LABOUR AND POLITICS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 23, 27 January 1912, Page 11

LABOUR AND POLITICS

■»» — ■ — JELLY-BACKED MEN NOT WANTED. ME. PAYNE'S VIEWS. The statement published in The Post of .Thursday regarding the position of Labour was yesterday referred to by Mr. T. Paynn, Labour member for Grey Lynn, on a visit to Wellington. In the pu-blished article Reference was made to a telegram from Wanganui to the effect that a movement had been started for the formation of a new Labour Party, ,"frea from the restrictions of the party pledge and tho alleged influence of extremists." Mr. Payne pointed out that what had happened in Wanganui was ■bound to happen in every other centre of industry. s "The so-called Labour Party," he continued, "consists of just a few'people. In Auckland it consists of about five or six, and it has no real existence as representing a body of workers as a whole. What the Wanganui people are really rebelling against lsHhe executive of this party attempting to 'rule the roost in Labour matters. Numerically the Labour Pa»ty is very, very weak; the real Labour Party of New Zealand is .the Federation of Labour, which now numbers over 17,000. The Weekly Her 1 -, aid in Wellington and the Voice of Labour m Auckland, organs of this socalled Labour Party, only voice thoopinions of a few concerned, and should noti be taken seriously' regarding Labour matters. Therefore I ' personally have taken no notice whatever of the criticism of myself which has appeared in those papers." ■ , NO DISRUPTION. Mr. Payne referred to the already published extract from the Weekly Herald of 3rd January : "Labour's first business is to get her house in t order. Even if we lose every seat we are supposed to have gained,'' it will pay \ us to lose them rather than have a lot of irresponsible • units, -each going his own gait. Could we possibly" be much worse off than we are now?" In reply to this Mr. Payne pointed out that there is no disruption amongst the Labour members. "From the very nature of things," he said, "we are all bound to vote in favour of measures brought forward by any of us for the workers' interests. There is- no disruption amongst' the workers themselves. Each and every one knows that ■ they are suffering disabilities, and they, will all come into line in dealing with legislative matters which are in the direction of furthering their interests. "The only disruption which can possibly occur is amongst a few ambitious and jealous leaders of such an offshoot as that of the Labour Party. We, the real workers' representatives, take no notice whatever of petty jealousies 'and petty ambitions. It is <yir ,aim to further the cause of the worker, and that cause will be furthered steadfastly and unwaveringly, notwithstanding «the shrieking of the few who are attempting to resist tho Labour power in New Zealand. When this Labour Party can' really return .members who have signed the party's pledge, that will be the time for them to talk about 'exerting power/ and about being 'worse off, 1 but until that time arrives it will bo more becoming for them ,to sink their individuality and to do their humble best to further the true cause of Labour. SIGNING ' THE • PLEDGE. "So far as signing a Labour pledge is concerned, I do not," said Mr. Payne, "think that should be necessary. I have already signed my own resignation and placed it in the hands of my chairman of committees, and above that signature appears the full platform of my scheme 45. If I attempt to go back on the worker by not doing my best to further the objects of scheme 45 or vote against the workers' interests in any way, 1 my chairman of committees has power to call a -mass meeting of the electors of Grey Lynn; and decide whether or not my resignation shall be handed to the Speaker. Beyond thi6 the workers' representatives should not be called -upon to sign any pledges, and even the signing of a resignation would not be necessary under the leading item of scheme 45, wherein we seek to emulate the Bills of Oregon and California, embracing the initiative of the referendum, compulsory voting, and .recall of representatives. With the power to recall a representative no pledge will be necessary, and that means that instead of a little coterie of an executive ruling the country via Labour representatives, it would be always in the hands of the electors to recall their representative if he did not use' his best endeavours- to further the interests of the. workers. "I am quite .convinced," Mr. Payne added, "that the four Labour members will work in harmony — as a matter of fact we cannot do .otherwise — and during the .next three years strenuous efforts are to be made to, bring about a cohesion of the workers. This will be done from various sources, and we 'hope that ihe Labour Party will contribute its quota. We know that the Federation of Labour will work very hard, and, personally, I am pledged to publish literature and address meetings of unionists throughout the country during the next three years, with the object of securimg the return of at least fortyfive working members to the»House at the next General Election. Speaking at a 'social* tho other day; Mr. Veitch said that what they had to be afraid of was the loud-voiced Labour man. In my opinion it is not the loud-voiced Labour in&D we shave to be afraid of, but the jelly-backed Labour men. What we want are stalwart, unwavering adherents to principles, and, where pledges have been given, the carrying out of , those pledges at all costs."