become by_ far the strongest i political force in the Dominion. I Labour, of course, will never attain this position until it broadens isa aims and seeks to bring about tho harmonious co-operation of all useful, and productive elements in society. The position actually reached is that a very largp proportion of those who might constitute the Labour Party are either standing aside or drifting apathetically, while an exuberant minority is doing its best to breed discord and sectional strife alike in industry and in politics. These are conditions which make material progress impossible, and none suffer more under them than wage-earners. For the existence of such conditions the men who periodically are oxpellcd frour thc_ Labour Party .on account of their moderate views must accept a considerable measure of responsibility. -Most of them are open to the charge that they were content to move in old ruts and grooves instead of stirring the unionists amongst whom their lot was cast to really constructive activity, and noia few of them also pandered as lon and as far as possible to the in"

tanfc extremists who ultimately cast them out.

The practical problem raised is that of fending a remedy for conditions in which Labour disregards or turns aside from the path of true progress and finds practically its only outlet for energy in useless strife! with employing interests. It is obvious enough that this problem is not of concern only, to Labour, but is national in its scope. As the chairman o? the British Labour Party (Mfc. At»am?on) observed not long ago, a stare has been reached at which "Parliament and tho Government cannot stand aside (as has beer, largely the case up to the preS'lnf.) and leave Labour and Capital Ir. out. their differences without tbi! ewtodiaßs tba nation'a ;n-

terests making an effort to get a fair and equitable adjustment of disputes as they arise." It'is possible indeed, to go further. The whui< population is penalised as a result of the waste and loss occasioned by industrial strife, and is therefore interested in averting it, but the penalty is not felt only when strikes and industrial disputes occur. A condition of affairs in which Labour organisation is perverted and deflected from what should be its essential objects not only reduces to a minimum the possibilities of- improvement in status and remuneration for wage-earners, but tends to make national progress and welfare impossible. It is distinctly a national concern to awaken Labour to the fullest possible sense of its opportunities and responsibilities. The problem is one of enormous difficulty, and the greatest difficulty of all is that of inducing the passive majority in tho ranks_of organised Labour to take an active and practical interest in its own affairs. With Labour really keyed to an effective pitch of organisation, there would be littlo enough reason to apprehend futile industrial strife or neglect of the opportunities of advancement and improvement that are open. There is no instant or ready means of promoting such an awakening, and it will never be fully effected without enterprising work inside the Labour organisations by men who are prepared to make war without truce upon reactionary extremists who inculcato the insane doctrine that strife and wrecking will, in some unexplained fashion, pave the way for constructive reform. But something may be done by national effort to encourage and stimulate development on right lines. For instance, a national industrial conference, such as was proposed recontly by the Federation of Labour Executive, might be made to mark a definite step forward towards better conditions. In the circumstances that have been touched upon, the difficulty would be, so far as Labour is concerned, to make such a conferenco really representative. But the open and frank discussion of industrial problems' would in itself tend to arouse the practical interest' of workers who are now indifferent or apathetic, the more_ so since any such , assemblage as is proposed would naturally be called upon to consider tho possibility of substituting effective co-operation for the conditions now general in industry. The only promising line of progress is to offer such incentives to the mass of wageearners as are calculated to win their support for such a policy. A national industrial conference might do something to promote such an understanding as is required, and it is to bo regretted that the Government thus far has done nothing towards bringing such a conference together.