UNEMPLOYED AND THE L.R.C.

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21081, 5 February 1934, Page 7

UNEMPLOYED AND THE L.R.C.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PKE3S. Sir, —Unemployed supporters of the Labour party will be pleased to know that the deputation which was appointed by the - Unemployed Workers' Association to interview the local Labour Representation Committee on Thursday was not received owing to

pressure of business in connexion with tramway matters. No doubt the fighting spirit of those doughty champions of the working class, the Labour party, has been raised to fever pitch through the magnificent gesture of self-abnegation by the Tramwaymen's Union, in which they reduce their own wages to curry favour with their political bosses, and consider , that it is more vital and urgent for their party to assist a few of the ex-tramwaymen (all ardent Labour supporters) than to give the 80,000 unemployed a help from the rear. When the workers have a political party willing to take their place in the fighting line, then and then only will they be able to march shoulder to shoulder to the attainment of their objective.—Yours, etc., ANTI-BLUFF. February 2, 1934. I Upon this letter being submitted to Mr R. M. Macfarlane, secretary of the Labour Representation Committee, hesaid that no communication was received by him asking for arrangements to be made for the committee to receive the deputation from the Unemployed Workers' Association, but the ■ deputation arrived unannounced outside the room in which the committee met last Thursday evening. Neither he, as secretary, nor any official of the committee was aware that a deputation proposed to wait on the committee. Special business had been arranged for the meeting—the report, from the Labour members on the Christchurch Tramway Board regarding the work done by them on that body. • Other business for the consideration of the committee had to be postponed in order to take the tramway report. He had not yet received any communication from the Unemployed Workers' Association relative to a deputation to the committee. As to the other statements in the letter, Mr Macfarlane said that they were the customary expressions of vindictiveness one heard from persons who had no sympathy with the Labour party.]