LABOUR'S NEW GRIEVANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19141, 6 October 1925, Page 9

LABOUR'S NEW GRIEVANCE.

PUBLIC SERVICES AT HOME.j MAINTENANCE IN STRIKES. ORGANISATION OPPOSED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyri(rht. (Received 8.315 » m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. Oct. 5. The leader of the Labour Party, Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald, in a letter to the press, protests against the action of the Home Secretary, Sir W, .Toynson-Hicks, in " blessing a private and irresponsible attempt to maintain certain public services in the event of a paralysing trade dispute." Mr. Mac Donald says: " Labonr is too experienced to place reliance on the declarations of an innocent purpose. Our despair of getting redress or justice by constitutional means has been increased by the publication of the Home Secretary's letter. It will be considered in hundreds of places as an encouragement by the Government of pernicious private organisations formed to create disturbance and foment revolutionary passion. " It was useless for us to fight revolution at, the Liverpool conference if it is being bred at Whitehall. The first intimation of tho official view taken of the proposed organisation m Britain for the maintenance of supplies during times of national emergency, was conveyed in a letter from the Home Secretary, Sir W. Joynson-Hicks, to a friend. The latter had desired to know the intentions of the Government in the matter. The Minister stated frankly that it was the Government's duty to preserve order and to maintain supplies. The Government was prepared to carry out that driy, and had already adopted its own plans for that purpose. The Government f.ad not thought it necessary to make a public parade of its willingness and ability to do its duty. Nor did it desire to ame what might be regarded as a prov cative attitude by enrolling several indred thousand men. There was no objection to the inauguration of the new body. It would doubtless aid the Government by supplying classified lists of men who were willing to place theif services at the disposal of the country. DEFEATED EXTREMISTS DECISIONS AT LIVERPOOL. PLEASING TO THE CAPITALISTS (Received 10.5 p.m.) Reuter. LONDON. Oct. 4. The executive of the Communist Partyhas issued a statement concerning the recent conference of the Labour Party at Liverpool This says the decisions of the conference did not constitute a defeat for the Communists, but a blow to the working classes. It declares that purely Liberal resolutions were adopted. The repudiation by the conference of the fight against Imperialism and the Dawes plan (which was degrading their fellow-workers abroad and striking at British conditions) was intended to please the capitalists. The Trades Union Congress had frightened the capitalists, but the decisions at Liverpool had reassured them.