WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1919, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(Our Special Correspondent). OFFICIAL LABOUR. AGAINST BOTH OLD PARTIES

WELLINGTON, September 2D. Judging from tlio speeches delivered by Mr H. E. Holland and Mr Robert Semple at the Labour Rally here last night the “objective” of these turbulent spirits is to drive the Reformers and the Liberals into one camp in opposition to the “Social Democrats”, as they and their associates style themselves when the title seems to fit tlic occasion. At the moment their sliafs arc directed rather against Sir Joseph Ward than against Mr Massey. They j suspect, or say they suspect, the Liberal leader of attempting by his progressive programme to undermine their schemes for socialising everything—means of production, distribution, exchange and the rest, in the accepted formula—and they regard him as a more formidable obstacle to the realisation of their dreams than they

!do the Prime Minister. Mr Massey, they declare, is merely tlio tool of the “big squatters”, who have few friends, while Sir Joseph Word is the tool of the commercial magnates, w/.o exercise great influence to the injury of the workers. THE SANER VIEW.

Mr l’eter Fraser, though giving by In’s silence a general assent to the. doctrines of his colleagues, took a somewhat broader view of the situation, lie would not reject such good things as Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward were disposed to provide for the workers. Tie did not despair of any progress being made this side. of. th© labour tnillenium. He was not prepared to posttone the reforms promised by the leaders of the older parties till the time of which Mr Holland and Mr Semple are dreaming'when Labour will be ‘‘ail powerful in Parliament”. As a matter of fapti the member for Wellington South has not yet acquired the airs and tricks of the professional agitator and though lie did not tickle the ears of the audience last night to quite the same extent as did this more fiery colleagues, he probably made a more effective appeal to its understanding. Tie, at any rate, did a better service to the Labour cause. THE COAL MINES DISPUTE. The letter addressed to the Prime Minister by the Coal Mine Owners’ Association, which is published in the newspapers this morning, can scarcely fail to impress the public with the "soundness of the attitude taken up by the owners in tlteir dispute with the men. The owners protest against being drawn into further conferences unless the men will immediately abandon the

“go-slow” policy mid show their readiness to accept the mediation of the authorities provided by law. With this much conceded the owners will waive all technical objections to the. revision of existing agreements, with one or two specified exceptions, and will consent to a conference “at each mine by means of the conciliation councils, presided over by the respective conciliation commissioners.” On the face of it this seems reasonable enough and if tli 0 miuers reject the offer they wifi place a severe strain upon the sympathy of that section of the public that has

stood their friend throughout the dis- * pute. GENERAL ELECTION. All the parties are now busying themselves with preparations for the general election in real earnest. There, is an idea.abroad that the polling will come rather earlier than Mr Massey indicated last week, possibly in the last week of November and the - activity of those immediately concerned gives some colour to the persistent rumours to this effect. The official Labour Party, of course, has set its forces in order long ago, indeed it never rests in this respect, but the Reformers and the Liberals had practically no organisation when the National Cabinet dissolved. There tip pears to he less difficulty than usual, however, in obtaining suitable candidates, and both the old parties will be represented by a number of new and doughty champions, i The friends of both sides are claiming j a certain measure of “independence” j and party discipline promises to be 1 somewhat relaxed in the new House, but the dividing linos will be sufficiently well defined to prevent any excusable confusion.