FEDERATION OF LABOUR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 14 February 1913, Page 3

FEDERATION OF LABOUR

A.bout 70 people, including several ladies, attended the. Druids' Hall last evening to hear an address by Mr P. C. Webb, President of the New Zealand Federation of Labour. Mr N-een presided, and introduced the speaker. Mr Webb, after expressing his pleasure at being present, said he represented the finest industrial organisation in Australasia,* which he contended had been much, misrepresented by the newspapers. At the present time there was a- wave of. industrial unrest throughout the world, and the' speaker gave it as his opinion that as soon as the labour leaders commenced.: trying to do something for humanity the combined press cf the countrv resorted io the most despicable tactics. The speaker spent a good deal of time condemning the alleged attitude of, the press towards the labour movement. Passing on, it was contended that the time had arrived when all socially worked industries must also be socially"owned, and not in the hands of one or two financial magnates. Trusts were the outcome of competition, and were the greatest agitators the working clars had to con'end with. Mr Webb, in dealing with the labour Movement of the last few years, said they realised that their only hope lay in the complete industrial organisation of every wage-earner throughout the civilised "world. They were just as bitterly opposed, to strikes as -well.as the newspapers were, referred to strikes as a relic of barbarism They forgot to point out, however, lie contended, that the cause of strikes was also a relic of barbarism. It was the .desire of the Federation to get \t the root of this cause. The policy of the Federation was the only policy that was going to emancipate the working class. and no power on earth could stop them. Referring to the proposed labour organisation, the speaker said they intended to organise on lines, of industry, and every worker would be brought under iiis own particular line of work. The chains which kept the workers bound ' down were of their own making, and it •was the working clas* which could break them. To-day* the industrial movement liad reached " 'each a stage that people were forced to take sides cither with the trust or monopolies or with the ivorking classes fighting for better conditions. Mr Webb went on to speak of tth« Arbitration : Court, contending that all classes of labour had benefitted more emder the Labour Federation than

through the Court, Speaking; of recent happemngG at Waihi, Mr Webb con.ended that the Federation of Labour had come out of the strike ten times stronger than it was before. Reverting to tne pre-s, the speaker alleged that during that period journalism was prostituted as journalism was never prostituted before He alleged that the Massey Government had "sent a body of police to Wa'hi to work in conjunction with the mine owners with the express intention of breaking up tne strike. But the object had failed, alleged Mr Webb. lhe speaker"* made a bitter attack on the police, stating that thev connived at attacks bv the Arbitrationiets on Federationist*" referring to the attack on the Miners' Hal 1 .. Mr Webb said he d:d not blame the Federationi-sts inside the building for having revolvers. The speaker later referred to "Mafsey, Cullen. and hie -pimps.'" The speaker had a o-ood deal more to say about the doings at" Waihi. giving his own view of the manner in which the strikers were alleged to have been cruellv and unjustly treated. Referring to°the poverty existing in England on the Continent, -uid m America on the cne hano, and the luxury on the other, Mr Webb said that comparatively speaking, there was just as much poverty in New Zealard as in the countries hs had just mentioned ; and further alleged that the condition? under which the majority of the people worked in New Zealand were degrading and dehumanising. Strong opposition was taken to the Defence Act, which he alleged was bad, cruel, and demoralising. 3 The speaker pointed out the power possxesed bv the working classes, which he urged should be used to raise on a highei 7 level their less fortunate workers. They wanted the Brotherhood of Man, and it would be rossible when they owned and controlled t' e tools of production and worked them and managed them for Mh» intercs s of the people. The speaker was frequently applauded durin-r his address. Several questions were asked and answered before the meeting c'osed, and the soeaker and the chairman were accorded vcte6 cf thanks