LABOUR'S WELLINGTON EXPERIMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 102, 30 April 1913, Page 5

LABOUR'S WELLINGTON EXPERIMENT.

THE WHOLE HOG POLICY.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, this day. S An attempt to capture the whole machinery of local government in Wellington i 3 being made by the Labour party. If its candidates succeed tKey will he -a power on the Harbour Board and the ruling force in municipal and hospital affairs. ' This . whole-hearted policy has, of course, provoked antilabour criticism in some quarters, and it has taken the curious turn in the "Dominion"' of an attempt to prove that labour leaders are a "startling" expense to the workers. "There are over twenty professional union secretaries in Wellington, who do no other work whatever," says the Government organ. "Two of these are assistant-secretaries. It would be a very difficult matter to ascertain with accuracy what each of these secretaries is paid, but the average is certainly not less than £3 per week. A very few receive less than this, but on the other hand many receive much more. A considerable portion of the professional union secretaries have more than one union to control, and if they have two they receive two salaries as a matter of course. At £3 per week each the amount paid every year by the worker* of Wellington to their union secretaries is over £3,000." Allowing for office expenses, the "Dominion" puts : the Wl. down at £5,000. - ..' . Despite all this controversy on party lines the elections will probably : result. as in the past, in-the -best .known men themselves.