EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 30 April 1913, Page 6

EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION.

AX IMPORTANT MANIFESTO. COMiVI ERCIAL ENTERPRISES THREATENED. In l.iir.-uanco of its policy to oreot a protecting wnll about the industries of tho Dominion, the Now Zealand Employers' Federation. inaugurated .sn'-.io months ago a campaign of organisation among the, employers of this conn try. Officers oi' tho Federation v, ere appointed to interview (>!nu!':'i'is and others in every toivn and coii'-'t'-y di-.trict throughout the Dominion. !t is tiie desire of the l«\-:!:v-:,i:i'U! (;is cxt)i'e--s('d in its manifest >) "to un.u.so the interest of re-s;:r;i'.-.!i'h> (ilV.et- el' every class, iv;l"d:i!'.v e.l c;)iii." tiiat large percentage of industrious ;iiid thrift v w' 1 "'" • nix men ni)on whom the stability and progress of the country mainly depends." A second important manifesto hj" iitst hejvi circulated. It is signed by -the, Federation's president (Mr Wm. HonUirk), and the secretary (Mr W'm. Pryor),

"POISONING SPRINGS OF INDUSTRY." It states: "The Employers' Fedora- j tion holds that it can be proved by actual facts that the streams of industrial enterprise are being retarded, indeed, that the very springs of industry aro being poisoned by the organised efforts of a comparatively small and irresponsible body of men, who. pos.se s very little knowledge, if any, of the necessary delicate operations of indtv trial progress, and who. being d:.sr-;iti -fied with everything aud everybody, preach a policy of destruction, and anarchy. Their cry is 'D >wn with Governments aud Constitutions' and every form of law and order which may attempt to restrict their operations and to keep the" within the limits of a well-regulated community." THE AVERAGE MAN'S POLITICS. ' "The Employers' Federation be- ' lieves these doctrines to be unsound. and that no beneficial results or permanent good has e ver been accomplished in any country through such theories. Exoerience has shown that few men think really critically on. any subject; the average man of whatever class is usually willing that 'hits political and industrial policy shall come to him 'ready made' from the executive officers of the society in which he is by self-interest most closely allied, and having become a party to the election of officers of such body, he either openly or passively supports whatever programme may he issued by them. AN AWAKFNING NEEDED. "The executive of the Employers' Federation desires if possible to arouse the community from a lethargy that threatens very serious consequences if allowed to continue. it may lie that the activity of employers, as Gueli, will tend to create an added activity in the rnnk s of Labour. and should such prove to be the case, nothing but good would result, there being no doubt that as individuals the great bulk of the workers of this country hold moderate and safe views regarding labour problems-. This has been demonstrated many, time by the operation of the ballot, a ca-se in point being the last Mayoral election in Auckland. This was made a clear test by the extreme section of workers known as the Federation of Labour, and resulted an the overwhelming defeat of the candidate- put forward by that body, the figures showing a majority for Mr Parr (who stood for equity and good citizenship) by .somewhere' about three or four to one:~-'Notwithstanding the al>ove facts, we find that the public utterances of the extreme Labour section are becoming more -revolutionary every day, proving that the opinions of the great body of the workers are not considered by the Labour leaders, who. relying upon the indifference or inactivity of the great majority of workers with regard to organisation work, urge in the name of all workers the reckless and destructive practices of anarchy and syndicalism. THE SELF-RELIANT PAST. "Tn New Zealand we have no really leisured or idle class such as obtains in older countries, neither have we any actual poverty. This land was not inherited as, a country fully developed by the work and industry of centuries past, but has been won from its natural unproductive state by .the energy and brains of an industrious, loyal, and determined people, many of whom are still living, and who have watched with pride the development of the various industries which have given profitable employment to thousands of our people. DESTRUCTIVE PROPAGANDA. "That such employment has hsyn profitable is proved by "Jie-thousands of, beautiful homes owned by the workers themselves, and which we believe obtain here to a greater extent "than in any other country in the world. A change, however, is taking place; the progress of-'our industries has been arrested, many have been retarded and are still going

back. Many thousands of honest workers trained in particular industries have, to a largo extent, to depend upon the proper maintenance of those industries for the material com forts of life. As already stated, many of these industries are drifting towards the point of danger, large';, v.o think, a s the result of the destructive propaganda preached at street corners and other places by men who have never done anything in life to warrant others in following their lead. ! KHKE EXCHANGE OF OPINIONS. "The officers of tho Federation are spending much of their time interviewing representative employers in every line of industry for the purposi of obtaining a- free exrhange of opinion regarding these great industrial problems. The experience thus gained should be invaluable, because it will enable the Federation to secure. the mature- judgment and practical experience of men who, by their successful lives, have proved themselves qualified to be regarded as captains in their particular lines of business or industry, and if when this work i* completed wo can place our facts and figures in a clear apd concise form before the public, and so arouse not only the business man but also the worker to a true sense of citizei whip, we will have gone a long way toward;--accomplishing the object for which our organisation is now being extended. I OBJECTIVE OF THE MOVEMENT. I "Shortly stated, the aims of the | Federation are: I '].. To oppose the extreme agitators, syndicalists and revolutionary Socialists. 2. To promote the unity of the genuine workers and employers for the pin pose of developing the industries of the Dominion. 3. The education of public opinion. 4. The securing of industrial legislation which will benefit all classes of the community as opposed to the class legislation. o. The legislation of a Defence Fund to be used in the furtherenee of the above objects and which will bo strictly controlled by trustees appointed to carry out the instructions of the Federation. PLEA FOR PERSONAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT. "In conclusion the Executive of the New Zealand Employers' Federation urges upon all who have any stake or interest in the country, tho-e who desire 'the best for all,' and those who wish to see the trades and industries of the Dominion placed on a safe and sound footing, to supprt (both financially and by personal interest) the only industrial organisation which has the machinery to perform the functions involved in the programme.-sot forth above."