FEDERATION OE LABOUR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15823, 23 July 1913, Page 8

FEDERATION OE LABOUR.

ATTACK BY MR M'LAIIEN,

STRIKERS AND SABOTAGE.

(Fiioa Ocn Ow.v Cohdespondeni.)

WELLINGTON, July 22. A strong criticism of the policy of the Federation of Labour wa-s contained in a speech delivered last- evening by Mr D. M'Larcn, ex-Labour M.P., who withdrew from the recent Unity Congress owing to his inability to subscribe to its platform. Mr M'Laren said that the industrial unionism advocated by the Federation of Labour in New Zealand was a fonn of syndicalism, a doctrine which taug'ht that a Labour trust should bo formed for the purpose of taking over the industries by direct action; in other words, by force. He said it was amusing to find anti-militarists supporting industrial unionsm because the form of organisation, that form of unionism, opposed as it was to compulsory military training and autocratic action, sought to organise the workers into a great class army with ■ the idea, that any injury done to the enemy, the employers, would bo to the advantage of the workers. Its programme included strikes of all kinds and cabotage, which meant the destruction of property. In the speaker's opinion "the New Zealand Federation of Labour was teaching this form of industrial unionism, wrapped up in ambiguous names, because it knew its purposes could not be put in plain terms without bo.ng condemned by the workers of the country. The Federation of Labour had .even made it clear that its purpose was to use strike methods and to deny the rights of local unions, and thatmeant . that industrial unionism was an attack on the trades union principles to which the workers of New Zealand should turn their attention.