ALLIANCE OF LABOUR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2490, 7 October 1922, Page 4

ALLIANCE OF LABOUR.

AND POST AND TELEGRAPH ASSOCIATION. FURTHER DISCUSSION IN HOUSE. WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. According to the promise of the Premier, the debate was resumed in the House of Representatives to-day on the report of the committee' on the petition of the Post and Telegraph Association asking for the right to affiliate with the Alliance . of Labour. Mr T. M. Wilford said he did not believe the Post and Telegraph Association should affiliate with the Alliance of Labour. It should be impossible for an outside body to function in a dispute between the State and a section of its employees. POSTMASTER-GENERAL EXPLAINS. The Hon. J. G. Coates, PostmasterGeneral, quoted from tho platform of the Alliance of Labour to support his contention that the affiliation of a public department- with that body was not in the interests of the State. After dealing at length with the arguments for and again affiliation, he stated that the Government had not at any point used pressure against affiliation. He did not think that what had happened so far would interfere with tho loyalty and efficiency of tho department, but affiliation was something to which the Government would not as a matter of policy agree. MR MASSEY’S SPEECH. After speeches by Messrs Savage and Veitch, Mr Massey paid a tribute to tho loyalty of tho members--ef the Post and Telegraph Service, and said that about that there was no question in his mind whatever. There was no relation between the position of the railway and the post and telegraph men, but as a matter of fact not all the railwaymen were affiliated witli the Alliance of Labour. Only the A.S.R.S men were affiliated, and that was done at a time when it was not noticed. He did not, know how that came about, but he was quite prepared to take action if necessary. Continuing his speech in the evening, Mr Massey said ho did not consider it in the interests of tho State that this affiliation should take place because it was perfectly well known that thfc leaders of (ho alliance were, for tlw most part in favour of direct action, aind he wanted to know what was going to happen if the alliance called upon the post and telegraph men to join in a general strike. Ho quoted from the report of the commission set up in Australia on an identical question to that they were discussing that night. That report pointed out that there could not be such affiliation without serious detriment to the public interests because sooner or later public servants must become involved in disputes in which they were riot directly concerned. Similar reports were brought down by commissions set up in France and Britain, and what applied to those countries applied with equal force in New Zealand. So far us tho State servants in New Zealand were concerned, they had very little to complain of. Tribunals had been set up to deal with disputes, and anyone searching records would find that the Government had treated its servants well. Personally, he did not think this proposed affiliation was in the best interests of the State, and asked if the Government was quite prepared to take the consequences of that opinion. _ AFFILIATION A MISTAKE. 38?**--'-Mr Forbes thought that from the point of view of the post and telegraph men themselves affiliation was a mistake. He then proceeded to discuss some remarks made by the Premier at Levin, and asked if the Liberals come into power after next election would the Premier join with the Labour Party to put tho Liberals out. Mr Massey retorted: “The lion, gentleman is suggesting the impossible., but I will not .join with the extreme Labour Party for any purpose whatever.” After further discussion a division was taken on the amendment moved by Mr Holland that the report be referred back to the committee for further consideration. This was defeated by 53 votes to 11. The petition was. then referred to tho Government in accordance with the committee’s report.