The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1914. FEDERATION OF LABOUR.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15399, 16 July 1914, Page 6

The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1914. FEDERATION OF LABOUR.

The latest conference convened by the United - Federation, oi Labour, and ; held last week in Wellington, seems to have found the leaders of that organisation in a much milder mood than was exhibited by them quite recently. Yiolent and extreme methods have not been profitable to the Federation. Perhaps the most violent red is not thought an attractive colour for election year. Possibly the Federation has repented of its former violence. For ■ whatever reason moderation, was the watchword of the latest conference, which was . attended only by some eighty delegates, as compared with over 350 who took part in the aggressive gathering of a year ago. In accordance with that spirit notable alterations were made in the constitution. It has even been altered to provide that any -union called upon tG go on strike by the executive shall be able to take a secret ballot on the question before deciding whether it will comply or not. When the secret ballot principle was incorporated iu the Governments Labour Disputes Investigation Kill, passed last session, it was denounced in tlie most violent fashion by the Federation's spokesmen in the House and out of it. What their denunciations were worth is shown by the endorsement now gn _ en to the provision. How far the Red Feds and the Social Democrats are really the same people was shown by a decision of the Federation's conference that

"'the Social Democratic parly is tlie political expression of the United Federation of Labour, and therefore the conference endorsed the whole constitution of that body.'' We quote from the official report, but it, is pnly ai election times, when the Opposition chooses to support a Social Democratic candidate, that the virtual identity of the two bodies is ever called in question. It appears from an interview which Mr D. G. Sullivan, the new president of the Federation, has given to "The Press. - ' that Messrs Semple and Hickey. for whom no course seems to have been too violent hitherto, adapted themselves at the conference 1o the new policy of mildness much more easily ihan might have been expected. " Instead of doing anything in prevent a modification of the constitution, they displayed a disposition to modify their own ideals in accordance with the needs of the limes, recognising" that only by so doing could they render any substantial service to the cause of Labour in its present situation." TVe should like to think that Messrs Hickey. Semple, and their friends who were so violent noi long ago had experienced a real conversion, not one of doubtful permanence, as beiii"- largely dependent upon "•' needs of the times.''-

STEEET IMPEOYEiIEXTS

Tlie list of streets, published in another column, which the Timaru Borough Council hopes to improve if its loan for street formation is agreed to by the ratepayers is a fairly comprehensive one, but probably residents ■will, be able to suggest other reads which badly need expenditure. We do not think that many ratepayers will be pleased by the proposal to spend £'2700 on. shingling roads, unless the Council can find some better plan of shingling than has been adopted in the past. We were under the impression that if it was decided to widen Stafford Street ]!so.#h and Evans Street for practically the whole length of the Bay a loan of £2500 would be required merely to acquire the land that would be needed for this purpose. ?Tow we see that the amount has been reduced to £2OOO, and the cost of "reforming same " is included. It seems highly improbable to us that the Council would be able to carry out this work for anything like the sum set down, and even if it is thought desirable to acquire land now for widening purposes, we see not the slightest reason why the expense of actual widening should be incurred at the present time. The only part of this work that can be called urgent is a rounding off of the corner of Wai-iti Road. It would be absurd in our opinion to spend time and money on the formation of a wider Stafford Street when that thoroughfare is wide enough for all demands of traffic now, and scores of roads in other portions of the borough tirgently require the expenditure of money which would not be too plentiful to satisfy pressing demands upon it, even if the Council could afford to borrow a much larger sum than that which has been proposed.