THE ATTITUDE OF LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 13, 23 December 1911, Page 6

THE ATTITUDE OF LABOUR.

••'' ' s i -■MR. PAYNE. INTERVIEWED. J V-BABLT DISSOLUTIdN NOT P PIIOIiABLE. 11 ■\' . • o 'Br.Teleeranli.—Press Association.) -. ' ■ ■'■' • Napier, December 22. c Mr.. J. rayhe, the newly-elected mem- r hcr for Grey Lyntf,,arrived by tho mail J train! this , evening, and was met at the jrailway -'station-'.' by representatives, of J Labour. He was heartily welcomed to £ Xapier'and congratulated, on his victory j over tho Hon. O.' I-'owlds at tlio recent r elections.' Subsefjuently Mr.. Payne was , interviewed at tho- Caledonian Hotel by J a Vepressntatiye of the "Hawke's Bay j Hordld/' and ihade. an interesting stateinent as to the attitude he-, thought,tho Lalxiur members-should take up. [ ."I''was' on'my. way to Napier-. from Auckland on Thursday," said.Mr. Payne, "when at Marton I received a telegram * asking mo-'to go onvto- Wellington to ' attend a. mooting of. La hour representa- J fives, and I did so. We hold that meet- < ins, '.but as 'oilly two of the elected Lab- ! our'members wero present—Mr. Vcitch i fWanganui) and myself—no definite de- ' cision. tvas,.aTri\e(l at.: ~ln-addressing the t meeting I pointed out that Labour held I tho balance of-power, and I urged that I wo should bo careful _aa. to how . that f power" is" nsed. 'Tn my opiiiroh. r 'said, 1 it was highly desirable that a change of Government should bo .brought about so as to free the workers of the excessive taxation that had resulted from tho unbusinesslike finance:. of" tho .Ward Administration. I pointed out as plainly as J. could that it is in our power to do ono of two' things—to throw in-our weight with the .'Massey party on a no-confidence. motion, and so bring about a change of Government; or to insist upon Sir Joseph Ward forming a new party with tho four' Labour members on top. If-Sir Joieph Ward' will reconstruct the Government as a Labour Government, with Labour members at the head, it will bo nil tight;, but if not I suggested-to .the meeting that wo should throw in our weight with . the ' Massey party- . and defeat' Hho' present Government on a norcohfidence motion. . Personally, .1 am an Independent Labour representative, ■ and havo no, connection with ■ tho Labour party proper. The so-called Labour party is a comparatively small sectiou of unionists. Numbers of unionists aro Federation of Labour men, but numbers of them don't-belong either to the Federation of. Labour or to tho Labour party. An attempt, has been made to, class the four Labour members »s representatives of what is known as tlio Labour party, but as I. ;have been' elected by the Federation of Labour men and other unionists not atfa'ched to-, the Labour party, I pointed out in. unmis' taknble terms that I must remaiu an Independent Labour representative. Wo discussed the present situation, and •Istrongly urged that Labour ■ members must act as one body. In suggesting that wo should support Sir Joseph Ward if lie will form 'a Ministry with Labour, nieniliers at tlio top,, or if ho won't, vote for the 'Mii'ssey party on a iio-coniiden'ro motion, " my idea was. that wo should get hold of' the'financeiof the country in order to' luako/a thorough investigation of it iri the workers' interests." "Is an early dissolution probable?" asked the reporter. . "Willi regard to.tho possibility of a dissolution," replied. Mr. I'ayiic,' "L,consider it merely a bogey raised- by -Sir; Joseph Ward's supporters in order to intimidate some of the young members, whi> are naturally anxious to retain their peats. I consider an early dissolution not very probable,' owing to the -fact that neither the Alassey. parly nor. the Ward party can foresee liov.- they would come out if tliey. went to tho country again. It is my belie.f that, one of.tlio t.wo.'sides will carry on, oven though with a small majority, the same as in New South Wales, where the Government is working with a majority of two, or in Victoria,', where the Ministerial part.<fcnvc only a majority of oiic."