LABOUR AND THE WAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1567, 22 June 1916, Page 2

LABOUR AND THE WAR.

A COHKFSPOXDENT of (ho Wellington Post Inis taken exception to .Mr JM’Laren’s statement Mini “Ihero nevov can In; any doubt- as to the polioy of the British Labour movement,’’ ami lias referred to (lio anli-war professions ol: I lie Independent Labour Parly and the Socialist Labour Parly. But the existenee of nnpatriotie minorities does not alter (he laet, says the Post editorially, that the greatest body of organised political Labour in (treat Britain has given its heartiest support to war measures. Not only this, but within this month the Transport. Federation, probably the strongest and most militant industrial organisation in the ladled Kingdom, lias rejected by a large majority a motion opposing e.onseription. New Zealand differs from Great- Britain in that the dissentient minority here has been allowed to .speak for the patriotic, majority, with the result that the official pronouncements of Labour have, with rare exceptions, been futile criticism, abuse of all in authority, and demands for conscription of wealth in impossible form. With a wider franchise the workers in New Zealand have greater opportunities than t heir fellows in Britain for the exercise of democratic control; but they have failed to use their power wisely-. The consequence is that while in

Croat Britain official Labour is consulted by Cabinet Ministers, and its opinions are beaded, in New Zealand Labour's words have little weight. There is yet time to remedy this, and it would be well for the mass of workers to heed Mr M’Laren’s plea, and to consider whether l heir leaders have been applying to nationalism the principles they so strongly enunciate concerning unionism—that a man is not truly a Labourite who accepts the privileges and benefits of membership but disregards the duties.