LABOUR ACTION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16822, 21 August 1920, Page 3

LABOUR ACTION.

TELEGRAM TO BRITAIN, CRITICISM IN HOUSE. BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. WELLINGTON,- August 20. The telegram forwarded by the New Zealand Labour Party to the Council of Action was the subject of questions in the House to-day. Mr. Jones (Kaiapoi) asked the Prime Minister if he had seen the telegram and what action he proposed to take. The Prime Minister said he had seen the telegram and very much regretted that any members of the New Zealand Parliament, however few in numbers, should support the action of a small section.

Mr. Fraser; They represent six million workers.

Mr. Massey: The hon. member has no more right to speak fqr the workers than any other memboiSof tho New Zealand Parliament. v By expressing approval of the action of what is apparently a small section of the people m England they are harassing the Imperial Government at a most serious crisis hr tho Empire’s history. I believe ninety per cent, of the population of .this country, if not more, are thoroughly loyal and opposed to Bolshevism, Sinn Feinism, 1.W.W.-ism. Mr. Parry: And Masseyism. .Mr. Massey: They are opposed to every other “ism”' and all evils that countries have been afflicted with in tho past two or three years. I hope there will bo no more of this kind of thing. I know the people of this country are prepared to stand by the British Government in preventing in every way the possibility of disintegration of the Empire, which seems to be attempted by those few with whom tho hon. member has been in correspondence.

Mr. Veitch (Wanganui) said that the claim of the Labour Party to represent tho mind of the workers of New Zealand in this way was an exceedingly serious matter. Ho asked if tho Prime Minister would give the House an opportunity of expressing an opinion by resolution on tho matter. The Prime Minister said he would take tho matter into very serious consideration.

Mr. Sullivan (Avon) asked what evidence the Prime Minister had, in view of tho number of by-elections, won by the Labour Party in tho last two years, to say that tho party to whose action ho had just taken exception represented a small and disloyal section of the community.

Mr. Massey. I speak from my own personal experience and I believe that the Council of Action has no more right to represent tho people of Great Britain than tho .small section of members who sit in that comer (indicating the Labour benches) is representative of the people of Now Zealand. Mr. Fraser (Wellington South) wished to make a personal explanation. Tho British conference was presided over by Mr, Adamson, a member of the British Parliament, and was attended by Messrs, Henderson and dynes, two ox-members of tho Cabinet, and representatives of tho trade unions and branches of tho Labour Party. When ho received a message from such a representative gathering he was going to reply to it in spite of the consequences. The Speaker said that Mr. Fraser could not proceed to discuss tho question. Mr. Fraser resumed hia seat amid some disorder. VIEW OP MR. OLYNES. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. LONDON, August 18. Mr. J. R. dynes, in an article in the Standard, denies that Labour dragged at the heels of extremists. He says it never gave anything more spontaneous support than tho “Council of Action,” which “did violence to no principle we fought for. We do not approve of the acts of tho Bolsheviks, nor of tho principles and conditions of tho Soviet Government, nor do wo wish in any degree to see our own country imitating crude and fantastic plans in establishing a Communistic State. Labour is entitled to call its peace policy secure by refusing to be a party to a war policy of any other section, and to use any particular form of influence which can be exerted upon tho Government.”—United Service.