THE LABOUR MOVEMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7725, 19 February 1909, Page 4

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT.

The phenomenal growth of the Labour movement m the Old Country has been insufficiently grasped by the general public. Trade union organisation has spread into almost every trade and industry m the kingdom, and the political ambitions, which it has awakened, are matters of the greatest national importance. The leaders of the Labuor party are now endeavouring to secure a more definite share m the government of 'the Empire. They hope to enter Parliament <is a solid Independent party, with Whips of their own, like.the Irish, and between 50 and 100 Labour candidates will be run at the next general election. They will not all be Socialists, but they all be Labour members, pledged to the -raising of the condition of the people as a direct political issue. In a speech recently Mr W. Crooks, M.P., declared that "the demands of working men are far too modest, when compared with their power, and Mr Keir Hardie, M.P., announced that "out of every 10 votes m this country, seven belong to the working men, and all they want to do is to keep tlieir votes together." There are now over 2,000,000 trade unionists m Great Britain, and the Labour Party, until a few months ago, represented only half of them, because the miners stood outside, and the Scottish unions were not included m the party. This year the English Labour party has annexed Scotland, and the 500,000 miners m one block, with their 15 members of Parliament, have come over to the Labour party, so that political labour is now united under the one banner.