The Press. MONDAY, APRIL 23, 1906. THE IDEALS OF LABOUR.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12485, 23 April 1906, Page 6

The Press. MONDAY, APRIL 23, 1906. THE IDEALS OF LABOUR.

Many of the questions discussed by the Trades and Labour Conference last week will have been recognised as odd acquaintances—the " hardy annuals * of theeo Easter gatherings. Wo had, for instance, the usual resolutions in favour of establishing State clothing and boot- factories, flour and woollen mills, bakeries, ironworks, and shipbuilding yards; for the nationalisation of the land and all the mineral wealth of tho colony; for the creation of State legal bureaux, where presumably Stateappointed and State-paid lawyers would purvey free advice to intending litigants. We have also had numerous suggestions for the amendment of tho Arbitration Act, for the benefit, of course, of one class only. Again, wo have witnessed the loaders of the Labour Party supporting such economic fallacies as a State Bank and , a State note issue, a step which they imagine would " give the democracy the " control of the currency," to the con-founding of the capitalist, end therefore, in their opinion, to the advancement of the colony's interests. Constant practice has enabled the delegates to these conferences to polish off in an hour or two questions which for generations have puzzled statesmen, and -which B*Ul afford expert authorities the matter for keen controversy. Onoa more we have seen a majority of the representatives of the workers, in spite of the probeste of a minority, advocate the deliberate repudiation by tlje State of ita contract with its tenants, and refuse to agree to the suggestion that the State should pay some compensation to those with whom it thus broke faith. A proposal that the State should take over the river, coastal, end inter-colonial stoam services was, of course, carried. The transaction would involve tho expenditure of probably two or throe millions, but tho Conference settled the matter off-hand in three-quarters of an hour, borne

humour was imparted to the debate by the grave suggestion that the steamers engaged in these services ought to be convertible into armed cruisers, if required, on the ground that the colony might some day have difficulties with its Asiatic neighbours. No one, however, apparently even smiled at the idea of a fleet of New Zealand ooaetal boats engaging a squadron of Japanese warehips. It is hardly necessary to remind our readers that a proposal for still further reducing the hours of labour without diminishing wages was warmly approved by the Conference. It -was quite characteristic of the manner in which the Conference looked at economic questions that the delegate who moved a resolution in favour of imposing a heavy export duty on kauri gum should argue that tho burden would fall upon the buyers, and not upon the producers, as if the laws that govern prices in foreign markets could be suspended for tho benefit of New Zealand gum-diggers.

Under any circumstances it is interesting to get the views and aspirations of organised labour, and to note how its representatives approach anc! deal with questions affecting the welfare not only of the members of trade unions, but of tho whole community. The opportunity of thus learning tho mind of the workers on such matters becomes all tho more interesting when one coneiders how largely expediency enters into the policy of the present Administration, and how closely it keeps its ear to the ground in its endeavour to ascertain the trend of popular opinion. In pursuance of that object it listens to the opinions of the representatives of labour, sympathises with their views, end sends them away more or less satisfied with promises and half-promises—to be acted upon as expediency subsequently dictates. Tho crudo resolutions of tho Trades Conference of to-day may become the eqnally crudo laws of tonuirrow, if the Government think thatsuch a course of action will be fafe and popular, and if the Trades Councils are sufficiently insistent. For the progress of this reputedly '"progressive" Government always suggests that of a person violently propelled from behind by one whom he desires, or dares, not to offend. We have no wish to set class against class, but we must point out that the many thousands of persons who aro neither represented nor considered at these Conferences cannot afford to overlook the possible consequences of allowing one section of the community to dictate to the rest how they should be governed. As we have shown, the ideals of Labour are centred veTy largely in the advancement of Labour, at the cost of every other class. Many of the resolutions carried last week—apart from those of an absurdly chimerical nature—embody proposals that would spell disaster to trade end commerce in the colony. They would destroy all private enterprise by making the State the sole landlord and employer, they would add enormously to the cost of government, and therefore to the already heavy burden of taxation; and in the end they would press most grie-ously upon those whom they were intended to benefit. There is so much useful and practical work to occupy the attention of the Trades Conference that wo can only regret that the delegates should spend their time in propounding a policy that must range against them in self-defence all other classes of the community.