Mr. Robertson, M.P.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 June 1912, Page 3

Mr. Robertson, M.P.

">■' TIIK WAI 111 STIiIKK

'Ihc New Zealand Times publishes, a .<!>;r:a! detailing an in- (-'■•;■ vie,v wliirh it. Auckland corres-|i"iid.-iit has had with .Mr IJoberlMA', on the Waihi strike. Mr Ito'ierl-rm said : A .•f.i-eat deal may be sail] in jn>tiof th,. objections raised !>y liif Wiiihi I'iiion to ilie I'onnalion i>l , a st'parsite union uithin 1!,,. areii in which their union was the para--I'ioiiiit oi-'iaiiisation, bir. their olii'"'l itt my opinion could have been attained without resortiiiLr to the , - Av j, matter oi In t, the

■•:n!-.i. v.as entered upon viiJunt the !i'in-.,Mi( of the federation executive. Ifad the matter lir.-t uoiie before j!- " ! '■"■•.■' I '■ i'd n->t beTiove that a .strike would ever have taken place ! I • Vμ , - j I i ■ 1 i ' L, '■'' '■'■'' W-' : > '■ ' snowed a j weakness in repudi.-i(;.• .r the action ol the Waihi I'liion and thereinI'riiiitaiuinn: discipline w.itliin tlioir own ranks. Instead of doing so. the delegates at the recent conferonce apparently allowed tlioin.st'lve.s to Ik* swayed by the talk of "class solidarity.•' etc., and have made a tactical blunder in countenancing the .strike, therein- involving the very existence of tlio federation itself in a dispute wliicli originated in a way that was contrary to the con-sl-.itution of the. federation. T Ih>l.'ovo that many unions at present affiliated to the federation hare had their loyalty to the organisation con■siderahly strained previous to the Wiiihi strike, and a request for financial assistance may be the moans of proving that that loyalty has now reached breaking point.

While we who are connected with the Fnited Labour Party recognise the absolute necessity of industrial organisation, we believe that political action must go hand in hand with industrial activity, niul* -that the greatest rctorie.s for the workers in the immediate, future will bo won on the political field.