CORRESPONDENCE.

Grey River Argus, 16 January 1928, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE.

A PLEA FOR, HONESTY AND TRUTH.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Under the heading of “A Plea for Unity,” there appears in your issue of the ,10th January a letter from Mr Felix Newfield, General Secretary of the Federated Seamen’s Union of New Zealand. No one will take exception to any statement appealing for the unity of the wage-workers of New Zen. land, and, as far as I am personally concerned.. I shall always assist any person who endeavours to establish the industrial unity of the wage-workers of this country. I do submit, however,, that industrial unity can never be obtained by abuse, either direct or implied, of’men who have spent the greater part of their lives advocating closer organisation of the working class. In his letter, Mr Newfield uses the following statement: “There is, however, a wide difference of opinion on the question of remaining affiliated to a national organisation which has reactionary, weak-kneed officials at its head.” Now I shall not accuse Mr Felix Newfield of being possessed of weak knees, strong kuees, bandy knees, or even of being pigeon-toed in his dealings with industrial matters. The fact is, that the gentleman in question has not yet demonstrated himself to be anything more or less than the ordinary humdrum mortal. He may be a modern industrial Samson, of course, but as yet we have seen no proof. To say the least, the men he accuses of being weakkneed have as much experience in the industrial movement, and have acquitted themselves in any dispute with which they have been connected with as much credit as the Secretary of the Seamen’s Union. Possibly after all, Mr Newfield is like many other would.be industrial Samsons, who, prior to being placed in a position of responsibility, assert that they are going to tear down the pillars of the edifice that oppresses and exploits the workers. After assuming office, however, it seems that they, like Samson of old, have their hair shingled, and the great strength and power of militant leadership does not materialise. Apart from the foregoing, if Mr Newfield had that honesty and directness recognised to be essential in a trade union official, he would have told the readers of the Argus who these weak, kneed officials were. He would have stated further what action they had taken which warranted his making a statement of that kind; but this gentleman seems to be intent on joining the gang of character-assassins, who never make a clear-cut statement against any individual, but resort to making sweeping assertions which are usually incorrect. Possibly the circular was not intended for publication, but personally I am pleased it lias been published, for when matter of that kind comes to the light of day, through the public Press, one can understand what is going on all the time under the rose. Now, Sir. two wrongs do not make a right, and for that reason I will not abuse or accuse Mr Newfield, but one could say very hard things against that gentleman if one so pleased. For instance, we could ask him what he has done in the Labour movement to earn the reputation of a militant leader—indeed, we may ask him what he has done in the Labour movement to earn the reputation of being a leader of any kind. Before I conclude, I would like to remind the readers of the Argus that Mr Felix Newfield, Secretary of the Seamen’s Union, lives in Wellington. The officers of the Alliance of LabouV live in the same city. Would it not be more in keeping with the policy of the Labour movement if Mr Now-

field were to tell these men to their faces that they were weak-kneed or crooked, than*to forward a circular to the West Coast, where many of the readers of the Argus do not know the gentlemen referred to. Air Newfield is comparatively a new' man in deal- • the Press with questions affecting industrial organisation, and I would advise him not to make the same mistake as other writers in the Argus, namely, making absurd statements in the Press, which they were afterwards compelled either to withdraw or to remain as silent as a Bluff oyster. —Yours, etc, JAS. ROBERTS. Secretary, N.Z. Alliance of Labour. Wellington, 13th January, 1928.