VISIT TO CHRISTCHURCH.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13007, 8 January 1908, Page 7

VISIT TO CHRISTCHURCH.

FI/)TSAM JETSAM.

Mr Keir Bardic, tho British Labour M.l\. who lms been bo murih ducueeed lately at Homo, in India, and other pitu-e*. arrived in Chrietchurch yce- ■ torday morning, icoomparaed by the Hon. T. W*. HitJ<>i>, Mayor of "SVollinjjton. Mr linrdio wne met by several pwss>nal un<4 Sociolibtic friends, h>.. eluding a brother who ie now a rest* dont of this city. During the day Mr Hnjxlio vwked several ji2hc«s of iwtoretit, including tho Museum and Waiiuoni Park, in company with the me-nvlxsrs of his party. During the afternoon ho was interviewed by v r«w pntsoiuuuvo o{ "Tho l'rwe," and several mutters of iiitexettt were touched on. Mr liardio ie staying witu friends <it Wnitemata Lodge, Oaefrel street, md tho interview took place ou the shaded verandah of thfl house. fc \Vliat do you think of the development of tho Socialist movement »n Now Zealand?" wus tho query the reporter opened witii. "CMXaahtuii is not m> well dureloped as 1 would like to soo it, bat 1 am not surprised at that. The legislation of t-ho past totuxui years has boon, of a> kiud to produce temporary coatoittnioru, eHpeciuUf wiitui joined to the prosperity which has boon the portion of Uio Dominion during that time " "l>o you think that a period of depression, would £ive a &ho to Social* isan't" "Tho movement will 50 forward in ajiy caeo fram now onward*," M* - hLaxdie. averred, "but a period of de* prtveion would give it an impetus. I don't wish it to be understood that I wish to sco euch a period, as I £houki prefer to eeo an eautdrely intelloatuaJ rather thao a 'stomachic , dovoloj>> uw*at" - ; "Would you make any suggestion ia regard to {socialistic dovetoteueotP" tlio reporter continued. "1 will mxke no suggestion wihat* over." wej tho decisive rwooaeo. '"Havo you any observations to mak« in regard to the position, of tho working cla&scs in New Zealand, as com« pared with tho position at Home?" "I can cay that lifo is easier hero tluui 1 have found it in any other place away from Home. Thore Iβ much less rush and more security of employment than there is in the towns oi the United iStat-es and Canada." "What is your position in regard N to alien immigration; , ' tho reporter abked. •"Our proposal at Homo was to make ; it illegal to employ un ulion at a lower rate of wages than would bo required to bo paid to a trade uuiou workman doing tho same work.' , "I 3 there any prospect of that being realised?" "It ia not verj far away. Wβ hare no alien question at Homo except what existe in the minde of Tory politicians, bankrupt of other ideas. There ia no serious movement against aliens ati Home except that engineered in the way I have mentioned. The working people have Buffered no disadvantage through tho admission of aliens. It ' may bo that if tho alien, question tv to assume big proportions at Home, action of enmo kind might bo neoeeeary, but the incoming of the alLea is so infinitesimal a quantity that i<l produces no appreciable result on the labour market. "Tho question of restricting Aeiatio immigration into New Zealand ia oE interest. Would yon advocate tho froe admission of Chinese ?" "I have already indicated that I will not discuss Dominion questions," said Mr Hardie. The reporter suggested that Chinese, by sweating and cheap labour, had "collared" certain industries, but Mr * Hardie said that ho had not found it so, end ho would not say anything on , the subject. In any case, tho remedy ~ woe to bo found in tho adoption or the course suggested at . Home—the - payment of aliens at tho same rate m - trade union workmen. - .'-' Regarding the position of 4&« Socialist Party at Homo, Mr Hirdie said that at the recent municipal eleo- < , _ tions the party won twelve scats, and"' ' . ■ the number of votes* polled in their favour was 180,000, as against 146,000 % '. given to Liberal candidates in. tlio '- - same constituencies. Tho Socialite ;' had been, and were now, very active, holding thousands of meetings in nil : part of Great Uritain. As> to tho-. position of Socialists in politics, Sir" Hardio Raid that a distinction muet be drawn between the Independent Jjfe» hour Party and the Laboirr Party. The Labour Party was an alliance of >tW tTades union and €ocialist movements, and the Independent Labour Party wee tho Socialistic wing of the. movement. The Labour Party as such bad no pro--gtanrme. Tho party in the House of ' Commons was free to take up seasioa after sosbion those queestions, which . : ' ' deemed to be of tho greatest importance. The work done hitherto h»d consisted in securing protection tor trades unions, in passing probably tk» most efficient Workmene Oompen»- / tion Aot in the world, tbo pramioa cr meals for< undorfod echool children,.' and work for the unemployed There -1 wan a small Bill to come forward next ■ '. session setting up Wage* Board*, and - 1 the question of old.age pension would also bo a big fighting plairfc in the party's policy for the ecesion. «* last matter had met with great fasmir; it hod been talked 1 about for a quarter «r a century, and if tho Labour P*rty uould get a beginning mado, the partywould be strengthened. "What ie tho objeotiro of tho Inilewsndeat Ijobour Porty?" asked tie reporter. Hardies reply wee oosnpioawo >nto ome word, encrgotioßlry dearered: "B»K'i«lism." 'I"*h*. reporter pleaded for a- defini'ion;. then* were «> many brande of J>oc-ia,lif-tic doctrine. 'The i>ll !>He cwnorehip of land and with co-operative production 'or us« instead of pro<luction- for pro- , - fit. That's «.ll."' After a «mrt Twusri >Jr Hardio resumed: don't tlhat we will bo able to roaliao tltit aJi it think it oxfcmno»y imrrrobaolo that wo should bo likdy *o do so. But by cduccting tlie ■ senee of tlio community in Sx>La£Jsts' principles their realisation viH be a con!tii,rruous and p/vor-inores*-int; f£ot>. Tho /-Socialist campaign hoe really only jast began. Tbo &rst time thoro was national and concerted j>. onork by StocialistiJ wee at <I» last nmnicipal eloctioiie. Tho opposition to Socialism takes the form of mdePEprefeu+ing it, by making it appear ti»t atheism, fre-e love, end general immorality am inhoresvtJy bound up ia it. Tho Evee of our membere are before the public, and they give the he to ony each theory." Quistioued in regard to tlie aertation at Home in flavour of tie abolition, of "the Lords," Mr Hardie eaid:' "My own opinion is that trmtil we have a much stronger party in the Hocae of Commons the campaign against the FLougo of Lords wiu not hsre much . real moaning. Only tho other doy ono of tie youngest of the Liberal Ministers, Dr. McN&mora, Vice-Preej. dent of the Looal Govennmen* Board, waa thynJgrnc God tJ*at there wae a House of Lords to protect the a**™** ageinet Sociahwtio noefcrne* . i V* <nn only roier to the ***** * w , , Lnrd* in leaving Scotland o& <*«» . BUi which enabled the *«ooauoa-_,,_j| anthoritifs to provade wee n*m» ? : eta-rvdng echool - '.'i;:dm

extremely hopeful. Hitherto tho Slin-ers' Federation had allied itself wisth tho Liberals, but a vote was now being taken with a certainty that a very largo majority would decide in favour of Labour representatiou, away from any alliance with the Liberals. This would add ir> to the Labour votes in the House, which at present numbered 33. The reporter then introduced a subject on which Mr Hardie is reputedly touchy. "Your remarks about India have created a little stir,"' he ventured. "So I understand.!" said Mr Hardie, grimly uncompromising. '"Would you make a {Statement in regard to the position of affairs a* they struck you?' , "I have all along refused to say anything/ Mr Hardie rejoined, firmly. ; 'I explained at Wellington that it was not I who created th« etir. 1 prefer to wait till I get Home, till I put a statement in tolerably coniplete and comprehensive form. Touching on the matter of Australian and New Zealand newspapers, Mr iJardio expressed the opinion that the Dominion and Commonwealth were ■\t-ry badly served by the news agencies in the Old Country, just a.s at Home they were badly er-rved by the agencies out hero. "The Conservative and reactionary b'id«v' he said, '"receives undue prominence in the report* which (■nmo out, and much the same might }>• said of those that go Home. Anything that tells against the labour and land legislation of the Dominion is always *?xaggeratt>d in the cables to Home- papers, whilst facts in favour of and conveying tho beneficial results of such legislation are carefully suppressed. The reputation of the Dominion is injured to that extent. Sir William Lync. Treasurer of the Commonwealth, told mc that he was taking action to break down the monopoly that now exists, because of the way in which Commonwealth affairs were misrepresented in the cables sent Home. On my return I intend to see the Post-master-General, and place certain facts before him to secure his cooperation, towards this desirable end." "How havo you enjoyed your stay in New Zealand?' , asked the reporter. "Oh, very well, as mach as tho Inirry and erratic motor cars would lot mc," Mr Hardie replied. "And what do you think of Nenv .Zealand?" **1 envy yon yonr climate," was the reply, and Mr Hardio jumped up, shook hnnds, and feded from the werandah.