THE LABOUR PARTY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 May 1910, Page 3

THE LABOUR PARTY.

ATTITUDE OF THE WEST COAST

SINK “PETTY DISPUTES.” Mr D. McLaren, M.P.. interviewed in Wellington, in regard to Iris tour for lire purpose ’of . organising the Labor Party in New Zealand, made the following fern arks in regard to the West CoastAt Westport tire waterside workers had meetings prepared, and they took the line of throwing their meetings open to all classes of .workers, a course which was similarly followed in rther districts. My reception in Westport was very hearty and the meetings entirely satisfactory. \t Greymonth I opened at a meeting on the Sunday evening which was called by the Wharf Laborers’ Union. In addition

I addressed a meeting in the open air during ilic week. At Brunner, Blackball and Rnnanga, I met meetings of the miners and received a good hearing at ill of these places. The Brunner men expressed themselves as likely to come right in with our Federation. Although he minors at Blackball and Runanga are Imposed to make their unions an adjunct of the Socialist Party, vet many of them hold the view that our .Labor organisation must be on lines of absolute solidarity throughout. Altogether the West Toast impressed me as being very active and progressive, with neihaps too strong a leaning on abstract principles. I Was pressed strongly to s.tav longer on the 'kvst as the wharfmen desired to hold a banquet in my honor, but I bad to decline the honor, having engagements to be fulfilled. THE NECESSITY FOR UNITY. Commenting on this tour generally, Air McLaren said : —My impression is that the great majority of unions will adopt ■he New Zealand Federation of Labor, and Labor in the North Island will rein ire to bestir itself or it will find itself ’eft far behind by the solid activity being put into the movement in the South Island. I have been privileged by this tour to know onr movement as I never knew it before, and I can see solid "round for believing that a real live New Zealand Labor Party is coming quicklv. The Labor Party will come both quick

and solid if we decide right off to place the movement before the individual and give up fighting for precedence and place. From this tour I learn that there are places in plenty not yet filled, work in abundance to be done and the organisation cf Labour on broad national lines br.vi just commenced. My advice is: Stop personal bickering, ignore personal attack, join up solid throughout, work with all who are in any way going forward, and New Zealand can be captured for Labour as Australia has been.”