"CEASE DRIFTING!" APPEAL BY N.Z. EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 31, 6 February 1913, Page 7

"CEASE DRIFTING!" APPEAL BY N.Z. EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION

ORGANISING TO COMBAT SOCIALISM DEFENCE FUND OF £5000 PER ANNUM WANTED. , PROTECTION AGAINST CLASS FIGHTERS. • We are enabled to publish, without breach of confidence, the following memorandum, issued by the New Zealand Employers' Federation — a document marked "private and confidential," which has already found publicity. The memorandum— 'an appeal to employers throughout New Zealand to combine for their own safety "against Socialism and syndicalism," and to establish a defence fund — is self explanatory. It may be added that, the work is already progressing and well forward. The document, whose objective is very evident, has the following headlines : — "New Zealand Employers' Federation" ; "Urgent and Imperative Needs" ; "More Organisation" ; "Establishment of Dofence Fund" ; "To Combat Socialism, Syndicalism, Anarchy." Its text is as 1 follows :-— "That tho future well-being of the Dominion and' the interests of all ;who have a stake in the country are seriously threatened by the ever-increasing aggressiveness of the Labour parties cannot be denied. That unless employers and those whose interests are in jeopardy combine and organise to combat the fallacies of socialism and syndicalism it is manifest that in a short time our industries and our politics will be in the hands of irresponsible persons who will wage a claBS war. THIS CANNOT BE ALLOWED. "Employers must cease < from drifting, and organise more effectively. A FORWARD MOVEMENT. "At the last annual general meeting of the New Zealand Employers' Federation it was unanimously decided to improve, extend, and consolidate the organisation of employers. With a view to giving full effect to the above decision, the Advisory Board was Instructed to appoint one or two organisers and to use its best endeavours to increase the effectiveness of the work of j the Federation. To this end the Advisory Board has decided to appoint Mr. N. M'Robie, of Waihi, who is at present editor and part proprietor of the Waihi Daily Telegraph newspaper, aa assistant secretary, and Mr. R. A. Armstrong, of Auckland, as organiser. Mr. Armstrong has already proved himself an organiser of no mean ability. In addition, it has been found absolutely necessary t.o have increased office assistance, and more suitable office appliances and accommodation. "Besides the foregoing the Advisory Board hopes to be in a position to secure spaces in the daily newspapers, say, once a week, for the purposes of exposing the many fallacies 'enunciated by the Labour leaders, to publish reliable statistics and general information in the interests of the organisation, and particularly to deal with proposed legislative enactments. The Advisory Board estimates the annual cost of the proposals at about £2500, a very modest sum in comparison with the many thousands spent annually by the Labour parties. Then, in addition to the above, it is imperative that a Defence Fund should be established to meet contingencies as they arise, and which in the past have had to be met by personal canvass. Altogether, it will bo seen that a sum of at least £5000 per annum is necessary to inaugurate the forward movement, a, sum that should be easily attained if employers realise the true position of things. FIND THE MONEY. "The Advisory Board acting under instructions of the annual meeting of the Federation now calls upon large employera of labour to pay into this fund 2s 6d per annum for every hundred pounds of wages paid. Professional men, merchants, sheepowners, farmers, property owners, etc., are appealed to for as liberal an annual subscription as the circumstances of the case demand. AN APPEAL. "The Advisory Board has every confidence in appealing to those interested to support the movement as liberally as possible, believing that in so doing it is asking them to subscribe to an insurance fund as necessary as those of life or fire insurance. '"Kindly fill in the accompanying schedule and forward crossed cheque, P.O. order, or remittance to the Secretary, New Zealand Employers' Federation, Woodward-street, Wellington. An .addressed envelope is enclosed for the /purpose." The document is signed by Mr. W. Hopkirk, president, and Mr. T. Shailer Weston, vice-president. SCHEDULE. "The Secretary, "New Zealand Employers' Federation, "Woodward-street, Wellington. "Herewith please find enclosed a cheque for £ : : , being 2s 6d for every £100 of wages paid during the twelve months ended 31st August, 1912, as a subscription to the organising and defence funds of the New Zealand Employers' Federation for the year ending 31st August, 1913, and in accordance with the resolution passed by the Federation at its last annual meeting. "Name " Address "Note. — Attention is directed to the fact that the above subscription is i;o be separate and apart from employers' contributions to district employers' associations, but that wages and salaries paid to foremen, departmental heads, and members of clerical staffs are not to be included in the computation of wages paid. A FACT WORTH NOTING. "Every trades unionist pays annually into the funds of the Labour organisations not less than 6d per week, in addition to special levies, strike pay, etc., thus averaging from £1 10s to £2 per annum. .