THE LABOUR PARTY AND THE OPPOSITION.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12787, 7 May 1910, Page 1

THE LABOUR PARTY AND THE OPPOSITION.

The other day a press message from Auckland stated :— "lt i s understood that certain proposals are to be made t to Mr }Y. P. Massey, leader of the Opposition, and in the event of their acceptance the Labour organisation and vote mil be given to the Opposition party in every constituency which is contested in the country." Ine leaders of the; Labour Party deny the story. Mr. D. McLaren, Vr- _ gamser of the Labour party said : 'The • statement that any proposals are to bo made either to Mr Massey or to • ftf/Jf^H-of-.tiw Opposition party io! co-operation between them and the Labour party is absolutely without foundation. The suggestion that tho Labour organisation will invoke, un- • der^any circumstances, the aid of the party, misnamed the Reform party is simply . a silly canard, having no ' regard for facts whatever." 7 i A i* l losser ! P iesi dent of the New Zealand Executive of the Trades and -Labour Councils' conference says- "I give it a most emphatic denial " I iiave.had.no word of .anything oft-lus sort. It is an utter improbability that {such a thing could take place It ia [ just an attempt to 'burlesque the La- .., bour movement on the .same lines aa . was done by the Opposition morninc paper m Auckland, when the, Auck- . kmd branch of the Labour party was „ formed last August, by sending a reL porter, who gained admission to a pri- , vate meeting by the aid of a false moustache, and who burlesqued the . ' proceedings next morning. From the principles of the Labour party as laid , down in its constitution, such a fusion is utterly impossible, and would . show a more sudden and miraculous conversion than that of St. Paul." Trade, Hall sa «i the Labo.ur party in Christchurch was m much the same position as in Auckland. It was increasing steadily i n strength and . branches were being formed in different electorates. One, for instance, would bo formed in Christchurch East next week. As to the statement that j certain proposals are likely to be mado to Mr Masseyy, and that in the event of those proposals being accepted the : Labour organisations and Labour vote win be given to the Opposition party _. m every constituency that is contested in the country, Mr Whiting ami others say that the. statement is far from the real position. As a matter of fact, it has never been suggested or pven hinted that Labour should join its forces to Mr Massey's.