MILITANT LABOUR.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1921, Page 4

MILITANT LABOUR.

SYDNEY, June 28. The all-Australian Labour Congress concluded its week’s deliberations in Melbourne on Saturday. It was one of the biggest and most representative Labour conferences yet held bore, ft was fiercely and determinedly militant -and yet Cautious. It was noticeable all through the conference, Hint the motions officially submitted "ere flankly red and revolutionary, but that, be fora they were finally passed, they were almost invariably taken away into a bar - room and about 50 per cent, of the scarlet was dug out of them Even as passed, they were “hot stuff.’ but they were neither very red or very revolutionary. Still, they allowed the extremists in the party to talk about the pending abolition of capitalism and the control of all industry by the "Hiking class movement, and they impress ed the proletariat. Any man in this country can get into Parliament and into Ministries if he will only talk ‘•hot stuff.” That is why so much

“hot stuff” is talked that this country has quite an undeserved reputation: and why so many extremist Govern ments proved to be very mild affairs : .fter all. Ministries are immediately steadied up when they feel responsi bility. The conference on Saturday recoin mended “that when the powers of government have been captured bv a working class majority, the first essen tia.l will be the rapid extension of the Commonwealth Bank to embrace the •ntire credit system and the establishment of a similar bank in New Zealand.” The conference spent much time in trying to define its attitude towards foreign politics and what it calls “militarism.” A motion was submitted urging that warfare was “barbarous and “we hereby pledge ourselves, individually and collectively, to ret us to participate in any war outside the Commonwealth of Australia. AVe also pledge ourselves to co-operate with Urn working classes of all countries with a view to preventing war.” The extremists foamed and fumed

over this. It was good, but they wanted it stronger. But the sott voices of the moderates were heard, and the aggressive motion was takn away to a back room and carved. When it came back the portion quoted above was missing and in its place was: “As Hie Pacific is likely to be made the cockpit of the next gre it war, the Council ol Action elected by the Congress be instructed to get into comm unication with Labour organisations generally.

and particularly with those in the countries bordering the Pacific for the purpose of preventing future wars.” Unis amended the motion was passed. A Council of Action, comprising all the more aggressive Labourites in the country "'as set up “to direct the socialisation of industry” movement.