Unionist Replies To Election Attacks

Northern Advocate, 2 October 1943, Page 2

Unionist Replies To Election Attacks

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “Because of attacks made on the trade union movement by' the National Party during the election campaign, it appears necessary to express the views of the organisation 4 which represents 38,000 workers,” said Mr. E. P. Walsh in a statement as president of the Wellington Trades Council of the New Zealand Federation of Labour. “Mr. Holland’s attack on the trade union leaders reveals that he is fundamentally opposed to industrial unionism,” said Mr. Walsh. "Like his political ancestors throughout the past century, he would be delighted with a leaderless trade union movement. The Nationalists hate the leaders of the trade unions because the activities of those leaders and their insistence on fair play for the workers disturb the tranquillity of those who enjoy easy profits and big dividends from organised business. Members of trade unions throughout the country have had to put up with a great deal of abuse of their leaders, whom the Nationalists term ‘Labour bosses.’ “That attitude was also adopted by the Lee party. They side-stepped the fact that the trade union movement, by reason of its constitution, rules and love of liberty, has no dictators. Its leaders are elected annually on democratic principles. What the trades union movement has accomplished on behalf of the workers and people as a whole, not only in the ameliorating of Labour conditions, but in social services generally, is appreciated by everybody. But we realise that victory by the Fascist Powers in the present war would destroy all that has been achieved, and we are wholeheartedly behind the Government in its administration of the Dominion's war effort. War Effort Criticisms “Yet the National Party’s attitude during the election has been definitely damaging to that war effort. For political gain, and to help the employing class, it advocated a reduced military effort. To catch a few votes 'it set out to capitalise on the furlough draft, regardless of the fact that the course it advocated would have jeopardised the chances of any further men from being granted a wellearned holiday in New Zealand. “The Nationalists also attempted to weaken New Zealand’s war effort on the home front. They attacked every law and every provision for maintaining full efficiency in defence and in military training for overseas. They endeavoured to turn the people’s wartime sacrifices, wartime shortages of commodities and inevitable wartime inconveniences into political grievances. They tried to convince the people that they would be better off if all measures for their protection against wartime difficulties were removed. They advocated that prices should be left to the will of private enterprise, and nothing should be protected except the old Tory privilege of grabbing all the good things of life. In all these actions the Nationalists sapped the morale of the nation. _ A “Another enemy of the war effort was the doctrine that the war could be paid for without any cost to the people of the country. The people showed by their votes that they are not so gullible. “The workers of New Zealand are determined to work wholeheartedly to increase production and thus do all in their power toward achieving victory. They are convinced also that the industrial conditions under which they can do their best are only possible under a Labour Government. The whole of organised industrial labour, therefore, gives its pledge that it will continue to work to its utmost to increase the production of the Dominion and support the Labour Government in its policy of carrying on the war without any relaxation and, at the same time, maintaining the highest possible standard of living in fair play to all sections of the community.”