THE DEFENCE ACT!

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 203, 7 May 1912, Page 5

THE DEFENCE ACT!

THE WORKERS' ATTITUDE. By Telegraph—Preee Association. Christchurch, Last Night. The decision of the Ironmoulders' Union to take a plebiscite of its members on a proposal that if the compulsory clauses of the Defence Act remain unrepealed by next Labor Day a strike should be declared, is ridiculed in responsible circles in the city. Even unionists who have some liking for the strike as an argument, and who are bitterly opposed to the compulsory clauses, say that it would be folly to use the strike in a purely political controversy. This opinion is not unanimously held, but the great majority of the workers' presentatives who were questioned today declined to take the suggestion seriously. Mr. D. G. Sullivan, president of the Trades and Labor Council, said that he would prefer not to express an opinion on such a matter, because a question of the kind, if anything came of it, would have to be considered by the Trades and Labor Council, and i,t would scarcely be proper for him to make a statement without the express authority of the council. Mr. Sullivan added that his personal feeling was utterly against the idea of a 6trike.

A prominent Labor leader who was approached said that the ironmoulders' resolution was, in his opinion, "hot air." He did not believe that members of the union would have a word to say in favor of the proposal if the suggestion were submitted to a vote. Another Labor leader remarked that | there was little chance of trades unions generally falling in with the proposal,, as they were divided on the question of defence. Personally, he favored military training, but not the present Defence Act. He wanted to see some scheme which could he democratically administered. Mr. Lois P. Christie and Mr. M. C. Mackie, prominent officers of the National Peace Council, stated that the action of the union was taken without any instigation from their organisation. The peace council was naturally pleased to see the workers, through their unions, expressing their disapproval of compulsory military training, hut it did not approve of any but constitutional methods being employed to effect reform. Tt certainly would not advocate ,an* industrial strike, but there were indications that the workers, or, at least, that a section of the workers, inclined to the Federation of Labor, were prepared to Use the strike as a weapon in the matter of military training and for other purposes. A resolution was carried last evening by the Socialist party to the effect that. in case of war, the workers would down tools. It was decided that the resolution should he submitted to every Labor organisation in New Zealand.