P. AND T. ASSOCIATION.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXI, 18 April 1922, Page 3

P. AND T. ASSOCIATION.

AND ALLIANCE OF LABOUR. From our own Correspondent). Wellington, April 13 The determination of the Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association to join forces with the Alliance of Labor—the. One Big Union—is still the talk of the town. The local newspapers are unanimous in denouncing the action of a majority of the members of the Association and in urging the Government to intervene. Rarely have they been in such cordial agreement on any national topic. The Dominion likens the designs of the Alliance of Labor to those of the Russian Communists and consigns them to the same inevitable failure and disaster. The New Zealand Tinies declares that “no Government worthy to be called a Government can accept the situation created by this very ill-ad-vised, most rash ballot,’’ but it is willing to allow the Prime Minister and his colleagnues a little time to think over the matter. The Prime Minister, grateful, no doubt, for the days of grace, is thinking over the matter very seriously and probably will make an official announcement in the course of a day or two. He at least realises the gravity of the situation as fully as do his many advisers. A DIFFICULT POSITION. The position is made all the more difficult for the Government by the fact that before tlie ballot Ministers were urging every member of the Association to record his vote. This did not necessarily imply that they approved of the question being submitted to the members of the Association or that they were prepared to accept the verdict whichever way it might go. But the friends of the Alliance of Labor are putting it that way and arguing, plausibly enough, that the Government has no right to interfere now. On the other hand there are individuals and organisations insisting that the Government, having failed to prohibit the ballot, must make amends for its negligence by prohibiting the affiliation. But Mr Massey cannot afford to move in this f ashion without being very sure of his ground. He could not have prohibited the ballot and it is very doubtful if he could probibit the affiliation. What he eoulddo would be to let the members of the Association understand quite plainly that the public, through its constitutional representatives, remains its master and nt* outside interference of any kind will be tolerated for a single moment.

While the business community looks with grave misgivings upon the association of the Public Service with militant. Labor, the movement has many sympathisers among the general public. Wellington is peculiarly situated in this respect. In addition to some 15,000 or 20,000 civil servants residing within its borders there are thousands more of relatives and friends ready to resent reductions in salaries and restrictions in privileges. The capital city is rarely well disposed towards the Government of the day, and Mr Massey has managed to hold his goodwill longer and in a larger measure than have most of his predecessors. But lessened salaries, arbitrary retirements and other drastic and highly necessary measures have had their inevitable effect and it is certain the Government is not in such high favor here as it was a year or two ago. This notwithstanding, a conflict with the militant section of the Civil Service just now probably would help rather than hinder the Prime Minister at the general election. Responsible people, disposed to coquet with the middle party, would take no risk were the peril of an extreme Labor victory on the horizon.

THE PARTY ASPECT. With a general election looming in the not far distant future, it is inevitable the irresponsible party politicians should attempt to make capital out of this latest Labor development. The Hollandites, of course, are delighted with the result of the ballot, persuading themselves that it is a definite accession of strength to the aggressive Labor Party. The Liberals view the situation with much less satisfaction. They recognise that the suggestion of the Civil Service coming under the influence of the Alliance of Labor will alarm many timid people ready to move forward along constitutional paths but wholly opposed to revolutionary methods. Anonymous correspondents are writing to the newspapers asking Mr Wilford what he intends to do in the matter, obviously wishing to embarrass the leader of the

newLibcral-Labor party at a time when his friends would wish him to move with the utmost circumspection. The Prime Minister and the PostmasterGeneral stand in the position of the strong men and just nos - it looks as if the Government were going to profit by the trouble.