POLITICAL SITUATIONS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 12, 27 December 1911, Page 3

POLITICAL SITUATIONS.

GREY LYNN’S NEW MEMBER IN

TROUBLE

WITH LABOUR PEOPLE,

(Per Press Association.)

Napier, December 25

As the result of an interview given to a “Hawke’s Bay Herald” reporter and telegraphed to all parts of the Dominion on Friday night, Mr J. Payne, M.P. for Grey Lynn, has aroused the ire of a section of the Labour party. On Saturday ho received the following telegram from Auckland: —“We most amphatically protest against your statement regarding the New Zealand Labour party. If you choose to play up to a revolutionary Socialist handful that is your affair, but we would point out in unmistakable terms that you must not try to do it at the expense of the Labour party. Hie ‘socalled Labour party,’ as you sneeringly term- it, is the political party of organised labour, and was formed by a Dominion Conference of Trades Councils, and don’t you run away with the revolutionary Socialist notion that the Labour party is going to let you or anyone else walk over it. That game was tried in Parnell, but it didn’t work not even with the full support of all the Federation crowd. A our statement to the ‘Hawke’s Bay Herald’ reporter that you were elected by Federation men is incorrect; you were elected by the ‘Reform’ party’s vote, and wo expect political honesty.— (Signed) Voice of Labour.” To this telegram Air T. W. Payne, who happened to be one of the company who owns the “Voice of Labour,” sent the following reply:—“Just received a most impertinent wire from you, consisting of a mixture of musty drivel and bluff. Kindly keep that sort of communication for those you are likely to mislead. If I have any more of it I shall challenge you through the public press to publish your Dominion roll-call of the so-called Labour party, and then we shall see what we shall see.—(Signed) Payne, the elected of the workers of Grey Lynn, and not the elected of the ‘Reform’ party, as stated by the spineless individual who hides his name behind the ‘Voice of Labour’ nom de plume.” Mr Payne has now written to the other three Labour members, suggesting a meeting at the Grand Hotel, Wellington, on January 2nd to discuss the position. In his letter he says:—“lt occurs to me that probably the independent members would like to meet the four Labour members, and I am writing these gentlemen suggesting that they meet us on the same evening in the same place after the Labour meeting, as it may materially influence you in deciding whether it is worth your while to meet me in Wellington. I will now give an outline of what my attitude woidd be at such a meeting. I should suggest that we arrange to work together in the interests of Labour, entirely without the interference of any person or persons or organisations outside the House; that ‘working together’ shall only menu conferring and discussing Labour matters for the general good, and ! iii no way bind the free and independent action of any Labour member ; that this individpal , freedom of action is : absolutely ’ necessary is emphasised when we consider that Air Vfeitl-h is the 1 only Labour Jjarty representative, that Air Robertson, is a Socialist member;'that Air Hindjnarch. is a Labour member ’with! party leanings in a certain direction, and that I myself am a Labour member without party predilections of any kind, the welfare of the worker being tny only consideration. .Next, I should urge that wo fully recognise and act upon the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the position of the four Labour members. That position embraces the following matters(l) That we can, as it were, present an ultimatum to the. Premier requiringhim to abdicate in. favour of a Labour Premier and assist., such Labour Premier in constructing a Labour Cabinet, taking in the other three Labour members being ohjbsen as Premier, provided that the portfolios of Finance, Education, Public Works, and Health and Customs were allotted to Labour members. (2) If this ultimatum be not complied with by the Premier, the only course open to us is to compel a full inquiry into the finances of the Dominion by ‘ voting the Ward Administration out by our support of a no-confidence motion moved by Air Alassey.”