Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1901. DISLOYALTY IN WELLINGTON.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 20 December 1901, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1901. DISLOYALTY IN WELLINGTON.

We often heat of “ the tail attempting to wag the dog ” and of Tooly Street tailors attempting to dictate to the British Empire. A similar position is taken up by a section of the Wellington Trades’ Council in regard to their utterances about the unholy Boer war, and their denouncement of the Government in sending an eighth contingent to South Africa. Our telegrams to-day inform us that in that Council twelve pro-Boerg have set themselves the task of teaching New Zealand what is her duty to the Motherland, and this, too, in face of the general endorsement of Mr Seddon’s action, and proof of the sincerity of the people by the rush of volunteers. Only a thousand men are wanted, and already twice that number have applied for enrolment. And now because twelve men out of twenty-two declare the war an unholy one, the “ profound declaration ” is telegraphed all over the colony, as a warning of what the Government and people of the colony may expect if they dare go contrary to those twelve disloyal artizans. This particular Trades’ Council, owing, we presume, to being a Wellington institution, has occupied a position in Press messages that it never deserved, but its latest resolution entirely alters its platform, and if, s in the future it is better knotyq as the

Wellington pro-Boer Council, the members must blame those twelve, who have given vent to such unpatriotic views upon a matter that 99 persons out of every 100 in the colony hold strong opinions regarding. It is pleasing to note that the President is no party to the resolution, and has resigned his position as a protest. We shall be very much surprised, indeed, if a good many more do not follow suit, for the workmen of this colony are loyal to the core, and will not allow their organisations to be made use of by unpatriotic men for evil purposes.