DISLOYAL OBSTRUCTIONISTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1568, 24 June 1916, Page 2

DISLOYAL OBSTRUCTIONISTS.

MR. TITOS. It. UOYDHOUSE, late editor-in-chief of the Sydney Sunday Times, hut now of Warkworlh, in the North Auckland district, in a. letter to the Wellington Post re the attitude of the Government towards disloyal or unpatriotic —to him the words arc synonymous iu war time —people, says any weakly altitude will land this country in a trying position. He argues that too much latitude has already been allowed to a number of people iu this

(’mmi'f'l’ion. In some instances, ho snvs, these obstructionists are afraid of llioir own skins, in olhors tliov arc in (he pay of tlio enemy and pvohahly woro hofoi’o Iho war, and in slid others —well, amazing ignorance is the* only explanation. Heing nnini(adored with they are growing holder. Speaking of. trades union officials in this connection, (hough not with the hulk of members of trades unions themselves, ho says : “The time has arrived when not only the (lovernment should exert itself to supress these people, who appear to have so little regard lor (heir country (and the advantages they enjoy in it); hut members of trades unions must see to it that they are not misrepresented by (heir officers. Ninety per cent. of members of trades unions are in lull accord with the (lovernment and their fellow citizens in the desirel to make a general effort to assist in the early conclusion of iho war: hut they tire in danger of being’ placed in a false position by men who speak and write on behalf of (lie unions without full authority. There are oliieers of trades unions who think they are the whole union. It is time members made it plain that they are the servants of the unions, not their masters. So with Labour members of Parliament, who are talkie" against New Zealand’s duty in respect, of endeavouring to secure a safe and prosperous future. Those who made them members of Parliament can unmake them, and it is their duty now to intimate 1 (Iml, fact per medium of resolutions passed at public meetings. If constituencies and members of trades unions do not protest, in the most public and emphatic way against misrepresenlation by their members and union officers the neglect of (hat duty may later cause I hem much misery. 1 do not know whether then 1 is a Secret Service in New Zealand, but recent events have shown that there is a necessity for it. Officers of such a service should be at every meeting at which disloyal or anti-conscription (the same thing, in effect) utterances are expected, with instructions to take a note of anything calling for the attention of the authorities. Such otiicers would have been at the meetings recently addre-.-ed by Labour 'member.-, and at Mi.-s Pank-Imr-l’s meeting, with useful re.-nlt-. We are fighting with tin- glove-, off. The (lovernment imi-t u-c the hare knuckles on all who inierr'eiv with Defence. A beg-pardon tnlicy in this connection merely invites rhe spread of insolent dDloyai*y."