KEBR HARDIE

NZ Truth, Issue 125, 9 November 1907, Page 3

KEBR HARDIE

On Class Consciousness.

The Political Labor Hovement— Not of a Class Character, Says Hardie.

Kieir Hardie,. the leader of the (Labor Party, m the British House of Commons, has had a groat deal of space devoted to him recently because of some speeches made by him to the oppressed and plundered people of India. Mr Keir Bardic has been making a tour of the Empire, chiefly for the benefit of his health, and he is expected to reach New Zealand about Christmas time. While m the Canadian province of British Columbia, Keir Hardie was interviewed by a representative of the "Western Clarion" and .the interview is thus reported therein :— "Keir Hardie personally struck me favorably and impresses me as Toeing sincere and well intentioned. "I asked him': "Do you take the ultra-class-conscious REVOLUTIONARY POSITION ?» (1 thought I would put it strong* ly). He- replied : 'No, I do not." There was an answer refreshingly honest and direct ;.,one meets so many m discussion that evade, dodge, twist, and turn, that it is a treat to meet an opponent who does not wrap his meaning up m a mass of verbiage till the point, if any, is lost entirely. He went on to say that the trade union movement was THE CLASS MOVEMENT ; that the political movement was not a class movement at all, his argument 'bping that the trade unions were composed of workingmen entirely, whereas there were some capitalists m the political movement. <'I should like to have had a longer talk with Keir, but he had an appointment, so regretfully we had to terminate our talk, which was characterised by the greatest possible af- j f ability and spirit of fairness. Kfeir ! Hardie is evidently TOO MANLY A M,AN to asperse an opponent's motives merely because he differs from Mm."