LABOUR MANIFESTO.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13997, 29 January 1916, Page 6

LABOUR MANIFESTO.

i WHOSE IVJEWS DOES IT CONTAIN

CRITICISM BY THE PREMIER.

[United Press Association ]

Wellington, Jan. 28

Mr. Massoy .ijuude the following state-; ment to-night :--"l have read tli©-mani-festo of the conference called by the Federation of Labour, but I cannot be* lieve that it accurately represents the views of those who were present. lam quifce certain that it does not represent the views of the great majority of the workers of this country, the great bulk of whom are both practical and enthusiastic in their patriotism. IMt is proved by the many thousands,.of wage-earners belonging to the Dominion who are to-day wearing the King s uniform and fighting for their country on the other side of the world. lam sorry to say that so far as I am able to judge, there, is very little evidence of enthusiastic patriotism in the document which was given out as a result of the conference. Its authors quote German-made ooinion which appeared in the- 'Clarion,'" bitterly opposing conscription, but many articles might be quoted from the same paper just as strongly on the other side of the question. 1 saw one not long ago referring to the National Register and concluding with these words: 'By and bye compulsion -should become inv.aluable,,-and then, if defeat, and invasion threaten,: who; will dare to otiose- conscription PI do not intend here to discuss.-irr-espective merits of either conscription or the voluntary system, but I would say to those v^ho are responsible for the manifesto, that, if they want to avoid conscription or compulsion, then their course, is clear. Let them assist heartily and enthusiastically to make the voluntary system a success during the present war. Let them realise that the Germans are out U> smash Britain herself and invade British territory overseas, and that, if they are to be prevented from giving effect to their intention, it will be by every section of the community assisting with all its heart and soul and strength to defeat the common enemy. In our own country v:e know that such manifestoes ar* of very little value and do not represent the opinion of more than a very small proportion of the population, but, as newspapers from every part of the Empire reach the enemy, a great deal of harm is done by such productions in encouraging the German authorities to believe that the British people are disunited with regard to the war and longng for peace at any price, whereas the contrary is the case. The British people were never so united at =any period 6f r their history as they are now. If the manifesto is intended in any way to. in-, fluence the New Zealand Government itwill not have the slightest effect, We; know our duty, and will do it to the: best of our ability. We are giving the voluntary system a good trial. If it fails (and it has not failed yet) then to do our duty as a community there is only one alternative—compulsion.—and the latter must be adopted when that time comes."