THE FEDERATION OF LABOUR.
Labour, that is organised labour as represented by the Labour Unions, is! waking up. Already, ive have heard a good deal of an'independent political, Labour party which is to run candi-. dates of-its own, and owe allegiance to neither of the existing political parties, 1 and now 'comes' word of a Federation of Labour. It is well known that Labour is not. united at the present time—even organised labour 1 has rifts in its ranks. What is- the cause of this? .For years the"trades unions have held their conferences and talked; of; combination' and : the need for unison, and the efforts to blend the ,divergent opinions have merely : served to show Ine futility, under existing conditions, of attempting to bring Labour into, one . united federation.' Why is this? Labour in Dunedin has much in common with Labour in Auckland, and so throughout' the Dominion! But no sooner do its:representatives, arrive at some general understanding than one section or another finds cause for disagreement," and the process of welding has to be started anew. Viewing the situation dispassionately; the weakness of the Labour parly appears to be in its leaders.' No one 'man in its ranks stands out sufficiently from his fellows to dominate their counsels, and, by sheer force of character, or by his hold on their personal'resjject, lead them to a recognition of their common interests. The Labour party is governed by a number of leaders, some 1 of whom are actuated by the highest motives, while others are too strongly influenced, by a desire for personal aggrandisement. Petty bickerings frequently interfere with the proper, consideration of large issues, 'and wise counsels' are often upset by the antagonism arising out of personal animosities. _ Labour Wants a thorough overhauling and weeding out of its leaders, and, above all, it requires a dominant hand, before it can nope to attain to the influence and power to which the more ambitious in'its ranks aspire.
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 6
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326THE FEDERATION OF LABOUR. Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 6
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