NOT WANTED.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3016, 12 October 1908, Page 4

NOT WANTED.

The fact that the Wellington Labour Day Demonstration Committee have decided not to invite either the Premier or the Minister for Labour to the demonstration to be held on Wednesday next is an incident sufficiently significant, we should say, to cause both the gentlemen mentioned a certain amount of serious reflection. The" mere fact of whether the invitation is, or is not sent, is of no importance, but the incident is worthy of notice in that it is evidence of the unreasonableness of the Labour Day Demonstration Committer, and that it emphasises the marked absence of a conciliatory spirit on the part of the Wellington Labour leaders. Sir Joseph Ward, and the Minister for Labour, may rest assured that whatever they do for the Labour Party that they will not succeed in appeasing the demands of agitators, and so-called Socialists. The Prime Minister and his colleagues, if they wish to retain the respect of the great majority of the people in the Dominion, will have to face the question fairly and squarely, and tell the people, in no un certain voice that they intend to see fair play between capital and labour. Mr Millar has done a great deal for the cause of Labour and by way of thanks and appreciation the Wellington Labour Day Demonstration Committee "turn a cold shoulder" upon him. The childish reason officially advanced for the action is that when the delegates to the last Trades and Labour Conference held a smoke concert the Premier and the Minister for Labour failed to put in an appearance at the convivial gathering, but we do not think that anyone will be sufficiently credulous to swallow the explanation; and, in any case, things have come to a pretty pass when the Premier may not excuse himself from attending a "smoke concert," even if it 13 of the Liberal and Labour variety.