LIBERAL AND LABOUR ALLIANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 167, 14 July 1908, Page 3

LIBERAL AND LABOUR ALLIANCE.

— » . IS IT JEOPARDISED? A POSSIBLE CRISIS. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.'* ; WELLINGTON, this. day. ' Fo *;"? me considerable time past the possibility of a breach in the federation of the Liberal and Labour parties has been openly talked of. Hitherto, however there has been no real ground upon which ' the alliance could split. Now, the occasion has arisen, for such a contingency is freely discussed in the lobbies, while in the Legislative Chamber it has actually been referred to during the course o't debate. The proposed amendments to ' the Arbitration Act are looked upon as hkcly to bo responsible for sonic con- ' sidcrabie .amount, of friction, if not an ' actual crisis. Should the Government persevere in putting the bill through— and the Hon. Mr. Millar has declared the Government's intention so to dothen the Labour members will consider they have a just grievance. Much depends upon the possible modifications which the Labour Bills Committee may suggest. With a view to ascertaining j the views of members, I instituted quiries, with the following results: — A prominent Southern Labour member, in speaking on the subject of a possible crisis, said ho felt convinced that the lulls brought down both last session and tins session would have the tendency to widen the already strained relations between the Government and the Labour party. "I do not think that there will be an actual severance between the Liberal and Labour members in the present Parliament," added the member, "but there is no doubt but that the Labour representatives and the great mass of workers look upon these proposals as entirely anti-labour. This fact, combined with the continual cry of coalition between the Government and the Opposition must force into existence a Labour progressive party in Parliament in the near future." An Auckland member, who is a warm supporter of the present Government, considers that there is every possibility of the Arbitration problem causing a cleavage, but, until the amendment proposals have been dealt with by the Labour Bills Committee, he considers it somewhat premature to undertake any definito expression of opinion. He points out that considerable diversity exists in the ideas of members. One faction of the House favours the absolute repeal of the Arbitration Act. another desires its retention at all costs, while a third will fight tooth and nail against the proposed amendments, contending that they are too drastic in their application to the workers' side of the question. "There is possibly a crisis in the air," concluded the member, "but it is impossible to say what will happen for a week or two. Another Auckland member, when asked for an expression of opinion, remarked, with a shrug of the shoulders, that "anything might happen." Until the bill comes back from the Committee, he added, any opinion must be purely speculative. The amendment proposals, as they now stand are not calculated j to meet with tho whole-hearted sup-' port of the workers, and if the Govern-' ment insists in carrying the measure through, there is something more than a possibility of a breach." "Anything may be expected to happen between now and polling day," opined a leading Oppositionist. "There is unquestionably a tension of feeling, a 'something in the air,' at present. It is purely a matter of speculation what may happen. I know what is talked of in the lobbies, and what has actually been openly alluded to in the Legislative Council, but it must be remembered that the Arbitration Act Amendment Bill has vet to pass through Committee, and much will depend upon the suggestions and modifications the Committee may make." A prominent member of the Upper House and a well-known advocate of Liberalism decries any suggestion of a rupture in the Liberal and Labour Federation. "The fact that there is a section of the House desirous of the Arbitration Act being absolutely repealed should only tend to binri the parties closer together." said the gentleman in question. "Further than' that, we have seen only too plainly what happens under the three-party system of Government in the Federal House of Representatives in Australia. Profiting by the lesson to be learnt from the Commonwealth Government, no one can be desirous of seeing a third party make its appearance in New Zealand politics. In any case, the out and out Labour representatives are not strong enough to at present seriously consider the advisability of separating themselves from the Liberal party." "Purely and simply a wild-cat rumour," declared the Prime Minister, when the subject was broached to him. "The bill goes before the Labour Committee. Evidence will then be taken, and recommendations will be made in due course by that Committee. Any suggestion that complexities may arise, or that the provisions of the bill will jeopardise the present alliance of the Liberal and Labour party, must be regarded as absolutely groundless." A "BARBAROUS METHOD." LABOUR COUNCIL'S VIEW. (By Telegraph. —Press Association.) CHB.ISTCHURCH, Monday. At the annual meeting of the Trades and Labour Council, reference was made ill the annual report to labour troubles and the working of the Arbitration Act. It was the Council's opinion, according ■ to the report, that the conciliation boards should be given the power proposed to be given industrial councils, in which case the delays that have caused so much annoyance to unions would to a, great extent be done away with. One cause why conciliation boards had not done all that was expected of them was the contempt with which the employers treated the whole subject. They merely sat tight, and compelled the unions to put the machinery in motion, and instead of accepting the Act in the spirit in which it was framed, they had all along adopted the air of contumacious defendants, with the result that the unions had to ignore the boards and resort to arbitration. The blame, the report continued, lay on the employers for not trying to conciliate on the matters in dispute, and the result was a desire on the part of some unions to resort to the old method, viz., "strike." As unionists, they must do all in their power to prevent this retrograde step being taken. The Act, with all. its imperfections, was preferable to the barbarous old method of "strike." They should loyally adhere to the law as they were compelled to find it. _