THE LABOUR OUTLOOK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 101, 27 April 1912, Page 9

THE LABOUR OUTLOOK.

(To - the Edfor.j —The recent re-section of Mr. Parr as Mayor of your city is a decided victory for honest labour. it would not have been a crodit to Auckland to have thrown Mr. Parr aside- when he made, an earnest effort to be fair to both sides. You are to be congratulated that the bitterness of feeling is not so pronounced hero as we have it in Christchurch. The Federation of Labour party have estranged thousands of workers from sympathy and support through their arrogant agitators, and barbarous methods by strikes. The majority of workers have no time for the. "billet-hunter." We are looking for leaders of men, with an earnest mind striving to lift- us up, not to leave us in the mire. I topia is very well at the pictures, but reality is our •"life." Although many of us cannot see eye to eye with the Mills' Unity scheme, yet it may have a useful purpose to fulfil". Brains seem scarce in New Zealand. The tailoring trade ha* been talking of federation for nearly thirty years and yet we are not linked up yet. Labour is a fickle master to handle. In this 20th century we are- still very selfish, we demand double time on Sundays for our labour, but the tramway man a i expected to work on that day for much less, besides being deprived of being with his best girl, wife or faintly. If the tram is a necessity, well then, let us pay the double time by increase of fare. We glibly talk Socialism, but act Individualism. Your Labour Notes are pleasant reading, being devoid of personalities, which is killing some of our Labour organs in New Zealand. Arbitration has not had a fair trial yet, as many trades have come to the Court expecting high wages and have got a "medium," then were dissatisfied and heaped odium on Judge and Court. Even some of our employers helped on the dissatisfaction, but I think the tide has turned. Notwithstanding the many can-cellations of registration by the Federation of Labour party, the Conciliation and Arbitration Act has taken on a new lease, as at present it is the eafest course to pursue.—l am, etc., ROBERT KERR.