IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10541, 25 January 1912, Page 5

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?

IN THE LABOUR PARTY. THE LEADERS INTERVIEWED. A Press Association message was despatched from Wanganui yesterday, which indicated that a difference had occurred in. Labour; Baity in consequence of the domination of the Wellington Executive and of the Labour paper in that city, and that a movement was afoot to establish a separate Labour party in the Dominion.

A representative of the Wairarapa Age interviewed Messrs W. A. Veitch 3V1.P., and D. McLaren, organiser for the Labour Party, upon the subject. Mr Veitch said he was not aware that there was any intention on. the part of (the Labour party in Warigaaiui to iform a fresh party, noi- was die aware that there was a strong feeling in Wamganui against the domdnation of .;the Labour. Pa-rtv from 'Wellington. As a matter- of fact there was no danger of. such a domination. The criticism of Messrs Robertson, and himself in a .Wellington Labour' paper had"'been strongly resented in Wanganui, it was true, fie [was sure, howerer, that the Labour ' Executive in Wellington would maktf ! no attempt to control the actions of members of Parliament. "I am going to be dominated bv my own election pledges," said Mr Veitch, "and I will go no further with anybody." . ' Mr D. McLaren said the views jJ'utforward as held by the National Ex- ' ecutive in Wellington- were absolutely | absurd. To his knowledge the Executive . had never indulged in the ex--1 pressibri of such;ideas. The' matter, [of; tli© internal organisation of the j.Party was one .which" be. whs not pre-: pared to discuss, with the public, be- , cause such business was a matter for conference between the . various 'branches of the party. i"Tbe eyj>rss-1 sion.s used by individuals here -anti, there at times," said Mr McLaren. I "purelv on their own. resoonsibilitv, are- taken to be the 11 iterances of the Executive of our Party. Hiiving been preset at the meetings of the National Executive, I know that there is no foundation for these reference*!: Questions reacting the constitution' and its adaptability will come forward. from time to time. our Executive is perfectly satisfied, can, be diVcusr-'tx! at the part--'? conference at WelliiTztc-n at Easter. So far from the National Executive being disposed to dominate, it is rather . inclined to he guided by what the branches themselves express as desirable and within our constitution. The powers of the Executive are defin od in sncli a manner as to make it (simply an administrative body, oarj Tying- out the policy and work set ' for it by a conference of the party, which conference, - of course, is- rep-re"-. : sentative of all the . branches. If. ! therefore .even the. higher officers of | the party took a line that was conj trary to the decisions of the Ooniferenee ,tlieir views would have no more I authority than those of an individual J worker who did not belong to the ; party. The question of requiring: a : pledge from Labour candidates is one that lias-been mnch debated in t-he Labour parties of vai'ious countries, and ilhe best exposition of the ground for this requirement has- ibeeu set forth by the H'on. W. M. HnrVr. of Australia. The reason simply is that it is a business method of reducing to set terms the understanding that is established between the individual member and the party organisation. T know that this matter will be (reasoned out at our coming conferj e'rice, and J am perfectly satisfied that I our partv can com© to a common unj derstandinir, just as well as they can m other places."