ORGANISE ORGANISE!

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3224, 22 May 1911, Page 5

ORGANISE ORGANISE!

ADVICE TO THE ARMY OF WORKERS. THE. LESSON OF THE REFERENDA. [SPECIAL TO TIMES.j AUCKLAND, May 20. The matter of the attitude of the New- Zealand Federation of Labor toW&ds .politics was explained' to a “Star” reporter this morning by Mr R; Semple, the organiser for the Federation. Some special interest attaches to this on account of this body not at the moment joining forces politically with the Trades and Labor Federation. “It is generally rumored,” said Mr Semple, “that the New Zealand Federation pf Labor i© a body that takes up an anti-political attitude. That is not so. The New Zealand Federation of Labor recognises that the workers must he first drilled in the field of industry to have a knowledge; of what they want and hour to get it when they are so drilled. Their political party will, naturally be the reflection of an intelligent and organised! industrial democracy. “Take for instance the referendum! in Australia. We contend that the defeat of the Labor party in that effort was due to the fact that the industrial organisations had been neglected; that the Labor Party had gained political supremacy merely through momentary enthusiasm. and not through continuous agitation and education in the industrial field. The very .people who thrust them into power when appealed to to give them power to do what they thought it their duty to. do, refused them that power, proves conclusively that the workers were not well organised and did not know exactly what they wanted. “The N.Z. Federation of Labor,_ profiting by the experience of Australia, is determined that the educational work shall be done in the industrial world first, and when we realise that sufficient wofLr l ias ) jeen clone there we will turn our'kttention to the political machinery.”