A CURIOUS MIXTURE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 556, 10 July 1909, Page 10

A CURIOUS MIXTURE.

_ Sir,—ln perusing your issue, and another daily, of tho 6th instant, it struck mo, that the following items made a very curious mixture: — (1) Strong deputation to Minister for Labour r-e unemployed. (2) The Hon. T. Mackenzie telling the Aucldanders, ','That facilities for, workors to avail themselves of tho tourist resorts would, ho added, bo provided as far as possible." (3) The Hon. 3. A.' Millar's proposed Bill for insurance against unemployment, to which the employer will be afcked to contribute sixpence per head per week.". _ (4) Gisborne: carpenters asking for* fortyrour hours per woek, and increased pay. AH. thisi becauso tho Arbitration and Conciliation. Act has given tho labour agitator, and pother-wasters, every opportunity of emptying tho workers' 'pockets and impeding progress to such an extent 1 that starvation fcow stares hundreds in the face, while the agitator quietly sits back and enjoys -every conifort. . And so this state of affairs will continue unless the -Arbitration and Conciliation Act is totally repealed.—l am, etc., _ „ T , " PROGRESS. Bulls,, July 7,- 1909. CORNERING THE LABOUR MOVEMENT. Sir,—Those who . ascribe . the disorganised condition of Labour to ignorance, and apathy on the part-of, the - workers, will find a ,'<>™y-'» n dod" finger, of scorn - pointed at the, latest proposal, emanating from the section of the-Professional Secretary party thai* erotics tho Wellington Trades Council. • Tho proposal-is: "That tho council should at all times , nayo .the: controlling hand in political affairs." , In. other words, a numbor of individuals who make a good living by acting as paid officials 'of- trades unionism desire to be, recogniscd as tho controlling body in order' to run a: political : labour syndicate. The, audacity of.-,the proposal does -not come ts a. surprise, to those who take an interest m the affairs of- Labour; This desire of the Secrotary party to tuji. the, show is an; everlasting source, of discord in Labour circles. "A Labour split," or "A rift in tho lute," should, always read, "Professional - Secretary, party responsible for . another row.!'. - For years past-, the majority of delegates to. tho -.Animal Trades ' Council' Conference have. been, /paid officials, the Secretary party hiving long since captured the,councils; tho result is that, the conference, with its cumbersome, baggage 61, remits, has become a parade of ; eligibles for any appointment that may be available. .i'What liavo those, conferences done for Labour during the , past 15 years,? Nothing. -On the other hand,'they nave dono '.it,a considerable,.amount of in* jury by . tho wild, and extravagant language indulged in. The conference generally ntak«s itself foolish, but last confcrenco excelled in this respect, by attacking the jury system, and 1?7 • giving a display of hoorishness at,-rits; -''social.. &iic, :io 1

! The; d^ega^Jwhofgoos'.on'the'^Wellington | '.fijflncilv, irithnjui lionestifdesiro to do «omething;f<j.r"tho.xoninibn goiel > leaves it I with a taste'-of. ashes in his mouth. '! If ho resents .befog l mado a tool of by afew self-seeking,-.pointing.; usurpers, .who aro exploit: unionism:ifor: what it ia-%orth;' insult, and abuse, and must either, lose .his . self-respect, ;or leave in: dis-. gust, l .The council is not a bona-fido Labour ■ i?' l 13 a ' min ' i ug—anvobstaclo in r the path of progress, and a' discredit to Labour' generally. In'fact, it Has. bocn obliged to close its doors to tho press, in order to escapo_ ridicule. 'It;_ committed political; infanticide by. garrotting' the Labour League, and has ,now got a strangle-hold on tho "Bo.' prosentatfon.Gomraiitee. - "

.In * order to .b& a : political power, Labour must gam the respect and eonfidenco of ' tho 1 . 6 - It is no advantago to' hoist a few selfish. individuals into Parliament. ■ No pocket-edition: of- John.: Burns is likoly to' be of mwh .use to. tho Workers. • Accordinij to . a reliable statement made 'on,- the Wellington Trades . a professional see-1 rotary can make £12 (twelve pounds) nor week at-the 4ame. ..' If, then, .a' secretary happens , to get into' Parliament,.'"arid stiil! continues to carry on his professional busi-' ness, ,Jiis 'income would amount to over £900 a year-alipost equal to that of a Minister I of the Crown. Just-think pf it, you'halfstarved, unemployed wharf .-''lumpers'. and 1 others 1 i,...■ Of,course, there arc persons with much, larger incomes -who"; possibly'"'do' less'' toiv-tho .money—the Duke of Bedford, for instance, or tho Earl of Pa'ekakariki, ibut i those : gentlemen ■ aro not•' looking 'after - tli'e ! interests of_'tho down-trodden worker." * T . onest,- ,'orny 'anded sons of -fT-T !— exploited by tho grcedf capitalist, Ho, ho, hoi —I am, etc , ■-.Napier, July 7. ' AIUMA.,