North Auckland Age. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED “The Mangonui County Times” and “The Bay of Islands Times.” Terms of Subscription: 12s. PER YEAR (booked). 10s. PER YEAR (in advance). Postage to any part included. MONDAY, MAY 30, 1910. The Labour Party.

Northland Age, Volume VI, Issue 40, 30 May 1910, Page 4

North Auckland Age. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED “The Mangonui County Times” and “The Bay of Islands Times.” Terms of Subscription: 12s. PER YEAR (booked). 10s. PER YEAR (in advance). Postage to any part included. MONDAY, MAY 30, 1910. The Labour Party.

Mr. D. McLaren, M.P., for Wellington East, who for the last three months has been engaged in organising work on behalf ol the New Zealand Federation of Labour is now in Auckland. His object has been to unite the whole of the Labour Unions of the Dominion and, according to a statement made to a “ Star ” reporter, the replies that he has so far received in respect to the federation of labour give over ten to one of the labour bodies as in favor of the scheme for the New Zealand Federation of Labour, and the creation of a distinct political labour party. Further Mr. McLaren has said that the appeal for solidarity on the lines of national federation is already bearing fruit in bringing the labour bodies of the various provinces into more direct touch with each other and that he is urging upon the Executive the need for establishing campaign funds and the sending out of a number of organisers during the next year; as he has found that throughout the country there is a very strong demand for organisers.

With such pronounced statements made by one who is admittedly working on behalf of Labour, and for the formation of a separate political party, it must be obvious that at the next general elections there will be a new force with which both the Government and the Opposition will have to contend, but that this union of labour for political purposes will more closely affect the followers of the Government than those holding Opposition views can be accepted as an axiom. Yet on neither side of the House can organised labour be looked upon with other than very mixed feelings and if such a combination as that of the Labour Unions of the Dominion may seriously threaten the Ward Ministry it can do no less than cause anxiety to the more conservative of the people of New Zealand. At the present there are among the Members of Parliament on the Minis-

terial side of the House many who represent constituencies which are unfavorable to extreme labour legislation and who are also pledged to the retention of the right of the freehold to those who have taken up, or may take up, Crown Land sections for agricultural and pastoral purposes. It is therefore evident that many of the Government party in the House will be threatened by organised labour politicians and, as it has been through the efforts of these Members that the Ward Ministry have been prevented from much drastic Liberal and even Socialistic legislation, it may be accepted as a fact that the new party, when it is formed as apparently it will be formed, will attempt to oust the more moderate of the Liberals from their seats. Thus it is more than probable that organised labour may attack more vehemently the moderates among the Liberals than even the most Conservative of Opposition followers and this may in the result be more damaging to the legislation of the Dominion than at first appears. The advent of a thoroughly organised Labour Party, though it has been threatened before and has in some degree already shown itself, must mean one of two things. Either the Government will have to fall in with the idea of the Labour Party and move in the direction of Land Nationalisation and other extreme Labour legislation, or Ministers will be compelled to join hands with the Massey Party in a fight against the demands of labour, which demands may be expected to be purely for the ultimate benefit of the town worker, the artisan and the casual labourer, and against the agriculturalist and pastoralist. And, in such event, it is by no means difficult to anticipate the course which Sir Joseph Ward and his friends would take. It is only the inclusion among his adherents of some very moderate Liberals that has prevented the Premier from many more concessions to Labour than have already been given, and with strong Labour representation in the House every vestige of conservative liberalism, as we may perhaps be allowed to describe the moderate socialism policy of the Government, would be abandoned and the labour policy would be adopted together with Land Nationalisation, Single Tax, and all that such policy means. It might be that a coalition between the Opposition and the more moderate of the Liberal Party would follow on organised labour prevailing with the Ward Ministry and under the circumstances such an union would be profoundly desirable. Thus would there come about a wider line of demarcation between the present Liberals and the Opposition and thus would there be less opportunity of the electors selecting Members of Parliament on purely personal qualifications. The political standard of the nation would certainly be altered and the policy of the country would be clearly defined, according to the party returned to power. And were it only for these last reasons, bearing always in mind that many of Sir Joseph Ward’s followers in the House are nearly as Conservative as the majority of the Opposition, a labour party in the Parliament of New Zealand should be welcome. And Mr. McLaren’s efforts, according to his own showing, give indication that the changes outlined and anticipated will come about in the very near future.