REPUDIATED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 154, 30 June 1913, Page 6

REPUDIATED.

NEW LABOUR COTTNCIIXOR. HIS APPOINTMENT RESENTED. (By Telegraph.—Paritementary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day.

Labour members in both branches of the Legislature were astonished when the promised Labour Councillor turned out to be Mr Earnshaw, of Dunedin. Some of the Labourites are more than astonished, they are indignant, and there is talk of taking action at the Labour Congress next week in the way of a resolution repudiating Mr Earnshaw's claim to represent the organised workers of New Zealand. Resentment of the Government's unfortunate choice was shown early in the refusal of a prominent Labour councillor to sponsor the new nominee. Singularly enough, the sponsor eventually obtained was a very prominent o3icer of the New Zealand Employers' Federation. The Labour member for Wanganui (Mr W. A. Veitch) shares the opinion of his colleagues over Mr Earnshaw's appointment. When your correspondent asked what he thought of the matter, he replied: "For years I had quite forgotten Mr Earnshaw was on the face of the earth. He lias not been actively associated with ,any organised labour movement to my knowledge for a good long time, and, although I understand he has been working for his living, )ip cannot by any stretch of imagination be regarded as a representative of organised labour in New Zealand at the present time. His appointment proves the Government to be hopelessly out of touch witli the Labour movement o.f to-day. But I don't feel very disappointed on that score, because I think the real salvation of Labour in this country will eomo from wellorganised political movement. TURNED DOWN. "In some biographical details published in the Government organ here. Mr Earnshaw's defeat for Dunedin City in 1896 is attributed to the fact that the Hon. J. A. Millar left Chalmers to contest the ■former seat, but I have been reminded by a Dunedin Labour legislator that the position was somewhat different. Mr Earnshaw had shown himself alien to thu Labour movement, which was then in alliance with the Liberal party. He had voted with the then Opposition on a noconfidence motion, and was held to have been false to his pledges. When the party selected a full ticket of three candidates Mr Earnshaw's name came seventh on the list."