THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10958, 26 December 1911, Page 4

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

LABOR PARTY'S ATTITUDE.

(Per Press Association.)

Napier, December 22. "I was on my way to Napier from Auckland on Thursday/*' said Mr J. Pavne, the Labor member for Grey Lynn, "when, at 3larton. I received :i telegram asking me to go on to Wellington to attend a meeting of Labor representatives, and 1 did so. *Wc held that meeting; but, as only two of the elected Labor members were present— Mr Veitch (Wanganui) and myself—no definite decision was arrived at. In addressing the meeting I pointed, out that Labor held the balance of power, and I urged that we should he careful as to how that power is used. In my opinion, I said, it was highly desirable that a change of Government should be brought about, so as_to free workers of excessive taxation that had resulted from the unbusinesslike finance of the • Ward administration. I pointed out as plainly as I could that it is in our power" to do one of two things; to throw in our, weight with the Massey party on a no-confidence motion, and so bring about a change of Government. or to insist upon Sir Joseph Ward forming a new party with the four Labor members on top. If Sir Joseph will reconstruct the Government as a Labor Government, with Labor members at the head, it will he all right: but if not, I suggested to the meeting wo should thrOw in our weight with the Massey party, and defeat the present Government on a. no-confidence mo- J tion. Personally.! I am an Independent Labor representative, and have no connection with the Labor party proper. The so-called Labor party is a comparatively small section of Unionists._ Numbers of Unionists are Federation of Labor men, but numbers of them don't belong either to the Federation of Labor or to the Labor party. An attempt has been made to. class the four Labor members as representatives of what is known as the Labor party; but as I have been elected by the Federation of Labor men and other Unionists notattached to the Labor party, L pointed out in nnmistakeable terms that I must remain an Independent- Labor representative. We discussed the present situation, and I strongly urged that Labor members must act as one body in suggesting that we should support Sir Joseph Ward if he will form aMinistry with Labor members at top. or. if he won't, vote for the Massey party on a no-confidence motion. My idea was that we should get- hold of the finance of the country in order to make thorough investigation of it in the workers' interests."