L.R.C. AND CITY COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 368, 9 March 1932, Page 7

L.R.C. AND CITY COUNCIL.

To the Editor. Dear Sir, —There is a certain class of individual in the world who thinks he has a knowledge of all things, can always tell everyone how things should be done and can see everybody’s faults but his own. Your correspondent “X” seems to me to belong to this class, from what I have seen of his literary efforts. He professes to have a knowledge of the inner workings of the Drivers’ and other unions, the Labour Representation Committee, and the way Labour councillors are dominated by these bodies. I would just like to inform your correspondent that he has something still to learn in this respect. The City Council employees are only a small proportion of the membership of the various unions in Christchurch; also, while most of the committees of management have one or two council employees on them, there is not anything like sufficient numbers to dominate the unions or committees, even if they so desire. The same position prevails on the L.R.C. It is true that the president of the Drivers’ Union is also president of the L.R.C., and a very capable man he is in the position, far too straight and honourable a man to send misleading letters to the newspapers under a nom-de-plume. Would your correspondent suggest that because a man is employed by the City

Council he should sink his identity and not take part in any movement that makes for the improvement of the social conditions of the working class?

As far as the statement goes, “ that the Labour councillors are under the domination of the employees of the council,” it is the most feeble humbug that ever entered the mind of any human being. The Labour councillors are as free as any councillors on the other side of politics. There truly are certain things that are laid down in the policy of the Labour Party and to which any loyal Labour man will conform ; in fact, they take as naturally to them as a duck takes to water. And because they obey the dictates of their

consciences that is not to say that they are fettered.

Your correspondent complains that the council employees get higher wages than skilled tradesmen. One has not far to look for this reason. The tradesmen and other workers have been too contented, and during prosperous years allowed themselves to be exploited. In

consequence thereof, we have thousands of retired farmers, builders and other classes of people who managed to make enough to retire on, and our cities are well filled with them. Had the workers taken heed of the warnings of many of their leaders and perfected their organisations by getting together in one solid body they would have been in a better position to-day. On account of the low wages paid, exploiters invested their money in all sorts of industries, and for years could draw big dividends from them. On account of the worker not getting anything like the value of what he produced, industries became over-capital-ised and there was waste and extravagance on all sides amongst the moneyed class. However, the day of reckoning came and, as is always the way, the workers, having no reserve funds, were the first to suffer. Surely the lesson they have learned by the present depression should teach them the folly of ever allowing such things to occur again. Surely they are not going to be gulled and side-tracked by the dope of such writers as your correspondent “ X ” and others of his ilk. Persons who write this misleading sort of stuff do so merely for the purpose of trying to keep the workers divided. In all probability they are being paid for the “ dope ” they are manufacturing, otherwise they would not be ashamed to come out in the open and put their names to their correspondence. Your correspondent says that I cannot serve two masters. Well, I can inform him that I am not trying to. I joined the Labour movement many years ago, and before doing so I gave the matter serious consideration and came to the conclusion that the objects of the movement were good enough for me to work for. I am quite prepared to be its loyal servant, and whatever I do ,or how’ever I cast my vote it is always with the object of bettering the class to which I belong.—l am, etc., E. PARLANE. Christchurch, March 6, 1932.