ALLIANCE SPLIT

Evening Star, Issue 22574, 16 February 1937, Page 12

ALLIANCE SPLIT

CAUSED BY MESSRS ROBERTS AND COOK STATEMENT BY VICE-PRESIDENT [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, February 16. In the absence of the president of the Alliance of Labour the vice-president, Mr F. P. Walsh, made a statement today in reply to Mr Cook’s statement on Monday. Inter alia, ho says that the split which Mr Cook by his actions lias been trying to widen is tbat at the 15)36 annual conference Messrs Roberts and Cook, when they found themselves in a minority, walked out and held a secret conference with a few others. Their action in trying to split the alliance was condemned by all the district councils of the alliance, with the exception of Waihi. However, despite the actions of Messrs Roberts and Cook, the alliance, since the 1936 conference, has _ made wonderful progress. It lias obtained a number of new affiliations, and, better still, the office of the alliance and the Trades and Labour Council have been able to work in complete harmony. The Alliance of Labour and the Trades and Labour Council’s Federation are calling a conference of the whole trade movement with the object of bringing about one national organisation that will be ablo to speak and act on behalf of the movement as a whole. The statement also says that Mr Young went to the ballot with three other candidates, rind secured an absolute majority over the other three.