NEW ZEALAND POLITICS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 9 March 1909, Page 2

NE W ZEALAND POLITICS

F k "VOU'BE ANOTHER." : * LABOUR OLIGARCHS AND THS f e DEMOCRACY. * This is the "silly season 1 ' in politic: as the Leaders of' the Ma>?eyaii an . Wardite Liberals ars abundantly proi . f iug by their blasts of vituperatioi ' wafted at each other from one end of tr , country to the other, says the "Post. t Over all the hills and valleys Mid w;itei £ ways that lie bctu.cn Auckland an I Dunediii, the Prime Minister and tr. Leader of the Opposition, or "Refori Party," have shouted "You're ai other," and have knocked their heac together, and the people have seen com cal sparks. It is mostly about the a leged telegram or the alleged copy of telegram which Sir Joseph sent to th Souhern Maoris when they cere in pr< , cess of electing a representative, anfl i i is also about the Ministerial function of Mr tsgata, and about the Wardit ° party's "systematic attempts to libel an misrepresent Opposition candidates an -. Opposition members of the last and pr< ceding Parliaments." 'j his is the thir ° pr fourth round of the "friendly spar,' s ard the combatants arc hurting eac ! ' other so little that the bout may go c: 1 till a gazette extraordinary summon th duellists to really important busmen c Mr Massey's latest "1-eads" are made i: four movements which we have nut spatto describe any more than we shall hay I room for a detailed reference to bi „ Joseph^ countering. Tin encounter i " as difficult to follow and as hard tec " ti.Ue seriously, as an average melc drama, and the other matter .s jus „ about as much worth wh.le. The peopl have had their laugh, and are now d" ? posed to exclaim to tli3 tarcical fighters ■ "Get, work. Get busy." TMr?»P««t. " of work for the •'Reform Party , the^ i, plenty of work for Sir Joseph . bu ti, 9 , according tn -no >W. *™ Zwiand is often regarded as 11 e mos democratic eouniry * * aM < ""' V ot those of us whose view was un elonacd by the enchantment wh« distance always leads know perfectl; weU that at a time when the demoa racy of this country appeared to w most vigoroufl and self-assertive, i was really in the grip of a despot.sn which many a monarch by a divm( right would have been proud to emu late Tha extremes of democracy and' despotism had met and eujoyec one another's company in almost per feet harmony for years. An immenst Btimulus had been given to the greal democratic movement which ultimate ly suffered this strange metamorphosis by tho great strike of 1890. Yet this strike was itself tho outcome of the despotic organisation of the most democratic element in our polities. A fair poll of organised labour would probably have declared against a strike, but loyalty brought out the rank and file, after the oligarchy in charge had agreed that thoy shouia come out in sympathy with a foreign quarrel. Tt is satisfactory to see that the seamen of Australia, who^set that great trouble moving, have just insisted on an organisation which will minimise this danger. The New South Wales Labour Council had arrogated to itself by tho majority of a single rote the extreme power of declaring n strike TV'thout inference to the wishe. 1 of the constituent unions. On the motion of the Seamen's Union delegate, this dangerous power ha=. now been revoked by tho substantial majority of 6fi votes to 49. We eonCTuhilate all parties concerned, and the Seamen's Union in particular, upon a decision which will relieve n democratic orjranK'aliou from obedience to wluit might become a neKprvtie nml highly dangerous power.