THE POLITICAL LABOUR LEAGUE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9115, 21 December 1907, Page 4

THE POLITICAL LABOUR LEAGUE.

SOME TIMELY ADVICE,

[Fbom Otjb Correspondent.] DUNEDIN, December 21. Dunedin will be represented at the Independent Political Labour League Conference by Messrs Breen, Miinro, Haynes and Douglas or Westwood. The delegates will leave on Thursday. The Hon J. T. Paul, who contributes the labour column to the "Otago Daily Times," says:— "This will be the first occasion when a League Conference has stood on its own bottom. The gathering should consequently give some idea of the representative character of the League. A conference of more vital interest to the workers of the colony has never been held. At the present time labour is divided against itself. In matters of political organisation and method there are .two schools — the "League school, whose watchword is ' all or nothing rand its policy one of splendid isolation j; while the other school clings to the pplicy. of the past, and believes it best to continue to work with the Liberal -Party. As a justification for its attitude.it points to the Statute .book of the past fifteen years. Appearances would make it appear that these sections are irreconcilable. Both are certain that they are right, and neither is prepared to give much away, but surely both, sections are prepared to compromise for the generaT good of the masses. This is not a trial of strength between capital and labour. It is one -, section of labour against another section of labour. It does not require special gifts to foresee the probable Tesult if some of the proposed methods of the League are carried into effect For instance, the Christchurch branch proposes to oppose several of the sitting city members, included Amongst whom is Mr Laurenson,* the member for Lyttelton. Yet I make no doubt that tie majority of the members of the present Parliament would, dub him an extreme Socialist, scores of years ahead of his time, fie would support practically every plank of the labour pjatform, and from personal knowledge I know him to be an ardent reformer. There are" reactionaries in Parliament, but so far as the present policy of the League is concerned they will remain. The danger, of course, is that by opposing the best friends of labour m the present House the ranks of the reactionaries may be augmented. That, I believe, the League itself would regard in the nature of a calamity. But both sections of the labour ranks must be prepared to give something, fc*wne scheme of complete internal management such as the League provides is essential. Labour must manage its own business and be master of its own organisation. But that labour should declare war on all who are not prepared to say 'aye 1 to all its decrees. is not at all clear. There are degrees of political allegiance, and it is eurely better to have men in Parliament who are prepared to put a large part of the labour programme on the Statute Book than, men who regard the whole o.f it as anathema. The' worst calamity the Socialists could witness would be the installation of a complete Socialistic system of society to-morrow morning. To make haste slowly is not altogether an evil."