EVOLUTION OF THE LABOUR PARTY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 49, 17 February 1908, Page 2

EVOLUTION OF THE LABOUR PARTY.

-\i no time in ilic history of the Briti-h Empire lias there been such a I lormiduble problem to -ulve as that | which i- now vnlieti in Ihe evolution of i the l.aiioiir Party. While 011 the one liand we -o." an apparent climax readied. I an at the Hull Conference, on the otle'r ! hand the representatives of forty labour : and trades union- at Wellington have been formulating a united objective m eombination with i| M . Sorialist-. t.iUTs. I'oliiiral ,nhl Labour I .••ague, aml oilier kindred organisation-. There is no disguising the tact that labour is engaged in a determined fight for powerdoininative power—in the hope of subduing all thing- unto it-elf. !Co true poli. lieal ceojiomjst grudges the working elates one iota of their undoubted right-J. especially that of combination for the advancement of their berd interests. The <|ue«tioii of all questions that intrude- iuelt. however, is whether they ai'- not Iwing duped by some of their leader*. Apparently it js the old story of a.trob and K*au. My means of p!.*iii-iblc tongues the professional lenders of the labour movement have supplanted the worker-. They have made, or are making, them mere puppets in , their hands, and while living on the ' hard-earned produce of Esau'* labour I are depriving him of his birthright—ami other rig* < equally important. The eurion< part of the bn-ine>s is that the eyes of the worker* have not been opened, and that they have not seen uhither they are being led.

K\ I I'fMne- ;l I'c l\\ ;i y- wlieiV ion-c eoneemed. The downward path

i- -i» ea-y to negotiate. There are riMc* •'lml pitfall* in the way. hut Ihe inevilahl«- mnM happen when men vn*li t'ohl In their doom. So long as the worker- ; iHow I to be cozened by ilio-e who to he championing (he p:m-c of labour when gaining the car «>t trad<* unionist*. hut ave ved-hot Socialist* when -tripped of their hypo-

cri>y. -o Inn.tr will the h'ue aim- of (he lal»i>iir party be miMVpiwenl ed. ami their welfare jeopardised. Fortunately. ate not wanting to indicate tint there i- an awakening to the eoiir;?iHioiti'p- of mi-representation hy co-i-.illed leader*. It i< confidently anticipated hy thnse in a po-iiinn to h> rivr» at ;>n accurate knowledge of the true Mate of affair* in <!reat Britain that whenever the general election mines not a few of tbo-o members elected hv the workers will havo to look el-e. where tor " flowery beds of (Parliament. ar\-l ease." The most important "eye. ooener " 1 thut hns happened avo>p out of the proceeding* a< the TTtill Labour Confcrenec ln-< month. A> an illnstrati'.'ii uf the ladies of the extremists ii

h uui<|ue. After rejecting a motion to the eil'ect that the Labour Parly's ultimate object bd the obtaining for the workers the full result of their labo-ir by overthrowing the present competitive r-ystcm of capitalism, and the institution ,of public owncrsmp and control of all i In.- means of Ino, n motion was sii.v milted in favour of out and out Socialism. The closure wan applied, and, almost without discussion. the motion was ' carried by votes representing' 514JIUU to -JiM.t,i)i)() unionists. The majority was 24,0(»i, but the Amalgamated Society of llailway Servants claim that their 70JKUI votes were wrongly east for the motion. Apparently Hie unfurling of the red Hag was brought about through the absence of sixty delegates, who left before the you* wib taken, and it is significant tint the outcome" of the Un ties adopted lias aroused keen resentment, and rendered possible that severance o) I lie alliance between trader unionists and Socialists which, if continued, would undoubtedly wreck the Labour Party.

Hearing in nund that the Lxecutive of the Labour Party at Nome colitis wholly of Socialists, with the exception of live "trades union members ol Parliament, it is obvious that sooner or later there must either be a parting oJ tiiu ways or the Labour Party must itave adopted the principles n>,j dug. If the recent liasco only succeeds in alienating the two parties good will result from evil, We eaunot but think ! ihat the good sense of the workers will save them now that their eyes ha v e been opened to the danger of allving themselves with tluise whose avowed object is to r-np the foundations ol the Kmpire by giving the death blow to that private enterprise on which the greatness of the country has been built, it is satisfactory to sec evidence of a decided movement in favour of a permanent cleavage between labour and extreme Sociali-m. Labour can well stand alone am' successfully demand all reasonable right.-, bm fettered with extreme Socialism it must inevitably succumb to the insatiable parasite whose aim is destruction and anarchy. •

So far ib this Dominion is concerned there is littl<* danger of labour losing i's senses. Conferences like that at W Ellington may pas* resolutions seemingly drastic, hut actually harmless. Mr, Keir Nardie that the workers hero do not realise how socialistic lliey are. and that it is well for lUeni Ui"y do not. All the same. it will he just as well if the workers here keep a strict: watch on the leaders, so as to keep tln-m within hound?. They will show commendable wisdom by recognising that Ihey arc only a part of the community, ami that- other interests besides their own have to bo studied. They are hotter oil' here than in any other country. Therefore it Mioves them to *{udy the general welfare of the community and refrain from damaging tho prospects of the rising generations.