FEDERATION OF LABOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3098, 30 July 1913, Page 7

FEDERATION OF LABOUR.

ATTACK BY MR M'LAUEX. (From Out Own Cohrespondext.) WKLLIXOTOX, July 22. A strong criticism of the* policy of the Federation of Labour wiw contained in a speech delivered lust < veiling by Mr D. M’l.aren, ex-Labour M.P., who withdrew from tlic recent Unity Congress owing to Ids inability to subscribe to its platform. Mr M'Larcn said tiiat the industrial unionism advocated by tie Federation of Labour in Xe w Zealand was a form of syndicalism, a doctrine which taught that a Labour trust should be formed for the purpose of taking over the industries by direct action; ;u other words, by force. He said it was amusing to find anti-militarists supporting industrial unionism because the form o? 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 be to the advantage of the workers. Its programme included strikes of a.l kinds and sabotage, which meant the destruction oi property. In the speaker’s opinion the Xew Zealand Federation of Labour was teaching this form of industrial unionism, wrapped up in ambiguous names, because it knew its purposes could not bo put in plain terms without be.eg condemned by the workers of the country. 'Die Federation of Lit hour bad even made it clear that its purpose was to use strike methods and to denv the riirhts of local unions, and tiiat meant that industrial urn'eni.-m was an attack on the trades union principles to winch the workers of New Zealand should turn their attention.