LABOUR AND OPPOSITION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 286, 27 August 1908, Page 6

LABOUR AND OPPOSITION.

A FAIR DAY'S WAGE FOR A FAIR DAY'S WORK. Some remarks made by Mr. Campbell, Political Labour League Organiser, on Sunday evening were brought under the notice of 'Mr.- R. R. Martin, Opposition Organiser. ■ Mr. Martin said ho could only say that Mr. Campbell did not understand either the Opposition men or. their policy when he . stated that they believed in cheap labour. "As a matter of fact," said Mr. Martin, "we recognise that there is decidedly room for improvement iii the condition of the workers, and I am sure that every, member of my party in the House, and I can also add every candidate standing in our interests is prepared to do his best for them. Take as an examplo the contractors of the Arthur Pass Tunnel (Messrs. M'Lean). It is well known that Mr. Murdoch M'Lean was-a candidate for Parliament in the Opposition interest at, tho last general'election. ; Now, the rate of wages this firm pay is,in excess of tho award rate, as the following figures will show:— t M'Lean's Award, pay. s. d. • s. d.

Shift bosses 12 11 '4 Machino drill men ... ... 11 10 6 Chuck men 10 6 10 All pick and shovellers ... 10 9 "This would go to show that what that firm want is good men, and they will pay them good wages. Personally, 1 would give my services to no party who either advocated or approved of cheap labour. The opinion often, expressed by tho Leader of tho Opposition is that the best way to assist labour is to encourage the expansion of private enterprise, and the introduction of as much private capital as possible into the Dominion so as to niako the demand for labour as great as possible. "That this encouragement is not being given at the presorit time," said Mr. Martin, ."is borne out by a paragraph which appeared recently in a London paper, stating that Mr. •Abraham Dixon, o:i Cherklcy Court, Leatherhead, Surrey, for many years senior partner in the firm of Mesisrs: Rabone Bros, and Co., ol' Birmingham, 1 who has died leaving a, fortune of £102,813, advised his trustees not to increase his holding in a certain company which is limited in its operation's to investments in New Zealand. While he had every confidence in tho company and its directors, Mr. Dixon did not wish to increase his or his wifo's interest in that Colony, as ho feared a recurrence of Socialistic legislation ■in the Island which would be inimical to tho interests of investors. '

, "Tho honest, genuine worker will, I am sure, best servo his own interests by assisting the Opposition party, who, when legislating on labour matters, would hold tho scales of justice with equal poise, leaning neither towards Capital nor Labour, and whilst avoiding either extreme would legislate for the people as a whole. I " Unfortunately," said Mr. Martin, "it has been tho practice of certain prominent in political circles, to systematically circulate these false charges, and they havo often been allowed to go uncontradicted. I don't know Mr. Campbell, but I challenge him to produce any statement made by any of tho Opposition members or candidates, either in the House or on the platform, showing that they were not in favour of giving to each man a fair day's wage for a fair day's work." " 11