LABOUR AND LOYALTY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 827, 27 May 1910, Page 2

LABOUR AND LOYALTY.

A TELEGRAM OF CONDOLENCE. OFFICIAL REQUESTED TO 11ES1.GN. (fly Telegraph—Press Association.) Auckland, May 26. Mr. Arthur Rosscr, asked if it were true that ho had been requested to resign from his position as president of the Dominion Executive of the Trades and Labour Councils, replied: "*■ "Yes, it is a fact that such a resolu- ~ tion was carried by the Auckland Trades Council last night. There were _ 34 members present, and the voting x , was 17 on each side. In the ■ first place a vote of censure was moved and — seconded, the wording of which was: 'That this council passes a vote of censure on tho president (Mr. A. Rossi- ser) for his action in sending a tcleeu gram of condolence to the J'nmo Min- °" ister on the death of the King, without consulting this executive. . As chairman, I ruled that inasmuch as I had sent the telegram as president of tile Dominion's executive, and not as ~ 8 president of tho Auckland Trades l( l_ Council, tho matter had no right to ks he discussed, and I therefore ruled tho motion out of order. The telegram I ~jj3 sent was as follows: — ,g. " 'To tho Prime Minister, Wclling--0(l ton.—On behalf of the Dominion ExecuJβ tivo of the Trades and Labour Coun- . oils, accept the deepest sympathy on the loss to tho Empire by tho death EBi of his Majesty King . Edward. , As Prince, he took an active interest in — tho housing of the poor of London; as jlj, King, ho was essentially a peace,ar maker. May his successor follow in his footsteps.—Arthur Kosser, presi--r dent.' ■ar "^ y ru '' n S was disputed, and a ,' n temporary chairman being appointed, — '■ I explained my reasons for ruling as I f a _ did. On a vote being taken, the' ob--st; jection to my ruling was sustained on the casting vole of the temporary 3, chairman. The vote of censure was int then formally moved and carried, but all I can't recollect tho number of the So members who voted. However, it was _ a very narrow majority, at any rate, ol- Tho seconder of tho resolution stated »; that I should have referred the matter "■ M) the executive in Auckland. At m tho time of sending this wire I was in — Christchurch, and if it had been referred to tho Auckland Executive no message of condolence whatever would j n . havo been sent. After the vote of at censure had been passed, another motion was brought forward asking me to nd resign my position as president of the ;es Dominion Executive. I was then in «'° tho chair, and I gave my casting voto in favour of tho resolution that I bo asked to resign, for I could see that au the meeting was bent upon achieving its object, viz., tho ousting of me from r tho position of president at all costs. ) I was in Christchureh when the news of tho King's death camo, and in the daily press there were scores of resolutions of sorrow at tile loss the Empire had sustained, and the flags were at half-mast on tho Canterbury Labour Offices. Not wishing that tho Labour party should be deemed less loyal than other largo sections of tho communjm ity, I sent.the telegram on my own responsibility, never dreaming but that my action would bo endorsed by tho executive. Several Labour men in the 1 south to whom I showed the telegram approved of what I had done,' and I ry had no idea the unionists in the north lo- were less patriotic than nur brethren in the south. Some weeks ago I took on similar action with regard to a cable oy of congratulation to Mr. Androw Fisher, the Federal Promior, on tho success of tho Labour party at the polls, and my action then was unanimously approved of by resolution. On — this occasion, however, I am accused , of not consulting tho executive in the „ course that I took."