RECEPTION BY LABOUR AN ADDRESS OF WELCOME.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 7, 9 January 1915, Page 3

RECEPTION BY LABOUR AN ADDRESS OF WELCOME.

MR. FISHER GIVES GOOD ADVICE. Immediately following on the function in the Council Chamber came the reception in the Town Hall by organised Labour. The building was well [ filled, and the welcome given to the visitors enthusiastic to a degree. Mr. J. M'Kenzie, chairman of the Trades and Labour Council, presided. In presenting an address of welcome to Mr. Fisher, he said it was a great credit to the Labour movement of Australia that it could produce from the ranks of the working people men such as Mr. Fisher — men with the ability, the wisdom, and the foresight necessary to govern that great country. (Applause.) The people in New Zealand shared the pride the people of Australia had in Mr. Fisher. What had happened during the past few ' months was a triumphant vindication of the foresight of the Labour Government, which made the Australian Navy a reality, not merely an. idea. Mr. M'Kenzie then presented the following address, engrossed on vellum, to Mr. Fisher :—: — "To the Right Hon. Andrew Fisher, P.C., Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia. " Sir, — On behalf of a committee representing the- combined Labouc organi- 1

sations in the city of Wellington, we extend to you a cordial and fraternal welcome to New Zealand. We deem it an honour to receive the visit of a Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, and especially the visit of one who is the leader of a (Labour Government that has done so much to promote and conserve the welfare of its workers. We congratulate you and your Government on having initiated and successfully prosecuted a statesmanlike policy that has placed Australia in the foremost rank of the self-governing countries that com 7 prise so essential a part of our worldwide Empire. " While we detest the necessity that forces us to take part in the present great war, and we deplore the loss of life and misery that must ensue, we are pleased to know that our soldiers will fight side by side with our Australian comrades in defence of our democratic institutions. " It is our earnest hope that your visit to our shores may strengthen the fraternal ties which npw exist between the workers of Australia and those of New Zealand ; and that, stimulated by a spirit of brotherhood, and working in harmony, we may accomplish a solidarity of Labour that will bring happiness to the masses and peace to the world. Trusting that your visit may prove an enjoyable one, and with sincere wishes for your future welfare, — " We are, sir, On behalf of the committee, Yours fraternally, F. M'KENZIE, Chairman. E. KENNEDY, Secretary." LABOUR'S DUTY. On rising to reply, Mr. Fisher was enthusiastically cheered. He thanked the representatives of organised Labour m the Wellington district for the very kindly-worded address they had been good enough to address to him. He was glad they could present a united address to anyone at the prespnt moment. If all he had read were to be taken literally, they were not in agreement on any question whatever. It was not so bad as that. There were great propositions in the world, political and other, but there were none, in his opinion, of greater importance than those which bound union to union, man to man, woman to woman, in the desire of providing that all persons should get their due reward for the toil they expended and that no person should get more. (Applause.) During his thirty years in Australia he had seen many changes, mostly for the better, some no doubt for the worse, as little setbacks, but happily there had been one_ general state of progress, ameliorating the hard conditions of the toiling masses and providing succour and comfort for those who were past providing for themselves. (Applause.) AN INTELLECTUAL STRUGGLE. "You in New Zealand," said Mr. Fisher, "have no reason to regret many Acts, social, industrial, and political, that have been passed through your Parliaments twenty odd years ago. It would seem that on the social side — if I may be permitted to say so — we have lagged on_ the steps of the temple. But if united organised Labour demand some new reform of utility and benefit to themselves and the whole • community, there is no force in Parliament or out of it that can prevent your having it. (Applause.) "The time has passed, in my opinion, when we need, any of us, to resort to force. (Hear, hear, and a voice : " Only Massey.") It is an intellectual struggle between those who have votes a* to what policy shall prevail ; and when any of us who are democrats deride parliaments, denounce tbem r or say we would sweep them all away we are, in my opinion, declaring that we are unfit to compete with our fellow labourer intellectually. Each of you here, I believe, has a right to one vote and no more. If that is so, and we have a good case to present to aD intelligent democracy, then we ought to win. But if we are divided in our counsels and divided in our actions little wonder our opponents may succeed. I am not deriding you, I am not complaining, though I« must from my point of view regret that you are not more united from one end of New Zealand to the other. (Applause.) My suggestion to you is to begin to put your house in order, get! together on a set of principles you can agree upon, 9ft on, set out on a pilgrimage, a campaign, to explain to the people of this country what that platform and policy is until they understand it, and then, but not till then, you will meet with that success or partial success which we have met with in Australia — which, I believe, without disrespect to other parties, is the best and Bafest course for a democratic community to pursue. (Applause.) STICK TO WHAT YOU THINK. After a pleasant reference to his travelling companion, Mr. Boyd, the speaker referred to the bitter controversy over the Australian naval question five years ago. To-day there was hardly a citizen of note or a representative in any Parliament, who did not acknowledge that the right thing had been done. Five years ago it was most unpopular, and many people thought the aim and object of the Labour Party was separation from the Motherland and the independence of Australia. The feeling was tense and high. "But if you have a policy, ladies and gentlemen," said Mr. Fisher, "that you think right pursue it, irrespective of the powers that are against you. (Applause.) If you have the determination and the men to get before the people on the platform — it ' matters not if you have no mouthpiece through the press — the people can be reached if you have a story to tell them worth telling. On these grounds we were able to win Australia, and now it is the ambition of every political party to claim to have been the author of this particular scheme. IN CLOSER TOUCH. "Lastly, I have to ask a favour of you, and it is this : that your organised bodies in New Zealand will send representatives to the Commonwealth of Australia. Tell us what your conditions are here, what youv aims and objects are. Go into consultation with the representatives of our organisations there for an interchange of views, because, although you live, toil, and have your existence in New Zealand, the men and women in Australia are working under practically similar circumstances there. We should know your conditions" and your advantages, and you should know ours. The day w& have a free, comprehensive interchange of views on all social, industrial, and political subjects, that day we put our steps on the first rung jot the ladder that will lead to abstract justice among all men. (Applause.) I think I am able to say that, though this visit is primarily one of health and recreation, the outcome of it will be at the very least that there will be reciprocity between this Dominion and the Commonwealth as regards the payment of invalid and old-age pensions. (Applause.) It means that residents of New Zealand or the Commonwealth will count in either country when they reach the age at which they are entitled to a pension. (Hear, hear.) I hope the reciprocal action will not end there, and that there will be a freer interchange of ideas among all classes of the community — that the time is not far distant when, without impairing your autonomy in any way, we shall be able to work together in unity in everything that will lead to our safety as dominions and our progress as peoples. (Applause.) MR. BOYD'S VIEWS. Mr. Boyd was then invited to speak and met a very cordial reception. He,

could not agree with Mr Fisher on many things, but he was quite sure the doctrines Mr. Fishei had enunciated that night were safe so far as the Commonwealth was concerned. He felt with Mr. Fisher that a closer relationship should exis* between Australia and New Zealand. (Applause.) During the evening musical selections were played by the Waterside Workers' Band and an overture and several pieces by the Working Men's Club Orchestra, under Mr. J. M'Glashan. Songs were given by Mrs. A. Smith and Mr. Wilmot, a recitation by Miss Milesi, and a sword dance by Miss M'Kenzie. The Wellington Pipe Band provided an escort for Mr. Fisher. Refreshments were served later in the evening, and after 10 o'clock there was dancing.