THE MOULDERS' RESOLUTION.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14349, 8 May 1912, Page 5

THE MOULDERS' RESOLUTION.

SOME LABOUR MATTERS.

TALK'WITH MR. P. WEBB

The morning express from Christchurch yesterday morning bore two missionaries of Labour, representing more or less hostile camps. One was the Hon. Geo. Fowlds, who has nailed his political flag to the mast of the. idrip "Unity Scheme." The othar was Mr P. Webb, who has hoisted tho rod flag on the Opposition craft of tho Federation of Labour. Mr Webb was on his way to Dunedin, to assist in tho scti tlement of the Green Island miners' trouble. Tho name of the Federation of Labour has been associated to some oxtent with the now historic resolution passed by the Christchurch Moulders' Union. A member of our staff enquired from Mr AVebb how far that Association was involved, and "was informed that the Federation had no knowledge of the affair, and had no act or part in tho matter. Ho explained that the Federation was opposed to the compulsory clauses, of the Defence. Act, but he did not think that it would advocate strikes as a means of getting them repealed. Personally, though h« sympathised with nrotesti against the clause, lit; would not support striking to get them off. tho Statute-. Book. Some Cnions might take that course, but the Federation, he thought, would stand aloof. Mr AVebb commented on a rutin f peculiar position which obtains on thy West Coast, as affecting the boys employed in coal mines. The boys are opposed to the compulsory clauses, and they have expressed their determination, if any one of them is imprisoned through failure to comply with tho Act, to leave work. This, Mr AA'ebl) said, would result in work in the coal mines being brought to n standstill, as operations could not continue without the services of tho l>oys. He did not xee. that the Federation could do anything to. avert an occurrence of that description. The .authorities, ?o far .is he knew, had shown no disposition to enforce tho Act among the boys in the mines. Mr Webb resents the that he is the stormy petrel of New Zealand Labourism. He claims that tho Federation, so far from aiding and abetting industrial warfare, has played an important part in securing and maintaining peace. The majority of strikes in the Dominion, he said, took ph<M> where the workers were \indor Arbitration Court awards. The Federation now covered several of the meet important industries in Now Zealand. The mining industry was given as an example. The Federation had worked hard to avert strikes, and it was due to i r . that there had not been considerably wore industrial turmoil of a serious rat tire. Mr AVebb said that the result of the Auckland mayoral election did not distress him. Tho Federation did not put m> a candidate, and it wos quite incorrect to associate the loser.. Mr Skelton. with that body. The Fedoration had no desire to provoke a strike there, an<l was desirous that industrial matter.; should be discussed only when conditions were normal, and..were not made more difficult by party conflict. Sppaking of the Green Island mine trouble. Mr AVebb said that tho men ceased work against the wish of tin? Federation. They had explained that they did *:o because the position of afiairs made it impossible for them to continue. As soon as he arrived Ie would visit the faces, and as a practical man, ho would be able to tell whether their action was justified or not.