The Daily News FRIDAY, AUGUST 7. LABOR WRECKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 195, 7 August 1908, Page 2

The Daily News FRIDAY, AUGUST 7. LABOR WRECKERS.

Two Labor representatives— the lions. ■J. Paul and J. ifcirr—Leyiohilivu Councillor*, have rendered tiiu people of Now Zealand a good service in seeking to exnose the kind of men who are doing their best in wreck the cause of labor in this Dominion. Jioih gentlemen Have been closely identified with the interests of labor, practically as well as politically and scttliiiie.iHti.Uy, from tneir youth up, and there can be liulc uuhlh that it was principally fur lli.-jr representative character in this respect that scats in the Upper Chamber were given to them. They were present during some portion of-the proceedings of the Labor Conference recently held in Wellington, and their criticisms, more particularly of the nature of the men who now presume to figure before the public as Labor's representatives. is very valuable. The lion. 'Air. Paid says 'that Die blatant orators are "musters °f the gentle art of denunciation.'' There is no man or thing in this blessed world right but themselves, and they, of course, arc. always in that happy condition. To venture to diiler ! from them is to be for ever blasted. Apparently holding that they can command the votes of labor all over the land, they lay down what is to be with a pcremptoriucss that admits of no denial, Jn their pride of this position! they think they can command a policy of "splendid isolation/'andhliisis what they advocate. Downtrodden labor in this free land is to arise and assert itself, and, of course, it is anticipated that I when the great event takes place they I! —the leaders—shall not go without reII ward.

Aye, there it is; Jet no one suppose that they arc blethering and spouting \ for nothing. They aie self-seekers ' every one. At the close of the proceedings the usual motion was submitted that the Conference wait, upon the Government and lay before it the resolutions at which they had arrived. A "lofty scorn" greeted the proposal. What, interview the Government.' A preposterous idea! Let the Government wait on them! They are the masters. At the recent conference' tlie Wellington delegates made a positively grand diplay, and in c.oiscijucnce, no doubt, they fully anticipate that the great bulk of the working-men electors of the Empire City will rush niter them imploring that they consent to be. returned to Parliament.' hi 11102, says Air. Paul, at a similar conference, there were similar labor wreckers. "In their opinion the workers' representatives on the Court was a 'wooden man,' the then .lodge was 'appointed for the purpose of. preventing the workers from availing themselves of the Act,' the 'Arbitration Act was the greatest curse that Labor had ever had put upon it.' 'I say, let us strike when we arc ready,' said one delegates, 'and if we do there will not be enough gaol.,'' in the colony to hold us.'" Such watheir respect for the law of the land! that whenever they fancied they c.aild drive a coacli and. six through it, either through the insufficiency of gaol ac commodation or the puwcrlessiios oi the Government to recorer a line, thej were prepared to attempt its violation The labor wreckers of six years age have reappeared in greater force lliai ever, 'their bellicose gasconading i; of a character to bring disgrace upoi Porirua.-

The Hon. J. Jlarr lias declared thai the ".Labor Conference was a labor conference only in name!" JUwas in reality an aggregation of political selfseekers, each member trying to go one better than his neighbor in the si niggle for the lavor of the workers. 11 was not consideration lor I lie cause of Labor but politics all the nine. An independent. Labor I'arly, so it appeared Lo l;e thought, would give them tlie opportunity tor which ihey longed with Hungry and greedy vys of coming io the ironl—tiociausm, the light to strike whenever a desire for lioUuicU takes possession of their otherwise empty heads, and, ii possible ,i.he immediate destruction of tue present Govcruaneiit.ai'e the most pressing of their demands. It is a really splendid thing to know definitely what is wanted, so .New Zealand has now: nothing to do but to "hurry up" and comply with the demand.- of this wretched faci ion of mouthing demagogues. Willi tfiuu the "agenda paper is a mere blind, a mere excuse lor meeting, something lo give it the name of a l.aborConHi ■■• elite, to lie kept .to the last few minutes and then swept through as fast as motions can be put and carried. f'oi their strong, vigorous, and continuous protest against the irregular procedure that the two Canterbury delegates, Messrs. Hart and Kusbridgc, were grossly insulted at tlie close o£ the conference."

Again: ''Mr. ltusbridgo -acted according to tUe tenets of trades unionism, and protested against tiiL- prominence given to politics, and protested further against the introduction of the liquor question and religion. Tliey acted as all who have the true interest of unionism at heart have always acted. How can we. if unions are to be maintained

>«. harmony, introduce the question of t.i church amongst men of iiill'ereul creed; and beliefs? To many nl" us il matte .- not, what a man's religious op.niuns aiv so long as Ids actions are clean, ami we know that .it is in (lie. best interests of bur unions to leave church questions to be discussed in places oilier than our unions." C'miinionsense, reason, and calmness appear to lie at a discount in 1 lit' councils of labor. What is souglit appears lo be an opportunity to use denunciation and extravagant lulminations, reckless of tile injury that may be done to tlie cause which, professedly, they are desirous to advance. The time has indeed arrived for Labor lo assert itself, but in the direction of cleaning its house of the oratorical mountebanks wlho are' bringing ihnme upon its name. A week ago, at the close of the tramways strike in Sydney, the leaders who had led the too'easily gullible workers into that fiasco were chased by a howling mob down tile public streets, and hud they not found refuge in a convenient public-iuouse would probably have been torn to pieces. Let the so-called Labor leaders of Wellington beware lest a somewhat similar experience befall thefh.