WILFUL MISREPRESENTATION AND DUNEDIN CENTRAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16289, 23 January 1915, Page 5

WILFUL MISREPRESENTATION AND DUNEDIN CENTRAL

TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, —Really wo aro getting so mixed with terms that ono need not wonder if tho electors are, ero this, so confused that tliey "dunno where they are." Perhaps you had that object in view when you adopted different headings for your various articles. The only ono now which requires dealing with is tho ono in your issue of tho 2(Jth, entitled " Wilful Misrepresentation." In that article you accuse us of "wilful misrepresentation " regarding Mr Statham's attitude in connection with tho six-day week. In our letter we stated: — (1) That Mr Statham voted in fa>our of tho Arbitration Court having tho power to grant tho sixday week to hotel workers; (2) that tho Arbitration (Jourt always had that power; (3) that tho question at issue was whether Parliament itself should legislate for a sixday week for all workers in licensed hotels, privato hotels, and restaurants, or leave it to a judgo of tho Supreme Court and two laymen to decide whether somo of those workers should enjoy that much-needed and humanitarian reform; (4) that in voting in favour of tho Arbitration Court deciding the question Mr Statham proved that ho was opposed to the six-day week being mado universal.

It is useless for you to say that these statements aro untrue. The debate on the. second reading proves conclusively that only two questions were discussed —viz.: Shall Parliament make the six-day week statutory or shall tho -workers be loft to tho tender mercy of tho Arbitration Court? Every member who spoke on tho second reading expressed himself in favour of one or tho other. In opening tho debate tho Prime Minister is reported as saying : —"Clauso 8 will be probably to many people the most important ono in tho Bill, as it deals with tho question of the six days per week." Tho debate occupied 14 pages of Hansard, and wo would be quito safo in saying that 13 of those pages wero devoted to the discussion of the week. You 6ay. that "with tho exception of two of its members tho Opposition Party, with which tho Labour Representation Committee is now allied, voted again6t the clause." That is quito true, because tho Opposition Party and tho Labour Party were in favour of tho six-day week being made statutory. Tho Massey Party was against it Mr Massey promised ho -would grant tho six-day week*, and when the Bill was introduced in 1913 it contained a clauso to that effect, but when the Bill was before the Labour Bills Committee Mr Massey went back on his promise and secured the deletion of tho original clause, and substituted the clauso to refer the matter to the Arbitration Court.

Apparently you do not like tho red herring which you say "" takes the form of tho assertion that Mr Statham voted last session against a proposal to bring chartered clubs within tho soope of the Arbitration Act." Very well, but tho herring is there all tho same.

On behalf of the Dunedin Political Labour Representation Committee, I am, etc., January 2L R. Breen, Secretary.