WHY THE PROTRACTED DELAY?

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 144, 15 December 1913, Page 7

WHY THE PROTRACTED DELAY?

SECOND BALLOT IN VIEW DEVISING MEANS OP ESCAPE. The opinion is being very freely expressed by men prominent in Labour circles that any movement that is made in the direction of narrowing the scope of the strike or calling it oft" completely will be deferred until the second ballot for the Lyttelton by-election has been taken. Ihis has even been stated as a faofc which has been determined upon by the' delegates attending the Federation Conference. Should this prove to bp the case there will be nothing announced until Wednesday. It is thought by many that the Social Democrat candidate's chances of winning the seat would be considerably lessened were his party (or its industrial other self) forced at the present stage to acknowledge defeat in tho industrial section. What th© move will be when it is announced cannot bo said with certainty, but well informed men incline to tho opinion that, as the Federation is unable to hold the seamen, the strike of walci'sidors and seamen will be called oft', and all forces concentrated upon tlm coal miners with the view of keeping them out as long as possible. This would allow of the Federation's hiding its retreat as a " strategic movement to tho rear." Should the second ballot result in th» Federation's favour, the leaders would be given a f urthor nieajis of breaking tho news of tho "call-off" gently. They would undouMedly claim that, though defeated (for ti'a tune being, they would say) they had gained a victory at tho ballot-box, though such victories they have previously affected to despise. They would possibly statu also that tho result had justified their course of actions, and was but tho first of a long series of victories,