LABOUR NOTES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 51, 1 March 1913, Page 12

LABOUR NOTES

(By "Unionist."}

LABOUR, DEFENCE, AND UNITY, Prominence has been given to' an account of the proceedings of a meeting of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Labour Party. This organisation exists in Auckland alone. Its official organ is the Voice of Labour. According to the widely-published report, the meeting decided to extend the operations of the branch to other towns, be« cause of expressed dissatisfaction in those places with the United Labour Party. It was alleged, and accepted at the meeting, that the United Labour Party had joined the Federation of La- I bour, and was now openly opposing military training. Hence the reasons for the decision of the meeting to make its organisation the national committee of a proposed Dominion Labour Party, and the appointment of an organiser for that purpose. If thft reasons put forward for the movement were well founded there 1 1 would perhaps be some chance of the extension of the operations of the Auckland branch. But they are i not. Tho United Labour Party has not joined the Federation of Labour, nor is it, as a % party, opposed to military training. In other quarters similar statements as to the attitude of the United Labour Party lo those emanating from the Auckland body have been made, and here and there the impression has been created that the United Labour Party has declared for all that was formerly advocated by some of the extremists in the Federation of Labour. A summary of the position, so far as the amalgamation and relationship of the two bdies are concerned, ha* already be*»n given. The successful Labour movement will bfc thfc one that has the «olid backing of the rank and file of all the unions. It is hoped that as a result of the July conference, that backing will be assured by reason of complete agreement on a platform of political reform, and majority acceptance of a method of industrial organisation. There is to be no abatement of activities by either th« Federation or the U.L.P. in the meantime. By special resolution of the ro cent conference that understanding was arrived at. In many of the centres, for example, the current municipal campaign is solely and entirely in the hands of the United 1 Labour Party, and the seatß are being contested on the platform of that party. The basis of unity proposals submitted differ in many important matters from the constitutions of both parties. Amalgamation will only result by acceptance of a compromise between the two parties. It remains to be seen whether that compromise can be effected and unity established. Just here it is desirable to explain that the old New Zealand Labour Party, which the Auckland body now proposes to re form, is still very much in existence, but as part and parcel of the U.L.P. In the Wellington District Council there are four branches of the party in affiliation, and in the Dominion there are about twenty-five branches altogether. All these bodies have agreed to fall in with the proposal for a July conference, But no branch nor any union belonging to the U.L.P. is as yet committed to support even the basis of unity proposals agreed "to by Messrs. Mills and Tre» gear at the conference. „ On the questiofiof defence there is ground for uncertainty as to Labour's attitude, but it is not correct to state, as was said at the Auckland meeting, that the United Labour Party was now openly opposing military training. Because of conflict of opinion, on the question, defence is "not a party question" in the United Labour Party's platform. In 1910, .when the New Zealand Labour Party Was formed up, by tacit under* standing the_ question was left an open one in that party's^ platform, and at the elections in 1911 candidates were selected in the interests of the party who were known to be in opposition on the question of compulsory military training. When the Unity Conference was held, the on© big dividing issue was the essential feature of the Defence Act— compul Bory military training for local defence purposes. Ihe issue was not put to thfi test. Had it been there would have been no "unity" accomplished. The question was again left an open one, and by compromise- a resolution was unanimous' ly carried which showed to just what features of the Act Labour at that tim« took exception to. Following is the resolution :— "This conference enters its most emphatic protest against the following features'' of the Defence Act : The fining and imprisonment of youths for non-fulfilment of military duties The disfranchisement of youths on ac count of refusal to register for military training. The exclusion of youths from Government or public employment on account of their refusal to register. Tho conference further affirms that any civil rights taken away from youths as penalties tinder the provisions of 'the Defence Act be restored. That any penalties for breach of the" Defence Act be enforced on adult persons (parents of guardians), awl not upon youths, who, not being electors, have no voting rights of citizenship. "' That sums up the official attitude of the U.L.P. as a party on the Defence Act. At tho recent Federation of Labour Conference the. ' following resolution on defence was carried: — "This conference is of opinion that militarism has always been against ilie interests of the worker*, hiid therefor© condemns it, and is prepare-^ to recommend to all unions the Hardie-Vaillant resolution calilng a general strike on. a declaration of war by any of the Great Powers; and we declare our determined hostility to -the form of conscription placed ou the New Zealand Statute Books, and demand its immediate repeal and the immediate stoppage of criminal preceding? against our youths." The vpting was unanimous, and it is on these grounds that tho Auckland body eUai-gch tho U.L.P. with op* posing military training. Here in the latter part of the resolution is disclosed a vital departure from the Unity Conference I'esolution. It has not, however, been endorsed by -the United Labour Party, and when the July Conference* comes, the principle issue will be again debated. At present the unions are being circularised by the Unity Congress SubCommittee, and asked to pass resolutions protesting against certain of the objectionable features of the Act. When at the Easter Unity Conference those delegates favouring the principle agreed to the compromise as drafted in the resolution, it- was felt that the limit of compromise on the question was reached. At this early stage it can bo predicted with certainty that no further departure from tho terms of tho Easter resolution will be agreed to by •'those delegates. Any attempt to include "the repeal of the compulsory clauses of the Act" in tho political programme of Ihe proposed new pai-ty will prove an effectual bar to. complete unity on the political side. It is not one of the pro* ttosals which Labour can agree on. There aTo those prominent in the U.L.P. who have long and consistently advocated the compulsory training of youths for local defence pui^oseSj and who are prepared to stand by the principle at all costs. Moreover, they hold that a referendum of unionists would show that the principle has tho endorsement of a big majority of organised Labour, and that if defence is to be made a platform issue in the proposed Jiew party, it shall be in the nature, of a plank maintaining the compulsory clauses of the Act, with suggestions ior machinery improvements to gnouvß,' Jta better jyoxfcuig.