THE SEAMEN'S STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19149, 15 October 1925, Page 9

THE SEAMEN'S STRIKE.

I Sir, —After encouraging the British seaI men to carry on the strike, the candi- | date of the New Zealand Labour Party I are now trying to shuffle out of any re- ' sponsibility. Mr. R. Semple " denies that he had encouraged or fostered the shipping strike." He certainly joined with others in raising money to carry on the strike, and if that is not fostering it then there is no meaning in language. For a man who made special appeals fo assist the strikers, to say that he did not encourage the strikers to carry on the strike is too positively ridiculous for anything. Mr. Lee Martin (another Red candidate), at Hamilton, said:—" The Labour Party had no more to do with the strike than the Reform or National Parties." That is pure fudge. The lieform and National Parties are against the \ strike, whereas Mr. H. E. Combs, spesk- | ing for his party (which is Mr. Martin's), | said: " The Labour Party was in full symj pathy with the seamen on strike," and then went on to justify the action of these men in breaking the agreement which they had signed. It is beyond question that leading men of the party have been with the strikers and encouraged them to carry on. They have held public meetings and" pleaded for support in carryj ing on the strike. They have marched ' with the convicted strikers (with banners J and parade), to the prison gates, though not inside. In,the face of all this evidence j we now have the candidates of this party | pleading on the hustings that they have j not in any way encouraged the !Itjs a miserable shuffle and such plea l should be treated with the contempt lib deI serves. N.Z. Welfare League.