UNIVEHSI TY 01i1 pt~-~ ;:t,-L..>!:04 .... ~ ~

PRESENTED FOR THE EXAM INA '.HON

JlOR

IN

HISTORY~

BY

THE: UBR/RY 'tiHiTEF?B!JflY UNI\Jt.FiSITY COLl.EG-:

GHRl5TCHl:JhCH, i.J.Z,

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on Act ..

Plr1.tfo1"tr. of the Pol:l.tioal Lt.i.bou.1" Party as adopted by the Trades a:nd Labour Gotu1otls' Oonfe:-r:1.enoe l 91 o

Vl .. PA0.111

124

127

Vll.,

P R E Ii' A C E. -~--,-.,.:,,cl....,,,,._

A typi-oally modern trend in democrat1o oount:r:tes haa been the

entry of labou:r> representatives into the politioal arena.. 'Ne11

Zealand he..s proved :no exneption to the rule, but the history o.f'

her nwn labour• movement, pa:,•t:tcm.la.:i?ly in its earlier yoara., ts

stil:L rather disoonneatqd in the eyes .of the gene:r•al publ:i.<h Thia

thesis the:ri:lfol:le e.ttem.pts t,o recount ·the or-igins of that movement

with the object -o:f p1'esant:tng a cleara:r• idea o± .. the nature of' the

beginnings of the pa:rty 1iihioh oonsti·tutes the pres-ent gov-e1:~..ment ..

It was at first 1:n.tended to w~ite· of the Labour Party in later

years, but pralim.in~:x•y 1.nveat:tgatio-:n was sufficient to show th&t

no sue'.b. tret'titmen t o-oultl be ad-aqua. te 1.11. thot:1.t a lmo·wl-edge of' th€ ort ..

gins of' the Party .. Further inv-e-s tiga tion showed those origins to

throughout has bean to t:i:1acs,. not a part-y:i, but a movement, and t-0

diaoover '.h-oVJ mu-cb. that movement- \l$U.U influenced bj oontempo.rar·Y

events ru1d h-Oii'J muoh it was a natural a-n.d inevt table development ...

A thorough study of the sub;je-ot, giving an e~haustive $Ul1Vey of

opinions and incidents,- i:n.div1duala a:n.d groups in every centre of'

population.,. would have xiequired intensive and prolong-ed rcsea:roh

which. the writer was not in -a poaitton to cm.rry out.

worlt wotlld doubtless have ma.de the history r11ore conprehens1ve, but

it is certain that the general c-onclus!ons arrived at viould net. ha

bao.n modified s.erioualy .. Newapapa:rs are generally regarded as an

unr1elis.ble · sou.roe of evidence,. b_ut in this oa.ae exception can par ...

h-a:ps be claimed .for malting extensive u.so of one paper,. since it

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the

1897, 1900,, 1901, 1904~ 1906,

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, 1910 ..

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» its

" 1911 »

)

A., (Oo:nt .. )

Report o-f tha Ar.mu.al 001'1.fe~enoe -0:f the Mew Zealand

Federation of Labour~ 1$10.,,

Minutes of tho conferano& of Trade Unions oonvened by

tha ·Neri Zealand FG{"laratio:n of' Labour,, J~tm,'l'Y 21-21 l91i

Retport of ·the 00011-saton mi the Coat of Ltving 1n Naw Zes

la."'ld.. Wallingto~, Government p~inter.,. 1912,

Book: of newa-paper cuttings 1n the p.osseetd.t>n .t:Jf the Hon .•

Joh'n R1gg~ Ghrif1trib.Ur-0h~

B. Unp1ablt.she~i

Malon&;f ,,. G~ ~-\ ,., · tfA History of the Ballance M1n1s:t~

(man\la(iript at canterbuey. College~

Ohrlittchuroh,. N.. z.)

.~r.aondt J., D-·

-""'11 uT.b.e O:rigin of tne can tel?hury Pro ...

vinoen

(~u.soript at cantel"'bltl'.1Y Oollagatr

Olwistohu:reh~ l! !>' z<), )

"" ttA Etzto1"Y of' the N€n11 Zealand La­

bour Movement from the Settlement

to the Conoil1at:ton and Arbit'.r'at:to:r.

Aot.11 lf:l94,. tt

:.KJ.1.

edition 1914 (first published 1849}~

.London, Ernest Benn Ltd~, 1935 ..

""" uTl1e Long' White Olou.d0 · 3:J'.'ld edition

London$ 1924 ..

·IW' "A Hist.o:r-y of 1'lew Zeal&nd .. ti

Nan Zealand,. Wh1toombe and T-¢rnba Ltd,

·..i-· '~r~w · Zealand 1n tr...e fJfafri.ng,..u

London$ Goerge Allen and Unwin Ltd. 193011-

• tal'ie:iii Z6alru.1d in EVolu.tt:0nn

tond011.u T"l Fisher Unwin, 1909 ..

'<Pl' UT.he •social ism t of UetJ Zealruide ft

}lf:)w York.it rlew Review Publishing Aaao·

otat1on~ 1916.

l ..

Ortg1na a.nd Deval opmen t up to 1890.

In mid-nineteenth century England wretched eondittona pre~

vailed among the working -classes, and prospeots i.'or the .future

Sonie people v1er,e out of work sn d -~ tarving 1 and

others had to work 16 bot1rs a. day to keep body and soul together ..

Tb.a pall ia. ti ves applied to social evils during the 1-!apoleonic

Wa:rs had ceased to be e.ff'eo tive J the granting -of :!:"Swards. to large

:f'ami.l ies and the extravagant bestowal of'_ poor law relief had soon

counteracted any good thteffr may have tbne by lno-:reaa1np: the popu-~., (l} -•

lat1on and creating a tendency to t'b..rif'tlesm1ess"' S-ootal dts-

tr~ss and unemployment were l'"atllpe.nt 1.n both ag:rigul tu:i:-.al and in.­

fllHf&l."lial in.,eas,- and there was little chanoa of improver.1ent wh'!.le

a oorriu.pt elooto:rial system kept the control .of the masses in the

htmds o.:f' a minot>1 ty or weal thy landowners and mercha.:nts ... VJh!le

high :prot-ecti ve du ties -vvere in force hit~ prices were. bound to

prevail in the tnte:i:-.eats o.f' the upper classes, and h:t.p;h prices

raeant a high death rate among tho.se who could. not af'fo:rd to bu:y ..

Aooo:rdingly the preve.tl ing m.tsery.,. in't,ensifitHl by the evils of

the factory systemo- tnduoed a steady flow in the tide of' .emif;ra-

tion .. During the years 1839 ~ 42 more than 4001 000 bade fare~

well to the hmne of their bi.Y'thti= but of these only 8~000 t,umed

their t•a.ces New Zealandwards ..

It -was at this time, horH.1ver., tha. t the first at tempts at sys te.m-

(2) atio eolo:nisatio:n as advocated by };dvJard Gibbon li'Jake.fteld were

beinis condt-10 tea by the Nevi Zealand Company. '1he earlier sot tle ....

ments at n.allington (1840), NelEon (J.841) a:nd 1Jew Plymouth (1841},

we:r>o nnsatisfactor,J!> as the Company vms unable to put the settlers

in quiet possess:lon of the land which 1 t had sold to them,, But

the sya tem was given a mttoh fai~e:r.> trial in ota~o {1848) and aan.­

te:r,bury (1850).!l ana in many respects the successful foundation of

these tv10 pr0ovl.noes must be placed to its cr~~u t.. 1.rh.ey bore am-

ple testimony to the wisdom of a 1 e1.rl'fic:tont prtcet-... £3 per ac:r·e

in Gant0rbt1.J:1y and £'.,2 in Ota.go did not deter the wealthier 0010:ntst,.

and kept the liibourer in h1-a place until. suoh time a.a he was suf­

.fioiantly experienced and o:f proved th1...,if'tin.esa to take- Land of'

his ovm .. The promoters o:e the -Can terbu:r-y Assoc ta tion 1.~ere en ...

thusiasti-o in t'l:10il' efforts to. t:ran.apla.nt a alioe of E':agltsh societ~

in the new land~ but they W<1're oaref'ul. to ,stress the .Point that

tha?"o would be all t,ht1 virtues of suoh a society ·wt th none of' 1 ts

Ho was guaranteed employment us soon as he atepped off' the ship

at !'"ates .far in advance o.f those h-e was aocuatomod to reoeive in

self his ov1n master in a short number of yearsJ and~ pe:r,haps moat

lrnpo:rtant of' all, he vm.o promitH:id cowplete p-owe:rs of' self ta1m .. tion 0

oi' legislation on all m~tte-rs conoem1ng qis class alone, and of . . (S)

oontr.ol over all .ft.me ti.onaries enr;agaa in loc-al ad1uinistra tlon.

(2) nThe Art ot Colonisation .. n

3. This vuui a big step f'rom what must have been virtuHl slavery if we

accept tho .foll owil'lg s ta temen t;

trrf· we descend to the humble· class 1 t cannot be said that the

p:rospocts o.f a village labourer and his v-d.fe are 01 tho:r very agree­

able or very saetive; .fo1i the:r•e iB soal:'4'.;ely llny imaginable mis£01"- ·

tu.ne,,. hum:tlia tion,. sin 01.'l disgr•ace that is not wt thin the soq_pe of'

an ordinary Bri t:tsh labourerts expe-ctations. -"''H' The trades.I> the pro·

:ressions are stocked; public employment ts out of the question for

the oommonal ty, and as £or the army and navy$ they eall for :re-(4)

duetion :rather than tnorea.s.e!I «

In Nevi Zea.land, thex,efo:i:.,e, there was .something for oppressed

:Engl tsh art:tsan.s ro1d lab-0urer$ to look fort.'Hlrd to, o;n.d thoa-e who

b:riavea. the jou:rn.ey mostly 1~~Hml ved th.at the causes of th-air poverty

and Wl"etohedneas should not be given a !'-oothold in the new land ..

In otago f1•om the- earlie_st days artisans insisted o:n an eight hours

worl-d .. ng day i) and -colonists in other parts of the c-ountriy wer-0 equal·

ly dete1~mined to uphold what they eonaidere-d to be th-eir natural (6)

ri.g11t.rh The assignment of the honour of :f'1:rat introdu-cing the

eight honrs ay.st-a.m has been nuto·h disputed~ The authorities are

most eon.flieting - in turn they claim the honour for Wellington

(Samuel I)Unean Farnell) in 1840 tt tor Well lngton { Ttoehu:i•s t and

Taylor} al so 1:n 18401 fo:r Otago ( Thomas BD.rns) in 1848,. and for

Auckland {Will :tam Griffin) i:n 1856.

ual honour, tt ie quite clear that tho e-a~ly .eettlers were strong-

It 1a therefore intorerit!ng to note

that tlerJ ~ealand has not yet {l923) enae-taa a legal eight hours

(4) ""TJ:--i.e Times" Augtu1t. 1, 1850. Quoted by the Canterbury paper.a No G • 5 & 6 , page I83"

(5) See J. D. Salmona''s thesis, Chapter!!,. nTl:u, liaght Hours li1ovomen!

(6) . 4 ..

clay .. u onoe the disputes over land claims had been amioably settle<

by Govezr.ao:t"' Grey, tho fear of' oompl ica tiona on a:r•rival, whioh may

land compn:ny vms dissolved in 1850"' but in its pioneering effo1.,,ts

! t had aoh1avec1 a woxithy endo It had opened up vistas not only of'

investment .for the oa.p:i.talis-t and quiet rettramant for the gentle­

man, bnt of' a new sootety and a new. life fo-J? the humble working

Between 1850 and 1660 the_provtne-es o:r the- infant colony made

'*The wages of' unskilled labour may b0 quoted from

6/ ... to lO/• a day; it i.a 1mpoeetble to etate them. rno-re nearly 1> a

regular -employment detna."l'ld!ng lower wages than an o-coalS1onal job~

Oar,penters can obtain 12/6 a day1. 3:n-cl i.f inelined to wo!'k by oo-n­

t:i?ac t or to wo:rk ove:e hou:rs., muoh m-011-e; b-.1.aoltsmi ths,, · briekmakwrs

and o tho!' meohani.o-a obtain about the $at11fh The ,opening .for members

of hig.ner p::1?ofesstons is o:r eourse limited in. so small a -eommu.nt ty,

and tho remm10ra. t1on for m:toh -ae1"Vio-ea 1.s not g:rea ter, generally,,

than tn England., For one -class al-on-a,;- howeveri there te no open-

i11g whatever; that is.ii for young men .of no particular trade or pro­

:f.'e.ssion; with moderate edueation and no -oapita1 11 who have neither

Su.oh men ar-e far (?)

leaa 1Us:ely to get on in a 0010-ny than in an old oount1"Y• n

'Ints pas.sage ls viorth quoting in full»- beoause 1. t indl"3"ato-a the

type of -settler who was most likely to su.eoeed, and the type vJhose

oh.a.no-a o.f' success vm·a l imi te·d OP imposst bl-e-,,. The chief qualifl-

(6) Salmond op. o l t. pag;e 185 .. ('7) 0oanterbury papei~s 11 Il!o,, 1 .. :Ne-w Series March 185-9.,. page 12.,

5, oa t:lona for suooess we11 e e. capact ty f'cn., hard work ana a fair knovi-

ledge o.f a tr1ade,. t,he f1:rs t of' these being the most tmportan t ..

!i1or the- professional man with an establi-sheds if not t'louriShtng

busi:nees in England, the cl'1anoea of a .slightly higher inooma in a

new land 'l!'H.1re not wo:rth the risk and trouble of' emigration~ But

,worki.ng people who read the pamphle t.s issued b;f emigration enthv,...-

staats mtist have bean fired by a ne-w hope..-, Ma:n;1 o:f' them had noth-

ing to lo-se and mu.oh to gain by emigra tio:n, and crnnaeqiiently we­

find the farm labourer and the a:t>tisa.n emigrating in larger n1.1mbars

-

va:n ture; but the major! ty ,am barked to £:ree themsel va-s from na~:rov,

It ta not dtffionlt to

imagine that au.oh ri...ardy apirt ts aa these :w}ere de te:rn'i ined to ee•

tabl 1sh themzolve:a as free men and ~omen in their n-ew horrit1,, 1.ha

germ oi' unrest was working in th-am .. Even o.s eal"lY as 1849 E.,_ {h, ·

Wakefield had obaerved tha:t fftha oh&'lge for this class of' man,

being from pauperism~ or next door to- tt.$ ·to p1-enty and pr<>ape·ri,...

ty is indeeo:ribably v to our apprehen:sio-J1s it- almost 1.neono:e-1vabl-y . (8) ' '

agreeable.« · '

The eolonists- were not sta1~v-ed poltttoally~ '!he country was

divided 1:nto a.ix provinaesll' almost eor~pletely isolated from one

'· another; thel:'e vie:re no interp.rcvinoial 1?ouds at the tin1~i and. only

oeoaaional eommunica. tton by ship ..

to these priovinees pom-ors o:r aelf-govammant which th£ Governor$­

Sir George Grey 1. decided to set in motion before summoning a gen­

eral ass<tJmbly for the whole ool-ony., Al though Grey haa been ot11-

· tieised for this move, !t vms most expedient at the time,. when

the provinces wer,o in fn.ot a1x separate commv.nities not v-eey

interested in es.oh othor .. In ev-e::r;y cp.ief' centre of population

the scheme was taken up w1 th alaori tyll' and tho ltem2est interest

was shown by the immigrant~ in thGil' new rights B.nd privilogaa,,

Eleo tioneering oa.mpaig.as we:r>e carried on w1 th all thG enthuaiasm

shown 1n the old land,. vii th thts differenoe ~ the.t the vote:N3

felt theurnelves mu.oh nearer to their candidates, ana oxperten<red

a f.eel 1:ng of' real seli'.;.gover-tlment wh:tch they had not knovm hither ..

to.. Onoe their 11 t tle parliaments we1-.o eleoted e.ll the f'-0rm .....

ali tit.es of Wsatm1nator ,10:re obse1 .. ved eaoh time the councilf1 met

f.or session in their -0hambeJ;1s.,

tha.t tb.<:Jy olung to the provino1al system long after it had served

i ta useful purpose ; f o:r it gave them <lOn trol over the sale of

Orovm. lands.,. pol toe, im.migra tion.1 laws relating to 1 ivestook (9)

and timber, harbours and th~ ma.king of roa~s a.nd bridges-I' un .... t!l su:f'£ioient roads and bridges had ooe:n bu.11 t and a rogu.J.ar

i!hipping sel:"vice established tc nonneot one provinee with a:noU.i.e1\

but w1 th the~e essential tusks

of' colo:nisa.t.ion oompleted it ?taa natural that th~'.J chief legf..s ...

lattve and adni:nistrativo powers shonld be relegated to the C.en ...

tral Assembly~ and aeoorrJingly tho prov1no1al governments were

finally abolished in 18?69-

ThB sLxttes aro in m.~i.ny ways an im:portant decade in Mew Zea­

land history, w1 th the gaor1 Wars tn the Wo:r1th Island~ gold di~-

(9) VJ .. · p. Roevea ; "Tho Long Vlh1 te Cloud .. u page 194.

migration and a g-anernl a.dvanae i.n development..- The gold dis-

0-overles a:re our .ohief -conoarn.11 tor they 1:nt:rodut1e-d a ne-w type

of settle-r~ essentially de111oora.tie~ adventurous,.. and imbued with

a desi:re for a newer and better o:rde:i? of thing.a than he had been

a-o-aus tomed to,,,.

T11.e fi:Pst oons1derab1e :ru-ah :for gold took place tn Central

Qtago in 1861; in two years the population of the province had

more t:han doubled i tse.l.f ..

town when the rush started.,. and alth-Otlgh the sudden tnf'lux of

settlers was valuable in opening up the interior~ gold remained

lated by the demand created by the mining population. .Y3ut the

gold!lelds Wfn')e alluvial and $-O.stttered and oonsequently the otago

miner· tended to be 1ndtv1dualistio rather than eo-c0perat1ve •.

With West1-and the orJSt)' was dtf'terantJ in 1861 when tha Govern­

ment bought the province f'rtta the 1'1M:r1'1 the 1nha.bttant$ did not (lO)

total nm:r,e than 30.- In 1-864 gold was dis<H,vered11 and a.dventur-·

ers o:r all type.a., :filled v11th a luat fol"' riches., or eager .f'o:ri

and no :roads. Luoky strikes kept tip the i'low of tmm1granta;

gold was found in almost every ·1ooalt ty in payable quant1 ties"

and by 1866 mua1111ot>m towns had .sprung up in me.ny places:, v1ith

Hoki U.ka the centre of a population of many thousands., Thie

population., exo~pti:ng atorekeopera and publicans, oonstated sole-

(l-0) Offioial !landbook of :N. z. 1815 t Westland page 15'7.,

a ..

ly of miners - a splendid typ:e:., none mo11e l?Ollgb and ready, but

none more manly.,_ After the flrst nglortou.s :riotou-o days which (ll} .

s.eemed so good t.ha t noone believed they o-0u.ld end"., thouaa.:nda

of mtne:rs in the di strict ~o:re glad to be employed at regular

Mining~· .first f'or gold and then for the I

coal disclovered., thus became the ohtaf aouroe of empl,oymentit and

a pe.nnanan t mining commun1:ty was- es tabl ts-heel whiohll in 1 ta: ooou.­

pa t ton a,nd isolation, had no counterpart anywhere else in the

colony. Al though the period of high exal tatton caused by the

sudden aoeess of fortun-e v111n oou'lparatively sho?>t..,. as it ls wtth

all gold ru~hes, taany of the diggers made the 'West Ct>al9:t .the!~

permanent h<:>me, e1ther.rematntng at the ooe:upatton which had .

lured them there, or putting their energies into the growing uoal

in the ohain of the Labour movement tn New Zealand; for the peo­

ple a..nd their co:nd1 tions of l tfa were st!'Ong fao to:rts in ths &,..;, 1•'.:·

valopment of.' O?"&,u1ia0d labour both polttioally and indu.at:t•ially

in the -olcatng years; o:f the nineteenth een'ti.1.ry and the first de-

oade of the t,renttath.,_,

tic:lans we:r•e to'~rise from the ranlrs of the West Coast nlineris,,

where they reoetved p:ra.c tieal training in looal govemtrient and

tn the d;tsoussion of those sooial p:r-oblems wh:toh made up the

Labour QussU.on.

Unttl 1876 the poli,tioal life of the ·oountryi apart .from th~

dobate-s pn the M.aori Que$tton9- was looa:u.sed and frea trom the

party stl>ife whi-0h ohe.rao terise d the Engl iah pa~l iamen t9:ey

system,, It was ce11t,ret1 ma.inly in the land qtte-sti.on, -a.nc1 was

oial councils .. By 1870 the glttmour of the gold !'tl.shes had al-

protest against the land sharlrs and capitalists, altoough thin

as yet, was the .first 1ndioat1on of the radtoal mov-ament. whioh

was to a.well -awi.ftly once tho abolition or the p1:2ovinoes had

plaoed the land px,.oblem in the hands of tho central gcnrerntntmt.

More t.mpo-r1tant f-or ot1.l" subjeot than the mutt.eringa of po-

11 tieal tmJ:>es t whioJ;,, though a1gnifioant., were .faint aa yet, ts:

the g:r.,owth of' a labouring e-lass more 111telligent, bette1,,. orf

and better- info!'lned tha..?l the elass :from whioh they ,had out then1 ...

selves adrift 1n En~,land-..

oommuni ti~s~ growing .rich on the tat of' tho land:,, we:t10 :tar in . . . (lB)

advantH) of' the North., torn by .ca1.:uianai.ona with t.ha. maort.. By

1874 Otag-0 had a popula tto:n of'" 85 Jtooo and Can te!'hury nearly

60 9.000, with 50 per, O'SX1t~ mo:re people in the South :t~land thMl

In mo-at trades th-era was: plenty ot: employment

to be -0bta1ned for the asking$ pa.1;-itiou.la:rl.y sJ.noe the 1n1tiatton

0£ Si:r Jt1lit1s Vogel ta extanijiVe publ io wortr.$ ,aeheme 1n · 1a10~

Letters from f;lettle1~s.11 publiahad o.ff'ieially to anoon:rage furth.er

emigration, 1nd1oate that the average lower class colon1at l'Jaa

&atisfied w:t th hts new surroundings:

ffDear B~other ...,. I hope you will make up you1-i mind to come

to Mew Zea1an d at onae ~ 1 t t'll 111 be the best day' s work you ever

10 ..

done (-sie)... You will be aure of tmmed:tate employmen.t at g-ood

wages when you la.ndo

will be able to save more every weak than ¥OU are ear-111ng wher~

help but like 1 t. Atrif man may do well tl':mt wlll w-ork.-n

(Oopy ,of a letter fr-0m Jesse VJ., Canterbury, New Zt?Jttland,. to (13.)

nantel w.,, B!'1nklO'W:,c nea1't COnventry, Warwickshire .. )

Thl.S its $n officially published lette:p, and was probably oara ...

.fully .~leo-tadj bUt there oan ba ·no doubt t-hat it was actually

-wr!ttan.. Like thoia.e pt>inted with tt.,. it s~nl!a out~ obvious

m&$aa:ga or hope,,. and ~gg?nts th& t the New . Zealand of thi ·s t.lm$

·open to men and w-omen or· the lower olasaes, vtr.i.0 had a l'aiF" share

of tlourage and entettpr1~$ and thee independent teat.!monie~ of ~

·et~ly $~ \tler,s matte it. nl,ea.~ the. t oourage and en te~pr1 {:le in nio,s t

o-atitea re:eetved the"t:rr du1o reward.. Etn!gra tion authort ties point ...

a-d out that New ·zeal.ru1d O:ff'{:lcred the· 1'1¢1'1-kman tenfold the ehances (14'.

of auooess that the ove~·erowded <a)unt::eiea of Enrope afforded~

Failure would result only from his own .raul t" He had a va:riat1

of oo.e1upaticn$ from VJhioh to aeleot~ as men were. :r:ree to follow

very soon save enough to buy a .sect.ton of land and btt11d· a housa

of* hi.a own., with a ga.roon attaehed in which to employ himself' :tn

hie:· letsure hours. Everywhere the demand :for labour vHaa great$-

(13) Offtoial Handbook of N. Z, 1875., page 79,._ (14) Official Randbooi,r of' N. z. 18176-;1 page 119.

ll ..

mnkex~t1, bollt)r-, ma.lto1~s1 FWli!l.ttoz•s, meohnn1c$., engtn-00:ris!) blaekfflnitht

femal-o iJotae~tte se1,.,i1o.:nttj$ mtnel?s., ta.r,n laboure!'oa -OOt'.lld at on@e

Sine~ me:t1 rfero 11eeded i"'.ot' tho puhllo iqo:r•lti;t du1"'ing tl10 sov-01:1-

tinsl). vigor0tl$ ateps 11ero tiih:on to ~lint the a.t1vantager.:1 of nevi

Z--oalnnd in glowing colom?s i"-0-1.,, the Br!. ti:sb ~101.-;tttng ola.1H.1es$ and

t1he doot:.ule betvJoon 1870 :and l8BO 100 . .#000 ~tato--atdod 1n.1ti1tgm..'flts

'lftoi>e 11:1tirotluc~d~ a.nr.1 the pQPUlat1on or the eot1nt1,...,J '.'Ja:a nen:Pl;l

social ev:tls; ,n. sense 01~ tU."Ong whlob finJS. t,o beai~ ler;1tdt1.tt,r,3

frtd. t tn the1t' new cotmtl"Yit and rcia~ tho :f'onm5ln-t1on .stone of the

labottl'> organixaat1onf1 tihtoh :first toot1:: fo:t'i\:n 111. the 1ahtu1~,y ~tr::nt>l;>

(15}

{16)

Fo:r• nelaet1on :r>egu-lnt1on fl'OO tho Cru.1t0rt"U:i;-.y Papo1~s m,., ~.,. pag.ea 64-66,, _ Cond11i"fo; un,\> z~ in the t:atd.ng0 Oha-ptof' lll -

12.

T11-o influx of immig:rants and English money :for public works, to­

gethm::, viith tb.<9 cessation of Maori troublesJJ- led t,o -a per-iod of'

proapert ty and high prto,es ... The man with capital bought :up

large blocksof' landJ and the man tflithout capital waa forced to

remain in the towna.. By -suoh eunn1ng pre.ot:l.oes a.e rt'Spott!ri.g";. (17) . ·

ttgridironingn and udl.:i.tumyism", squat te:r•o oou.ld render futile the-

'.!?Ostriotive o:lauses in the lat,.1e gov-arnlng land salea, and so

build up huge estates .. · For English lab-mlrera vfb.o had ootne 0-ut

to escapo from such monopoliaatton and its l'>el:llUltant ola..as ba:rr:t.,.

e~$., tht.a was a bitter pUi to s-wa.llovr.. Henoe th,e moat promtnent

i,o~ttion in the Liberal plat:form. of 1890 wae g1ven to th"S plank

-of land l"ei'orm., . :[he eon.test over the a.boll tton of the !}x:Ov!noe.a

in 1876 gave birth .to an oppos-1 ti.on wt th Sir George Gr,ey as its

leader,, J.'hi s oppos:t tion was the germ -of' the Libe::ral-Labouw PJ).r-

ty whioh was lateJi to hold o.f'f1e-e for moxie than 20 weare. Rad:t.­

ca.l as he was in mcnit thinga, Grey was paaetonately 1,10 tn h1a

area. that any one man oould holrl ..

a. small major! ty in 1877$' he ~howed himself t:0-0 autoe-ratte to

bt1 the m1ooess£0.l laad$:ti ·of a popular govemment-" and his two

yeiH;1s of office w.e:t"e a s.ttvere disappointment to Liberal hopes .• ·

D1.1ring this pGj:>iod he quarrelled 1r1ith h1$ ablest nrintate:r_. th$

Treaau:rie:i:\~ John Ballance~ anc1 took over the T:t.,eaanry hin1:self f:tt

a time 11hen the land boom was hur$t!i.ng and bad times were setting

in... The pr1no1pal measure passed by hie ministry was ,a tax on

(l 7) Shrimpton & WIU.lgan °H1sto:ry of New Zea.lani(n page 286 ..

the un1.mproved value of landed estates over £500;. thia- roused

considerable alarm amtr.o.gst the tH'>nservatives and consolidated

the opponitt.on par.t.ies ..

defeated on an ame-.aament to the address-in-r:eply:t and at. the sub ...

sequent alee ti-oni:t suff1otant oppos1 tion members were. elceoted to

t~·n•-0e t.he Govemment to resign on a W$1'lt of c-Onfidenee motion ..

L1be.ral1sm wa11 in tltafavour tor a time; but the .seeds. ao-attered

by Sir OOoI'ge o~ey had fallen on ~eertile soil; they we~e to bear·

a ;r,ioh harvest after ten y(la:rs ·Of dep1.4essio-.a had turned tht:i po-.

l1ttes of the eountry intQ a verttahle chaos ..

In the eighties politict in Ne1.11- zeal1mil were bound up olose­

l y w 1th the eoenomie and 'S-OO 1 al problems. -ax>tsing ott t o:r con-

d1 ttona that had bee-n ·developing &inoe the early sixties~ Mo.at,

of the legislation of th:1$ de.()ade wa:S conoerne-d with ma1nta1n1n.g

mini~trles failed. in their ef'torta to atem -~ depre,sa-i.on~ and

the 0 party a:ystem n bli1!oame mf:?rely a parody of the Engl i~h model .. "!j1

conservative ministries upheld Liberal prinoiplea b&oau-at,- the

p:rtH1sure -0.f public opinion made ft t expedient for thetn tQ de. ao ....

those v-1ho styled the~elveS: Liberal$ war0 of-ten found voting fol:* · (18)

t;onae~vative measures.- Tho Oo:nservativaa: were !n power du:ring

the greater pa.rt of the period,, not because th-a1r. policy was in

any way auperior to that of the Libexials, but OO<laJ.ise th.a latter

had been le.ft leade-rltHlS..- 111oreoverp the sys.tam of plural vot•

ing, which gave the large landowner several vote.a~ was -sui'f'i­

otent while it remainBd to ensure the election ot a majoj:ilty

--~-=---...,,,,,-.·=--·--~·--= . . (18} G« B ... Malon{)y "A History of the Ballan(}e li1inistcyn Chaplii1:t

(Unpublished !tlQS ... at oanterbu:r•y Un.iverstty College Ohr:tat- ) ChU.'J:?Ob~··

14 ..

But variiou.a faetore were ootnb1n1ng th:r-ougb.out thet1e years to

motlify th~ .f.lituation 1n f"avouti of the Liberal~ and to defeat Con-

crome of' the· eeonomio oondi tion of the ¢olony... S1:r George · G:rey

had left off.toe w1 th a defte1t. of .t:1,-000.000. A measure, that

wou$ed the pppoei tion of the lo-wer and uiiddle. olaS$EH3 was the

property tax. introdneed to tak~ the pla.oe. o:f tne l,ibe~la' land (19)

tax. R~g!1es:1Stive in 1ne1de~ and highly 1n$l.ast:t,c, lt wat tm ....

posed on· all types of PflOP&~ty,, pe~onal or othel.7Wtae" and there ....

fo~e favO.tL~ed none bt't t the monied ~1as.ee-a I et:ipect~lly the land­

O\fner~ whoBo iuiea)?ried tnflreroent EH!{)aped alnioat fl?&e of taxaiton ..

$ht)pk:eepera and small manutactuJ:i-6:lJs who ware aui'fertng already

;from the lean timea. we:r& taxed •qnally whether the, ma.&l a pro­

£1 t o?* a l.os$.. Reat.mtroent iner.eased when 1n lS87 S'lr Hart>y At­

ldnsen.if:s GoveY.atttent. ai~d nt procbc1ng .,a ttt-ed1t bal..anee in the

l¢west d~pth t.>f'.the depression:, and ~atsed the tax by 50 per

cent t-o · one penny in the .pound. Max,:y wer.e u.nable to pay,, and

the resuft was a eombinatton againflt. Atkinson .and a growing tt)n-,

deney to afH'io(fiate oons.a!"V'atimn wi. tb. the landed tnter-e:$.ta.. As

these interests held the reins o-:r government~ there could be fi!J

hope of fairer taxation unt1l they weN !>.Stnoved .from poVJer;

thi1f a.nim.osi ty -against land monopoly was fanned into flame by

other import~nt oontributtng f'acto:NH

1. Tha financial pol io'Y ·Of the mints tries~ dea1gn~d to main-

tain a ball1nea du!"ing the depl:lession, gave rise to a number of

15.

obnoxious mEn3.E!Ul'Os., of' i1hich the ohio:f were : retrano-hment by

:redtw1ng the pay of mombers of. parliament and publio servant.a;

the impoe:t tion or a primage duty o:r one per. eent,.; an-d the rais­

ing of loans, the interoat on whtch public opinion foreaaw would

. have to ·'l::m met by tnoreaaecl taxation . .-

Lttbour tn later· year-G.; p-a.ndered to public opinion by 11mk:tng lno (20}

borl:'md.ng • & ohief pla.'11k in 1 ts p_la tfQl'.lm.

Ir Thou.gh the- Conse:r>11a tive par't;y was divided on the sub--As a strong mi-

nor1 t1 0£ the pa.rtJ woro ~tau.nch supporters of' free trad~,. this

lad to a complete breakdown of' party aJ.legta.n(H:,,i,

rtt The Liberal party gained in st~ngth and cohesion from

w-1 th SeddOn and John Maokanz1.e$' he organised s.n tmpaaaioned

attaolt on tbe Gove:rnn1ent ts land policy whi-0h by 1890 had done

muoh to break the oountry"1:1 faith in the Atk1naon r11iniatry. b

J?efusal ar Sir Iw.vey to asst.at unemployed farm hands lad to- en

n-Exodua" of th1s claafJ from. the oount1..,.y in 1890 and the years tm--

mediately preoeding 1 t..

the Liberal$ for support.

Those who did not emigrate turned to

These political factors took their s~pe from eoonomie and

Goeial fol'lces, already gathering strength in 1880" which were

exerting a powerful :tri_nuonoe 1n the pol!ttoal \'W:t>ld by the end.

of the decade,. r.ll1e eoonomio depression was to bT1ng lab-Our· 1n-

(20) Sae Maloney ... rtA History of the Ballance Minist:ryu Ohap. !11.

16 ..

was stagnated, ernploys1°£: dismissed thei1'1 WQ!'tters, fae tor1es ceased (2l)

to oper-ato, tand f'arme11 s t,in,ned away thei1" hands,..H . In the centres

of populatio:n, to rihich 1.:urnmployod artisans and £ar111 labourers

flocked, measi1.ree viere t0Jre11 to alleviate the distress by means

of' relief depots; hu.t only mediocre sucoess .resulted tn face o:f

sta te-a1ded immigrants viho a f0v1 yeal"S befo:re had been promised

a. J-.and flowing v1i th mil!r ~:rn.d honey ..

. dependence and f.zieerlom they non .found only want and unemplo}Tment ..

The older s~ttlers ble..mod the immtg:rants f-or all the rd .. aeey, and

looked asko.no~ upon an:y new a.1--r:tvals; the immig-.eants urged the-·

State whtoh 1:1ad brought the.m ou t:J to send them baok again... '•Every

shipload of toiling Br:i.t.ons whioh found its way to a new Zealand

port wtuj tnet by ft howl or something verri much l~lte rebuke .froin (22}

tho \IJO:t"king ola sm.rn.. r.rhoy were deemed in te1"lo-p-e1"1-s,e. n Worke:r:2

already in Now Zealand must bear a share of the blame fo~ the pre ....

va1ling atagnaM.on ..

nTe:n t,hou.s.and genuine to:tle:N'i of each sex might eas!.ly be ab-

In all a ireotiona enterprtoo

is ohooked hy tho .soal'o:t t-y -0£ oapi tal and labour. The h 1 g;b.J. y

en eggs .. 1 They fight hard to keep up the artifio:tal 'Wage, and

even government-a a:rie .far too dependent on popular -eap:r!ee to ven-

(21 ) Drummond: 'tLife of Richard John Seddon" page 50 .. (22) A:.. Cla.ydtnu '*A Popular Hm1dhoolt to New Zealand. n 1886 .. p. 20.

· 17 ..

tu.re on further 1mrt1igr·a tier.a; but the game is a dangal"ous o:n.e.

In England the question which 1a rapidly foro1ng itaalf on the

atte:nti.011 o.f all thoughtful people ts this: •noVJ long, and by

what antho:rit~, are English vrnrklnen to be virtually warned off · . (23) .

the oolon1a.l labour .f'ields?n*

This picture may have been seen with. one aye, but it beara more

The~e is no doubt that the wage$ of . .

the e:v(;)rs.ge workman trH:ira abnormally high for such a time• tn·u.i

tho$0 lucky enougj:l to be in work fought tenaoioUf!lY to 1:-em.a in

the present ..

partly to !"e-sist attempts at wage reduotion by employers¥. and

partly to protest against the l:eg1ela.t!on of the Mintst'.if"J~ .. · Thet_ri

:first syatematio ei'.fo1 ... ts to readjust the pol 1t1os. of tha ~o,u.n.·try

were launohed when a Viorking Me.n's Polttioal Aaaooiation wa.$ .fo1:m~

ett 1n Auckland in 1879.t and in Christohtweh in l88l.

f'orward the .foll.owing programme;

'l'h.ey put

1. Both Houses of Parliament to be eleoted r111th payment o-f

mE"miber.s..;

2. A system of triennta.l pa1--l1:amant.s to be, aifueved to ..

s.. A land and in<Hlma tax ..

4. Encouragement of' colonial 1nduatt.,1es ...

5~ Modification of the ·land laws.,,

6. No fu:rthexi free :tuunigration..-

7,,, Manhood suf:frage on a basis. o:r $1% months 1 resldtlntia.l qual if ioa. ti on... ··

a. An employarst lia.b1l1ty aot ..

~·"'!!-.-------------------------------(23) Cla:vden~. on. o it.. page 20.

(24) 9i:. No ft.u.-otth~r ponsi-0ns to lJo gr,nntod ..

By 1004 -atmila.1 .. 0~~1.111$at.1ons hali .~p1-1u..ug up !.n many pa.:i:~t~ of:

ohtt?>ch Asnoo1ttt1o:n to form a Mat.tonal Org~'ll:Ji!lt.ion of ~ll th.er

Assooiat1on$ in the (Hllttrt1"'1i, w~1eh me~t !n .fact the £01:ir~tt.on of'

. .

ba:ndm$xlt, f.n 1.005 .1:n favour of th$ inih.l@tl1iru. orgm'f,1~t1orin the-.a

gtiird.ng a f'ootholch ~adet and I,ab~.n~ oouno11t.t m1d the Knit'fhitl

of: Lal~ll-•

At thin ttme tbe tnost po-11.tioolly aet!1JC o:t the trodeu and . (25)

lab01..1~ -ooun@Ua astubl f.a~d !n tho colony WR~ thtt t of Otago1 wh1oh

b1 l86l adopt-~d a political. pro(~tm1e tlu:>otigh a pa~lte.n~tttey

oomm1ttee, Q.;nd in the election of t'mlt year suppo:1:1ted elx of the

g.t-est!.on~ d1$(;ttf;i®d warf.l the ~ting of the f~oht~e to tl-eam0n~

the aiiopt1011- of Mie -etgl1t nourca s,y~t.$m!(1; t~e aboltttoo of' plt:Ulal

voting~ the -GXOO!U!!On of tlw hou?1S of poJ.lw.g and thG tbfjfl Pl"O. (26) ·

pooed wo1~km6ns t Li~n iUll~ Dul?tna 1004 o. :ravtsed a11d tl1ore oom-

-t:; .~. iHfi.Attf"ll!'t ! lC. J ;;±!. 7 'il f!.;:t d J t - . d I

(24) Salmond: uH18tory of' th~ Labour l:lOV(l)ment 1:n I! .. Z. ~ page 140 ... (25} '.F(W tt .full o.000W:1t o.f thet~ t>~{';nntfilB:tton l"'out1 Snlmorn::11.s l'i!m:"1r"'

(00) -SJ,J.mon{l., op. o1t. ~ 151.

p:r>eha:naive p:rogra.ume 'iJ'HUl rlra.Tin u.p (that oi: 1881 included only

th.a :first. ten planks)&

l. Crown lands to 'be l.eased only and not sold.

2.. Land already sold to be taxed.

3.. LO-Oal tnd1.1s t,ries to be encouraged ..

4.. T.he eight honrs day system. to be l.egal1sed.

6. 'I"E>chnioal education to be a.dtled to the pJ?.eaant system.

7. An Employers' Liability Aet to be passed.

9., T'.t"ado S not to be ts.ugh t in pri SO"tlfh

9. Looal option as to the_ sale of aloohol i:a 1 iguor, and t.he

aboli. ti.on of' bottle licences.

10. Law reform.

ll·• The a boll tion of' penaions..

12.. Th.a extension cl' polling unt1l a p .. m:. on .election day.

l.S.. A progressive land tax· and a tax on large incomes.

1.4"' Loo.al government re:foziraa.

l5. The re.form of the jury system.

16.. Govflrnment regulation of workshops.

l 7 * The roi'orm of tho li'ao toey Act.

J.B.... An eleoti ve upper ·hou.ae ..

20 .. The abolition of plural vottng. (2'7)

19~

'1:he Counoil actively engaged 1:n the election of 1884, but that I .

of 1887 was pas$1ed prae tioally unnoticed by -working olass organ ...

tsa.tions, the country being so overwhel;med by the depxieasion toot

(217) on July 91c 1884,. the Parl ia.mantary Oommt ttee recommended the adoption of the .following candidates f'or the House:. Dunedi.n South, Mr. lilish; DUnt,din Central., Mr. Braeken; Dunedin East, }Jir ... Stout; ·

20 .. men had lost interest in its political nelfare. In 1890 five·

members of the Council we1,o returnee! to Parliament .... the Presido11t,

Mr• Pinkerton, and !dessra ... P1sh.9 Hutchison» Da:wson and Earnsha.11 ..

Pinkertrrti, elected as a labour member~ polled tho hirpeat vota in

the oov..n try ..

In other• oi ties trades ax1d labour oouneila, al thoug...11 not so (28) . ·

prog:res.s1ve as that oi' Dunedin~ oontinuod pol i tioal agi tatio:n

throughout the pex11od». and oombined 1£41 th the Liberal a in 1890 to

end · f'oreir-er . the re g1me of tn.e cont :tnu.ott s I,H.n 1 s try .. The Auckland

movement "Wa-a 1n:tt1e.ted in i,!2/77., fta.d :tn its early years aimed to

unt te all the demoor-a tio orgnnisa ttonl.3 in the provinoe agatn-at

the land monopolists~ In 1890 the Counoil combf.:ned with the

IuliJ#}.ts. of' Labour#. and the resulting Eleotoral Committee drew up

a progl'.'amme based on the immediate repeal of the property tax and {29)

the s~batitutton of a land taxi,. and fought the ooming eleot1on ..

The W@ll:tngt0"11 Council,. mnalle1~ and less progressive than that of'

Otago.,. was forimea in 1884 and 1"'ernod-elled in 1888,. Its chief a-

gi tation waa for Labou11 ,:>eprose:ntation in the Lagtslat1vo Cm.1.netl tc

and its point wa:s gained .in l892ilt when ite p1"'esident 6 John Rip;g, (SO)

and three other members ivere appointed to the Upper House.

}Iew· Ualand politt-0al life in tho eighties. did :not reaoh a very . (31)

high standard... It ha.a been asserted the. t it was democratic to

the la.at, detf.eee.. Payment of membc:rs vu.1.s reaul ting. :tn a number of

{2rt) Cont,t Caversham, Mr1 .. Barron; Roslyn., Mr .. Bathgai;e; Peninsula,. MP. Hodgew The Council endorsed the candidatures 0£ the men re­commended.. The choice 1.~ao condemned in some qua.X>ters, it being alleged that a °Frea jrnought" com.hi.nation. vms responsible ·f'or the selection,.. (Salmond.it op. oi t .. page 152 .. ) (28} JJunedin at the time· we.a still the la.Pgest and most advanced torm in the oolony" (29) Without auocesso

21 .. noo :'ly a:nd soo tty a11vo:n tu:r,oJ?.s bt}1ng $<::n t to thtr Xiou. f3fJ 11 mid t,h<n·,e

T'.a.-a fJOl"k­(32}

!ng ma:n, rso.ltsing t1r,,,.1t, tho;J wez.e baing pol1t1nBlly ohett.tet11 tiere

h1s t:1ot1--aoto:ri1 Cftr."'1 :no1;J aa'f} tlmt all hifl past pol1t.ieal life has

'been a 11&;$ "'

!)'lil?!ng those ten years bet.neen l.000 and 1090~ theniv: 1ndieatio:na

pointea to th~ 11flw e1~t1 whieh ~a.a to tma11a from th.-e electtm1-s b"l

of th~ :fnotn!l;l syatoi-;1 1t1vol-:1ing the r:n1en.t1ng of f'emala tlot>ltQ.;eu

anti the fttnployme:n t of child labou:P. ,ware orti0p;b1g in 1n· a:p1 te of

22 .. A swea.ttng · oommi s aion whioh made· .

an investigation at the end of the decade eould find :no evtdenoe . (33l

(on a majority deoia1on) of' _s-weating a.a it waa knolm tn J!J-ngla.nd.;.

but .revala M.ons 1.'iere made,. eapeeially in the colui-rms · of the -ttota.g¢ (34)

Daily Timesff wh1oh profoundly mhocked the ooifilnunity.. Instance~ '

Qt: g!.rl s who 111Jere foroed to work until eleven o"olook 8.:t night to earn a. -suhs:t-stenoe vaage vJere ta~ too eommon, n:nd bo'in:1 \1J{Jre ortei1

t{OVtrrnment loat f'avou:r throu.gh matd,ng no attempt to deal with a

ra-oommendat ton of' the Commission that the Faet-oriea Aot 13hQUld be

'WhO W0%"$ ti'U'O'Wl.l OU t O.f \"iO:r'k by the i$tnploymen t oi"' ehii c':h::it,Xl ~ and

thos-e v1ho had to· work long hours tor low ~agoa voteed the1P griev-

ly t:ook up t,he oauae ri.f the oppressed wo:rkera~ and 1noorpo~ted

f'aotory ltSgisla t1on 1:n thei~ elEtotton programw.e ..

Towards 1890 en~rget1c asaemb1ic2 0£ the Atnertc~ Knights of

Lahou:r., t:Jith t,he1r secret stgna and signals, ~tn?e i"onnad 1:n Na·w

Zeala.11.d" a.nil :aoon began taokl 1ng the pr6a.s1ng aoo:tal and pol i tlcal

p-:roblema of the day .. Effe~tiv~ exi'fitenoe dated from. the visit

in 1890 of Mr..,· VI. W» Iiyght, an Amertow organia.e:r of the Order,

and mention will be made later of how his reorganisation aided

the K:nighta 1n aons-olidattng tha Liberal-Labour alliance at the

elsot1ons of 1890 and 1893~

---=------__.. _____________ ll"'*""""~-·--~.......,~---·-~~---·,..._----·~~~------..,_ ........ ______ _ (32) Cont. outs :r.ather than one of principles and aohtevement., (33) Ii,or a i'ull and c-0mp:i:iehensive aooount aea D3,;1. Salmond1ls tne~1a pp .. 82 - 89. (Ml ttotago Daily T1meen, Jan. 22ndir 24th and 29th, 1889. Also sa::t}mdns. pr.e-aol:ted by Dr~ Ruther:ford Waddell at about the same time.

23 .. On the ave of' a new epoch nLabottr had ~tevano.-es and reason to

think that if it did not bestir 1taoU' these ~ievanoea would· grow,

Suffartng .frorl'l growing tmeraployment and ,fall. ing wages~ qll.i te un­

represented in Parltam.ent and the netwspape-rs, 1 t :f'el t that :t t must

awaken in its thou.sands and use tb.e unanswerable argument cf it:it

It bad plenty of' example to go by..,

it saw Labour atir:ring in Engl.and~ Attstralia,, everywhere. Its

laad0rs ,:,ead aoo1al1s.:t t:ra~ts and humant.te.ria.n prot,eatt1-. By tho

autumn l)i.' 189-0 thej had made up their minde t:o sand 'nOrld.:ng men

t-o the House ·of' Represent.at!ves ~tl Wc$ll. a;a to 1ni'lt1enoe the el.eot-

1-oo o.f i'riendly Liberals" e.nd were pr1m1ng thetr p~opl.e :and ge-ttint:; {35)

r¢ady f'or the ·na. t tle-. ,t

-OH#}PTEft J.l ..

The Y~e.r 1890 and the E1--a -which f'olloried,,

pa~ty, and the members met :tn 1891 vJt thot,t oxpertenoe oi" conoe1·t­

~d action and parliamentary prooetlt1~ ~ the Un:i.011:tatfJ undottbtetlly

hald in their' r.i.a.nds the :fate o±~ the Liberal G,yve1"l1.1nen·t; dnrlng the

f'i:r•s t few y-es.rs of' :tts J. i.fe-... *1 { s. D.. Salmond )

1r10-r .several :r-aasr;ns the year 1890 ate.nds as -a lanc1ma'.ifk of great

ualled oonse:ri,,ative par·tJf topple to thG _grot1nd w!t,h never a hope

t.rf being rebu. ilt; 1 t poin tea to a ne1J az,a of p:ro,e;r,a s s.~ proaper1 t:y

e.nd f.n .. ..,stwhile content; 1 t heard t.ha f'i:r~at 01iga.n:tsed speaoh-Era -o:f'

la'boti.'.F.' polt tieians wtwse one -ptu·pose fo1') the next ge-ne:i-.,,a.tton watt

to _see ·the working man oome into hts r!ghtS,;1- and to prove un:f:'iTe.r-

sa.1 brotherhood something more t1111n -a v1sion9 For>cos,. eoo:nom1o

l-ect1ona ...

i.Ba tions. we11,:1 in-cx•eas:l:nt; in. wisdo~11 anil tn s 'tl"Sn(fhh:1 and the soctnl· - (l) (2)

ist1o teuohi:ngs. of Helli""'J George a:n.d Hobe~l'.'t Bellamy iwx•e beginning

t.o have a real influence'"'

It is oom.mo:nly believed that t-he .General li:J.-ec tion of 18.90 marks

the birth of' ' ctemoo:racy' in 1\Jew zaale:.'1d.i, btl.t democraay viaa past

11#1 J !P" PF 4 • ~_.. +z;,,11= . .:.dl.-:==~-- :r, - ~'Ill~ ~ .;;;. 1 1;:,..:,,,~

(l} nP:rogross and Poverty 11 (1879) {2) n:r.ook1ng BaekWard.u- (1887) .. itpabian Es.aaya in-Soctal1sm0 (1889)

25. the oh11dhooa stage by that time. It \tns entering v.pon tts matur-

ity, and proauoad le-gislatton VJhiah 50 yea1>s of pionee!'ing tJ-ork

and eo-onomle tmeerta1nty had ma.de neoe-si:u.1.ry-.. The olimax to an

evolutionat'y growth oame when the union o.:f progrettsive and labouti

foraes succeeded in lt:i:ving power to the Liberal Party.,. led by John

Ballan.ea~ The .fatlure of' the Au.s-tralasian mar:t time strike in (3)

that year was opr.1-oTtune, :for by de-s.t,roy1ng the .faith -0.f' the work ...

· er-1:;1 tn trade ttnionism as the sole means .of' effecting aooial reform

1t ae:rived to fitrengthen the al11a:ncH)J the d1esat1si'ied men sought

to redress their immediate gr-1.evanoes by legislative means.., At

1revtoua elections the labour queet1on had b~n d1$0mHl@d and w.or-k·

ing men wax,e urged to take tip poli tioa and t1se the ballot to right

their wronga .. In 1890 they :f'ollowErd this advioep and the Liberal·

Labottl:" :tteg1roo J 1esul ted.

During the lean yesrs preoeding 1$90, v.w:rld.ng men had already

begun to look upon pol! tic-a in a n.ew light.!) the keener and more

intelligent axnong them eagerly studying .the 001-leot:tvf.st dootrtna:a

whtoh Henry Geo:r~ge and Robert Bellamy had done so mu-ch to popula~ (4}

1seo The electoral :reforma 0£ 1889 gave tb.e .franchifa-e to thou ....

sands of working men,, a.nd these f) ignoring the weal thy pol i tioal

1ea.da;ri$. and great land-owners., of£ered the-iJ:> sarviees 1n pol1 ti.os

rftle reformers fonew well enough that they would

g$t strong support if they went to the polls as an independent

part.y, but realised· that tl1.e auooe.ss o:f' tho Liberals wot:i.ld give

them an tmm~diate bentrfit which they -oould not othorwi.se obt(il.in ..

tt,fua .o-oming of organised labour 1nto pol i tioa in the years be ...

(3} see tho Economic Journal (London} Vol .. 1 1891., page '11.0., (4) Infra page 260

tween 1890 and 1893 did :not mean 1110:rely that work people wore bestirring themselves to obtain eerta:i:.:n reform-a~ Half> its sig­nificance and force sprang frrnn its being a new departure in the matter of men as well as 0-f measu1°ea. Up to 1890 labou.r had been eontent, to vote .for rrdddle·olass c-andidat-ea.. !:n that yea.r 1-t deo1dod to send 1:nto Parliament not a few units of tts own elas: bu:t ·bands of workers,.. A rapid grow th of' tra.de unions in the eigb. teG had taught colonial labot:tr the st:ri0ngth of organisa.t.ton.. Th~ strneesa ·of' the German Socialists at the polls and the loud aeolara· tto:na in England in favour o:f an Independent ·Labm1.r moveroont w~re hes.rd of in t

1ne coJ.onias. A wave of --socialistic t."'0el1ng swept

over them.-r(5

Tb.-e evoltitionary aspect has boen dealt wt th in the first chap­

.tar.. The immediate .factors influencing the all tanoe may be olacSS·

!f:ted as .five in number, namely .11 the Ele"O toral Re.f'orm of 1889~ the

Siv-aat.111:g Gommission 41 the strengthening of the trad-0 union movement

the proeteot1onist agi tatio:n~ and the Ma.l~1t1me Strike"

ELEOWRAL RF:FQill!t '!ho voting sy,atetn followed dtir:tng the first

30 years o:f :·1:-epves~ntative government was bafH~d on a property

quali.fioation which prevented many c-tttzens voting at all~ and

gave n101,e · than ona vote to la:rgo la11.do11ners... Th:l.s grossly nn-

f'ai.t> method was one main y,ee.son vihy the Conservatives.A} with the·

landed interest behind them, were a.hle to hold off'iee fO:t"' so long.

13ut during the depression p:rogresa1 ve opinion f'o~nd a v-ery a:r>t:to""'

ulata champion in S:tr George Grey$ who fox, many yaa1"s upheld the·

cause -Of •one ma.n one in:,tet against the paaaive opposition of the

the Rouse and passed on to the Statute.Book in 1889; many thou ...

sande of workers were given a vote who had hitherto been powe~lasa

against the Continuous· ld.niat:ry.

PROTECTIONIST AGITA ttOJ:T: The natttral growth of tracle unionism

noted in the last chapto:r was aooelarated by the protectionist

a.gt tat.ion., which grew with the depx•eas:ton -and was championed by

(5} w. p .. Reavesi nstate Experiments in Australia & !~-01.v zea.lana." Vol. 1, Pe 14.

27. Bad times had enabled the i'ta<,tory worker•s to see

ho.w muoh the struggltng.:tndust:tt1es o;f the colony were ai'£eoted by

comp-etitt.on from oversea.a, and they were therefore not dislno11:ned

to l.1eten to e.dvooates of prote.otton.

eoumging local me.nufa.etu~ea by higher import dutt-es9 and a:lso by ·

a tax on landowners wh~oll would provide ,a 1'u.nd fo.~ t'aU.bi.1tta1s.1ng

.aeoon-daey indtu1trtee.$1 .and at the .sarae t 1.me help to break dovm land

monopoly~.

THE MARITIME STRIKE OF 189(}; By l.890 trad(i unionism had 'be-

come fat:rly w~ll organised and eager to a~i:zEi any opportun! ty o.f

tea.ting l ts .et:t·ength.. The· J-1ondon .iiookerc~• .atrtke ot the pr:&v1ous

year had r.OU$l&d k~en tnt&l'test ·among the 1-\U$,tt·alan1e.n unl'Ons,, whioh

had shown their ,sympathy by .gift~ ot oonaidera.bl,e awns of .money,.

greatly w~eomE.l and co.ntributo:ry to the $1lO:t,"-Etss. of the strike .•

Shortly afterwal:"'dff. a diapute brok-0 out. in Au.atral.ta between shtps 1

joined by th$ :seamen end. later b:y the wharf labon~er$$, and what

had been a trivial ms ttcGr beeamo a bat t.le ~oysl over 11l.;.,d&.f"1nad f

pl"ine iples~ In .New .Zealaxul7 -seame-ni wharf labon~e:r,,s an.d other

union.!ata :with no ~1time:z'~onneet.1on whate17E!.r joined. the st.rtk-e

and oowned tools atJ: a n1a.rk of sympathy .t-o.r their Australian breth-. ' ren.. Unto:rtunat&ly,. pnbli.o Qpin1.on was aga1n~t them, and plenty

of tree laboul:'I' was therefore. to be obtained;:1 in addition,,, t~ At-

The dispute

oontinued fol? about three months$. and ended in the <mtnplete and

u.noondt t1.onal surrender of" the td.l1t'tmts.. Opportu.ne·J:y, the

collapse ce.rne juat. as orunpa1gns tor the general eleett.on ilEi!fe in

prapa;:ration" and the cl1aappo1nted labourers sa.v,r a onanc0 of gain-

28 ..

ing pol i ttcally wh~t industrial o.rganisa tion had failed to g1va

them~ The Libera.ls were not slow to grasp the sign1fioanee of

these events and to give labour reform eon$1derable spaoe in their

e-l.eo toral pla. tf orm ..

nu.' the Libei-~al farty had not acted as 1 t did,, t,:,ade unionism..,

whioh had ~ow _turned to organise itself s.o as to secure meunbera '•

of parlia.nien t .favoura.hl-e to , .. ta eau.se througl.1. the pol.1 tng booth, ·

would have :r•ett,rned to the· Hou.~e a. separate group of la.hour members

upon whose a:ooiali.stic tanden-a:te-e there would not have been the-(6}

ohe-ok tho re i,aa •. "

by the 11:rades and Labour Gou.nails. We have -already mentioned

Ieland -0-entres., Dunedin and Christchu.:roh .. The -Christohlu"-oh work-

ere $lso :revived the idea of a polt tic-al assoeiation'" and on Au.,

gust 23 a Peopie•s Polit1C'.al Assooiatton vuia- i"0:'!.'1mer1 lfor .the pur­

pose- 0-f' advancing the interests of' the industrial classes of can ... ' ' ~)

terbury in tho House of Hepre sen tat i ve s .. ' It drew up a programme

wbieh_, in a sl1.gh.tly amended form,. 1,1aa :re-oommendad by the T.rades

and Laboul7 Oounoil.s to all ur.doni-sts; it formed branches 1n and

around the oi ty and showed much vigour 1n oondue ting a oam.patgn ...

.An agreement was l"eaohed early 1:n October by whtoh eand1dates ~,e-re

to be s-eleoted by a joint eommi ttee of- the Trades a.nd Labour Coun­

cil$ and the Feop1e•s Pol1tioa.l Asaoeta.tion,;c after the unions had

balloted f,or ea.oh can.dido. too

(6) G .. S,11 Malontry: ttA Utstory of the Ballance Ministry" (7) ~r •. D, Salmond; op .. ¢1 t. page 15$ ..

ohu.roh seats. An appeal to olectors was sent out in manifesto

fortn~ which read as :f'oJ.lowiiu

tt some of t.he gentry s(?l ic1 ting your· support have tr;.e audaot ty

to -claim ·•Is::udoif* for having voted f'or ltbe:rial measur.es, No ~on­

serva t1va gov~rnment ever voted f'or a liberal tr.easu)J& until <H:lm­

pelled by the liberal s<:)otion or .Farltarrient and public opinion t;o

do ,so-, an-d the eonserva ttv~ element ~t ot\r parl iamant has never

:ranges the tazatlon of this count:t•y to auit the capitaJ.1.st -0la$th

It holat:ars. t'\P unright1:1ous monop-o:Lies... By an opprf.H'.l$lve 'QUratoms

ttiriff 1.t hampers the trading tteotton of the ()Quntry.,, :t.mpoverlsheB

the art1iiian1 ai."ld yet we a.re blandly told there al:Je no t)arty polt ....

. ti<ls tn this land ~·• Wake. 1.1p$ ~king men, and by nn1t'6,1 effort

~~ee yout1,aelvee f:N)m the mr.mstar, and thenaru.sh it ont of ~:ttist-

. ence"' So long as. the oons~rvat:lvt1,a rul·•~ Nevw Zealand., t:Hl long will

th€7 w ork1ng men make tH:1$ of th$° pow~r t1:i.ey pQsfiet:Js and by un1 ted (8)

and cono\1:rted aotton will bring in the dawn of their p~-0spertty .. n

The l{nighte of Laoou:r also l"'EH)e1.v$d a n&W lease of life from

t.h-e v1s1t of th.El Amari.oan ergantser,, Mr .• w .. w. Lyght~ tn March~ (9)

1:890 11 but althcugh certain proti'~sa had bo¢an made towards unified

polit1oal action before the ~lectionai# the KntghtaS were $t1l.l too

mu.eh 1n embl?y,0. to have any real influence ..

On poll lng day, trade un:ton1a t:J .taced the oontest gi vtng · open

support to S4 candidates.

{8) Saln10nch op. ott ... pag~ 158 ... {9) Saln10nd: <>Ih oit. pa.g$ 164 ..

so

notable r-or their knowledge o.f trade unionist matters affecting

their own elasa, an .appetite for de-tails, a capaeity to w-ork to­

gethe:r_,. a oertai:n 'not very ~xhila1.,attng" argrune:ntat1111e povH:,r:JJc and: (10) .

an over-abundance of te:naof.ty.. With the nervons build of the

ald.lled mechan!e who read -and argued and fretted •at the- bars of

low birth and iron fortune 1 , they \1-EJJ."e the :r.avers-e of boisterous, I ' . •

thlr-sty demagoguesu who belonged rather t-0 the lower middle ... ola$Sv

They 1r1ere very seldom brill ian·t men, looking f'or s. t:rength 11ot so

muoh 1:n individual action as in loyalty. to the olaEta whi-0h they

A f am working men had

been j.n Parliament long before 1890, but always as tnrH::vtduals.,

never atandt.ng .for some aim or tdeal representative of' working

unionis:ts- we~a elected but the term *labour membeJiit·; when applied

to them,. tn many -0a.ses ~ef'arx•.ed not to t-het:r tH)eial $ta11dlng but

to the electoral diet!'lot which had given them pc:ntel4.-'1Twelve we~

the ehildren of trade u:n1on1mn; ntrxe;!lc though suppot•ted by the trad~

-t1nions~ 1'lere not 01"'0ated by thom; only six we!'@ lH:1:.cu.ltarly re-(ll)

presantattve of the ordinary wage {1H1rner .. ft

In spite of' tho pol 1 t1ca.l agitation whioh · had been f0t"!Wnting

during the y-ea?>~ public opinion r.egi$tered sUJ?prtse at the result~

.People w0r1e taken aback at the $1ght :of' a genu.tne labow @ontf.n­

gent1t' dl?a.Wll e-&!•aight i'rom tho .factory and work:nhop1, being sent to

Parliament with the sole objeet ot attending to the needs 0£' their . . (12)

olaEJ.s.. -T'".t>ue., the oolony had a-ee:n WOI'king men in Parliament bef'o:r-e

(lO) YJ.P.-Reevos: nstate Eiq,e:rt1.ments in An.stralia & n ... z. ff, Vol. l page 55 ..

(ll) Snlmondi op •. c1t .. puge 1'70,. {12) sti.lmonth ,op. cit. page 170 ..

" ,.

st I,

p.,,

" s='l

t a:n en-

son o1

ae a bod-y ,l) ac s

Ol!'Ul

sti

f

a

l t

1

t on

t

1egielat1eux. vHia in the a1r, the new men nottld l~ able to gtve

vn.ltmble aat:1l~tt1u"1e:a in propru."inG me~~tL~iJ dpalinf.j 111i11 a tocbl11-

cal suh,j'eot; wh:t(Jh called for extremely dol1eu te hruuU :tngg m1d . (14) .

thin hria oft~J1 pr,oV:(){t to ba· tha onaeal,>" · · (l&) .. l

f?il'" rtobo1~e Stout thottght tnou1 tlwdorata mtB:n u1th the ,:i,ights 0£

laootu:t at h®~tJ l:1ut wt·t:n 1nt~llt~a to ~alts.e th.at the wa-ll­

b$tn~ of' the colony aoonld l~ looked ~t ae a flhole s, i\nii not £~

<td to soe hoo thoy would ao.t.ffe e.r.u:1. f~oin the .;rtrat they e;t~sp~d the,

se:nt1e of .~e~ons1b1l:t ty ~htcfu, they ow~tr. ta· thoi~ (H1natituent.~" n

la1~gely ns an expe~iment~ 'beliav1nB t..hiay ·novlil adapt thamoolvam

to pol1ttrH:i, ai'lt1 l,AAldnp; upon therti~elv'f:rs a~ tho. tmst(leSc 0£ the

de-sM.nies of the !JG0pl$ 1:!M had pl&ClGd th~tn ln POWGl'* HQn US and 011 ou.z;- eondootu they n-aid, ffdapen(ha. in t't gl1$0.t ~.au:i.'tfl3 tbe po1~1an­

oney oz1 othe:M.Jlei& of tho 1,1ove-!l1ent uta.!-"t.ed t.n l.090/q w

Th.111 llon,i; w .. P~ Roeve:Js- a.a ]iW:ater '£0~ X.tabou.r~ wa~ in a b()tte);'

1>-0si M.on than rmy. other to jw:1ga th.~ wor-th of these uwn in tl'l01r (16) · .

new oapan!tyll, Ho ~oitn(?\d.od~'Hi tho debt -whtoh 1:,oth th-a labmir

lv.W(i a1rit1 the Lal';;oiir 1-;e~11tn1~t <nred to : t.herin fo:t? tha-y chose ~

be help,ful ?1at11er. than 01?itftcru. and :i.~trvoltttionaey~ I

t'Jt:~f•~H ~ ·wa.!$1;,tr?tM:ll'r'H:r $?i:'~· ·t 1·1 W'=#"t± ~p ! Wi µ;:;.:df:' ~ ::ttq q:;.::gW;4 -_,~~-,1:t:-==--...... l-li~-1-4,c~

(14) Drummo:nc'h rtLite of n.; J,w Sew:lon* paga :use. · (15) !n an 1ntezw1i~1 fl ffj'rJ ~Jt$ after the olaotton11 (16) VJ.,. P 1o R0evesi n1The Long Whit& O~m1du pag~ 290..,_

did everyth1ng to ligr1ten Mr .. Reeves 1s task 1 aesum:tng z,esponaib11-

1ty Zo.Xl many of' his -amendments,. taking a b:t?Oad. view oi' .the 1:nter ...

ests of the community, and pacifying the l<:1sa pa:tiant o'f their

aupport-eJ?S ...

at ions 1n t,ho baokgrov...nd and 0011c1:crning themselves only 11i th ma­

jor• tsst~oa;, ·tha~l helped the 1¥11n1ste-1} to do much a-ol1d work., ar.td

gain advantag-ee t1h1oh. 1•m1..1:ld have been out of the question und~;r a

They helped not only to rem(idy e:d.at1ng

gr:tev.anoeap but to aohieve'" at least· 1n p.nvt., the ideal of the­

'l111n1stazi that n the Colony $hould be se:ou:i:,ed against JW.Y future . (l ff}

tnvaaton of the wm?st evils of' m.1:r•opaan i:ndustr,tal l 1f'e!l\".

Al though the- 13alla11oe M1nist1~ wa~ not the £11-i"$t 1:n llew Zealand . . (lS}

to aM,ampt to r-0gulate labour oond!tioM~ it was the first to 1n ...

0¢_:rpn11a.te a de£in1 te programnm o:r labour l!'efona .in lta polio-y"'.

Six ac t,s 3?olattng to th'.t a progran.une were passech.

Faotoriea Aot, 189.l and P:i.mendtng A~t 1892;

Emtiloy0rs• Lio.billty A<)t 1891-2; ·

Oontraotora' a.ncJ Wo~krnen 1 $ Lien Aot 1892;

Shop and Shop Ass!atanta., Aot-J

Truck Acrtt;

servanta 0 Regi~tey Off1eo Aot l8921lfc

These v1ere oonocxined mainly with the improvement. of. oendi tions

of laboux• f'o-r young men and women through reducing tJ1e hours of

emplo:fment; requiring the provi s1on of' suitable sani t:ary oon'tleni ...

eneos~ proh1b1 t1µg ,wor!tera from engaging 1.n tradea 1njurtou.s to

heal th; cheok1ng allPloita tion of tmetnployed workers and making

provision f'or the general oorn.fort,, and establishing a system of

{f7) V/..., F. 'i<eemi 11~t1he L(}b.g White Oloufltt page. 290.'' (18) See Appendix I·

.34.

more ef'fec.ttve adrn·iniet:Patton·o-v-e?'·- the· pl1:H'.lE:iS in which people

ly :tn regard to their earni:.ag-s and to oompenea tion in case of (19)

aooident. ·

ir111e cCjUant1. ty of: :re:rorms drew aooua-a ttons o-.f eootal lam against

the gove:r~nment from tunny part a 0-f' the globe, a..ud ti sta ta $-Ooi.al. istrtn

btH1ame a · c.ommo-n ta:-rm. in t,he colony.

and quite false; do-c:tl'inair-0 s.-ooialism lilas unknown 1n New Z.a.aland,

a.:nd had no in:f'luenoe upon the dBVG-loptuent of a pr~oM.oal s.oc.11:-ll ism

in the colony ..

ed tn the utopian soe1.!\ll1sm of Arnold,. Ruakin.;i 1.aeredith and J~ s .. (20} · ·

w11l.l. · Bellamy lnfluane.ed the enwctlonal part 0£ the oommunit}1

gi'leatly and Henry George# who vtstted the oolo._ ny r also sttmulated (811

Qpinion toward t~ing u.nltTKf>:roved land vallle1a.:: But of l!'avolution-

a.xry socia..l tam the.re was never a thought~. .The opportuntat tute of · {22)

state a.otton was. mer0ly a •-011e.rao taristtc 11011 Zealand trend' and

the neerl1fi at.ms,. m-ethods at1.A reasoning ~.f the p:vog:-(fea-2ivtHa were

-and eoonomio oondi tions pveva111ng tn lB90 viere suah that 1mmedtate

?taf'orm was ossanttalb ana the Ballano--e Ministry embarked on a po-. (23)

lioy of "govern-mental pateir.aal.1amtti-g not as the :first step o.f a

oomplote aoo:taliatto prooess, 'but ta.$ a move -neoesa:tt.ated by bit.tar

not as a oon-soi.oua .socialiirt,~ but be-cm.use he tl1.ougb.t it his buai-·

(19) G,. S;,1 Maloney: nA Hia.tocy of' thEl Ballm.1ce 1I11n1st,ry'' Ghap .. X ., (20} J. B. C.ondl.if';fc$: ttNew Zealand in the Ma.Id.ngn page l6S., """-(21) D:t"A> v .. s .. Clark: ttLa.bour Condi t:tons in N. z"" '' (American Bulle-

tin of the Bureau of Labour No 43, 1903) (82) J ... B .. Gonciliffe: 0:Ner~ ~a.land in the Makingn page 166· .. (23) Coinage of G.., $-. Maloney in 11A I-a.story o;f' the Ballanoe 1nn1stti

35 ..

nesa t,o obtain tolerable conrtl t:i.01:rn :ro:i;-, t,h<1 musses, and to stand

'by the small man whereve:;./l the small man was not na petty P cunning (24)

employer .. tt .

DtJ.rtng the yeat'tt 1890,...93 the polttioal O?'ga.ntw1ation of' La.bot1.r

ou teirie Parl ln.nml1t cent.red la1"gely in the Oxide:t.., -of' the Knights

of Labou.:r•11: wh:i.eh wu-s jt1st beg5.r.!.n1:ng to t,ake finite .fo1"m at th.a

time of tha 1890 t31cctions ..

t:tvo 1n ft1~the1"ing the early eloatng movement, and in Stlppo:rting

the timbt1~ mill \l!Orl{Cl".S and trs:mws:y 5_mployee£ 1.n their d&mnnds-. . (25)

for, sho~{'te'.i? a:na mor•e :regt1.le.r wo:t>ld.ng hour11.,, on J'lJJ.y. 31;. 1890> at

a mee·t1ng held u:nde:-e tho auspi,Jes of the Kni@".l. ta and the Anti­

Poverty Sooiety~ it had been resolved to .form a national politi~al

p9:rty whiah ohottld have aa 1 t.s pla. t:fonn the !tmmadia.ta t>apeal of

the p1.,operty taz; and the EUibat:t tu tlon of' a ttU upon land values

a.11d the b:r..,aaking up of' tho lsu .. ge estatea the Auckland Knights ~d ...

ually ba-cam.e 'f./Oake:t., a.nd oventuall1,1 ~ent oilt o.f :extstenee"' The

wellington, C'h:i:1iat-0hu1"'ch and Dunedin branohea we1~a all au.ffio:t.6.nt­

ly advanced by 1893 to take an aot1ve pal"t in the ale.ottons of that

oa.ndida tas Sol' tJelli:ngton, s-upporting the vtew that • the regulation

preventing tb,o · acqui.$1 ti.on of :freehold a:re c.onduc1ve to the pros-·

pe:Ptty of the colony-.' Sir Robert and f1Ir •. Fl:"ase~ were eleeted ..

!n Ch:r1stohtu:ioh an effort was ma.de to 11111 te all p1"'ogreas!ve· .forces

tln au er1deavoui, to obtain a.'lfl equ.1 table repr,Jserltat1on of 'Worker.a

t:n the Uppe1• House"

T24}w:~F7"iie·;;~:riments in A~st:r:al1a & N. z~»vo) ... l p .. ~ .(25).J-. D .. Salmondt .op. ott.. nar.N~ lflfi,..

a ..

A d:t~ot veto hy urlUl t. $Ui':frage~

A r~if~ran&tn:1 on ntate questi0.na,i,.

.36.

1111u,:0J.01ptil rofo1·.,ms tn tovm and o-ountry on tho one: ma..11 on®: vote bn.:at.nl;I

:nw tu1t !:n t-emr1ee of tho <Jt::1tt 0$. tion fly a tam tn tae t~

A atat,ntcn-;y otnSJ.t l10U.'.PS day system..-

il ~Otthl!o l:tolit'lny ut o. ti;'en-el"al e-lootf.on0 utth eompnlao~ clo:s1ng .or puhl tc, h®ttti,.

The ~bt41t1o:n of all eor-,..e11im1-ey lawa rolaM.ve to 1nduut"" t<ial f11aputea-.

Tho tm~at-!ng of a Men1ber of tt.te nou.aa of Rupt1aeentattveg on a twc, 'Gh13:t1s mn;Jo~!ty advo:i:"fJfo vote of hts eonatitti0nt..sjil

I

A ~econcl ballot whera tbticrJ oxi tnoro t~Dtl1oote~ ar~ nomt­n~tetl £or e. e>nl.:v met1'lbte;i? omUJM.tu@i'leir .. l2(lJ

The st1"'-ength o·f tb.t1 Ortk~l" 1.ay 1n the f'a(ft that 1 ts nnmbe:r•s i·mre (27) .

im.ti11owr.ti. tJ.1!1oua;I1 thoh'* of'ftHttiv·a memb01~shtp naJi a.mall,, tho1:r po-

l tcy i1an to- get thetr· r<HJolut.1on~ 1nto the l?1~lHlf! ond have matters

full;{ v011tUo..tedl>'

(26) :t. n~ Salmond: uA n:ta.to:r·y ·.Oi' tho Labort:P uoveine:1rt in n~ Zw 1'pil6 (.27) nr. Viotor 01~1~1\': gnvo the 11.uoib{)rtt as 5..tOOO~ (Labour Con<i,tions

in 11, z..,')

it to or t

was :not so Ol'

t it

ly not

' it

1

" It

"

mru1

it

rern.a

as

i

..

1.uinoe mEn:1 to a

£1truggle oval" Labour n.-epreaentat1on in the Legislative Council ..

1:'hia body tn l.890 \1Uas still. dominantly conservative, and for th~

f'irat f-ew months in Ballano~f*s t.e:rrn of office c-ont1nuer1 to th:r-ow

out measure$ of thB popular assembly which we:re rliractsd to ·the

The Trades an. cl. tabov.r

Oouneila voioed inc11gnation against ·this negation of demooratto

government., and agitated f<rf' the appointment of Le..boux· members-

to the Oouno 11. T'n.e Government yielded to the ory,, and tn 1891

four Labottr oounc1llor·~~ membex,s of the. Well in~ton T1""ad-es .and

Labour Gouncil .•. were appointed • a. pri.nte:i?., a eomp.oaitorip a

boilermaker and a ito:rekeaper.-.. . Thes-e men VJt1re no 6Xoeptton to

t-he average labour polit!o!.an cf the time~ .pr.aaticral~ mQderate~.

-waya ably .fitted for tho woi"'k of revision., wh1oh is. the main oon-­

oern of a aee-ond chamber ..

The N'at:tonetl. Libere.l Assoo1at1on.t wh1c.h t1aa the strongest pro .....

g.resstve f·or<.Hl ir1 the oommuni.ty, numbered among i ta of:fit'Hl-rs in.

the centres many prominent trade untoniatn.. . Tl,ade unloniats ae

.a e-onae.quence beau.me .the mo-st i'(:1.i t-riJ:"u.l and the .mos. t 1taluable of

Lihei"al aupportm:•sJt and the ama.11 Labou.r group 11eve'.t"' wo.vey,ed in

its loyalty to the ta1n1stera ..

the 1•etormat1on of tho taxation system and the attack u.po:n th.e

la.1,ge estat-e$ll -whioh Reeves :t."egarded t.:1.s a social peat, an 1ndust ....

rial obetaoJ.-e and a bar to progres:~r.. Th.$ u.n:ton-s themi:ml 11as oon-

ti:nued to flourish., keeping 1n t,ouoh with pol1t:tos through the

pa'."C-'liamentary aommtttaes of' the Tr•ades. and Labour Counoils; ' me..ny

of the suggestions 1isab.ioh theso committees put forwa:r;id were adopt-

e .. Ill s ,, d 7ri:rtt

(l :/1

$1

()

t, fts a

~as ,'l >,.?_

l ,,, f~

as

'"

t

ct

l

d

so con

t )

1 ..

40 ..

a .fa.r from ready platform speaker i>Vhose chief claim upon the oit_i ...

placed ch1-e.fl8 on his good :rept1to .. As one of' the dailies comment ...

111.a leg foru·'l weeks prior, to the polling da:y, ar1.d gone t1tto ho_sp!tal. 1

there is no doubt that he would have \!Jon his seat,, n

placed him f'ot11"th in a t:P1pl-e eleotore.to,, 66 vo-teo below the last

member retux;ned... !Jrllt TL1.dehop0 d1d not .stand ags.ing but at. the

next ge:ne:ral r;:;1lec t,ion in 1896 ft atre:rn.i.ous cttmpa1gp. vms- conducted.;i

with Mri. ArthLU' J., Ross~n.,., a 1rJ01:•king aa:t;'l!)ente1", as o£f'1c-tal Labnt..a:r-

ca.:nd:t date,..

til his deatb. 1:n l90G .. t'iandfor·d loist his seat i_n 1896 and 110ver

as any organised p-ol:U,ioal laboU.1" 'l1ovement '.l.n ooneo1•nod. As Dr .. {31)

Oondl iffo has n-cit,Jd,> Urn ch1.ef mo:r•i t, of thG L.ib0:t•t1l-Labour legis-

lation 'iUaS that

eoonom1c- fo1~oea t11i:1t wo:r10 t.1,,ans:f'or•.n:i.ng '.New Zeale.::ad in t,his pe'.t'i:Od".f> (32)

'J:he :nunK.r.eons Aots doal:t11g vd.th Lahou.r pl"Oble.ma.2 together wt.th the

µ: ......... ;.:,,(:. :l:Tt\"<;lllt ~·-~-r.,--~,~-... ~ .... ~·~ ... ~""'""""''"'""'~~~~-· J,;$t=:;ca~

(31 l 0 New .Zealand in the Mald.ngn puge 2or1" NevJ Zealand vms produ.o:tng :from virgin land continuallj incrreas.tng

g1-1.ievan.oes o.f the viorking man for a number -o:r. yoil.:re.. 111'1.e Indt.1.st,... (33) . .

l?ial Conoil1at:to:n and AJ;>b1tra.tion Act took e-f':fect from l896p anil

oontentad ni th their lot than they had boon f'or a g-enerat!m1; the

Department of La.bou:v, 1.nstttuted by Balla.nae in 18-91 :fov tho pur ....

pose of' meectinr; the unemployed diffict1.l ty" continued and expm1dad

its aotivi ttas as the '9"0al:'s went by ..

Etupe:r-v1.aion and oversight of :fo..-o.to;riie-S,:,c the admin:tst1~aM.on ot the

Industrial conciliation and Arbitration Aot, the organisation 0£

employment bttl"t%tttx~ a.:nd other matte:r:'1 a closely relating to ~forking

class oo:ndi t ions in tho colony"

oomman-ced.$: the u;rou!'nal o:t (Jomn1eree and Labourn_:ii- wl11ch :tnolu.d@d

i:nf-o:rmat:ton oon.aEn:ntng th~ state of' trade and labour and labcm.v

In 1897 the name was changed to the '\rournal

of' the Dep.a1.,tme:n t. of Labour 0 .,_

Once Set1don. ha.a. won the eonfide1100 of the people try the ptt~uing

oi' measul"ea 1-;elat.ing to thetr 1a.1el:f'are, he did not -find it- d1ffi.-eult

to make- '1.r.JOrlting men bel ieva that they 15ere ru:n.ning the Government,,

This -ws.s at once a a0t.trce of' aat1ef'aot1on ·to· them ~..nd a sou:t"c~ o:f

pm'H:)r to the premiei~.. liet th,ar a labour leade1.., nor a sooi.al 1st s­

and not in close touch vr! th orga..nis.ed labour gene:tlaJ.ly, h@ ,,as

shrewd enough to make it appear to the people that he 111as one of

them.a.el ve ~ .. By touring the eoun.try and appealing in his speeches

(Sl) Cont.... quantities of products, which found a market that not only sha:i?e4 the general rise of the prioe··•level, bu.t gained a fur ... thei~ :rise from the tact that antma.1 products were 1n l'.'elatively nho:c•t supply in th.e vm1•ld ts markets.. . (32} see Appendix Ir (33) See Append t:x: l'l't

1

pl

t

t

t

11

f'

t

43 ..

th1ng that nLabour elept .under this grt-u,:1.t pol1t1cally-appointed

£oat.ar mot,hertt; it. needed several years of practical applioat1.on

to p'.\"OV& that tha w-0rker~' bed was not made anti.rely of roJtes ..

on.

t

oon-

so

1

..

1

i

j

t

i

) "

1

never received strong support~

t

(4)

(5)

t

It oes n.o

1

s motion iJ1

so:n

:no

t,

on t

out as l

over as

1

49,..

gates. aseembl@ tn .. VJell ington --to lay . befor0 tne Government the de-

l iber,attons of t,h!s -Conference., they should be inst.ru.ot.ed to form

a. Constitution and platform in eonfwm:tty with tha re:aolution a­

dopt&d in favour of the Independent Labour Party f'or the whole

-eolony., and submit the same to th~ various oouno.ils ,tor oonside1>=

atton,.,"

· Commenting on this argumt?mt.,.,. tt v,as pointed out by a. partially (8): I

aym~athetio new-sp.apar which still beltevad fit'mly in the L1beral-

La.bous< Allianoe, that al t:hougn the tgo,,,.,alowt polioy of the Li'b@r.ala

-was not. meeting v>l'i. tb. favour hom tlie- general pUl:)l io,, a Labour party:

however fully ot>gan1aed, wo~ld not be a:ble to :capture mor$ than 12

s"a.ta at the next eleetion<)' rtA more, than l\kely I>e.sul t will b~ an

alliance ot Lib~als and Oppo$:1tioni.t1toS, with oppos1_tio-n to Labour

aa the ba.Jtia of their pol icy •• •• We are aat1$f1ed in -·OUZl own minds '··

that the eta-p which the vu,rke:r:s: propose .to take vrnuld. Ntard thfi

progress or the mforms v1h1oh they '.have most at hea~t ... " To the

majority <:r£ politically minded people at the time"' who still v1.ewtH3

Liberals and Labour as one~ the eal vat ion of the work-e:rs l-a.y not in

independ&no-e but in co-operat.lve ol?gani.~atlon with th$ L:tberals., ·

That orga:niaat;to-n should ba base,d~ not on a ft'HI nar~-aw party planksJ

but on a broad pi•ogressiva pol1o:y which cottl.d educate· me111bers pro­

perly to a knowledge and unde.rat.~d1ng cf the needs of Labour ...

Advoeatea of the movement argued that Liberaltam had gont, a.a fa'.1'.1

as it intended to go whinh was not .far enough .for Labouro It was

truce, they said$} that the ~xpertmenta.J. legtll!lation had for a time

plaoed the New Zealand working man far ah<aad of hia brother on any

(?) Cont. report of' the C<Y.oferenoe.

(8) "The Lyttel ton TS.mes. tt

50~ other part. oi' tlie; islobe;. but. a.ft0r tho f'ivst .:f'ew. yea1>s -the :novel-

ty had wcwn off'. 1 and faults Md flaws .in the soo:tal syst.em had be ...

gun fro make them$el ves appl!trent" The. Arl:>1 tra t ion -Court was prov-( 9)

. tng a failU!-'$J $.!lei .µ.nder an. in.1qu1toutt o.a.pttali$t. f!Ja.tlllim e:oc1al

equa~ity ~:as ~till a :ra1" r.JT'1 o'.ff-"'! 1iwn.a.t. Labour WStnt~d was that

State soeiall.m-11 0-:r 'Whtoh the Liberals had given it only .a small Clo)

tn~tru.mento O · so the 111<>rkers f'al t thcmselv-aa impelled to tak~ the

f'irat. dao1sive step aino.e 189-0 ..

No ftlrther pr.ogress was made" until se1rhi1imher 19~ 1904~ when a.

c:onf'er~c& of Dal~g,atas .fron1 the 11\'tadas i.w.ad Labou.1:- Oounnlla met

tn \Vell.tngton f'():r tho: purp~e of" wa£~1ng a 0-o;nstitut.icn and plat-, . (llJ

i"OiNU~ Thiii V1a~ ~ady try the 22nd. The nat1ol'lt'l.l P.'.!'Ogramme ~ii~·

vacated ext..~nsiva ;P&forma !n land law-s:1- local -gQ,\"'ern.111-ant a.nd econ....

otn1o government.~ So.me o.f th$· most, i~po-:rtant f)f theae had appeal:" ...

ea 1.n the pl"1>g-R'ammee ef the Workart11t J?-olitlcal As.soci11ttona and

the- TraiJ:ea and Labour- Oounoil.e in th& e:tghtiea.. ?hey were per ....

~nt tabou;r, plank$~ viz.~ ~ The abol 1 ti.on ()f the· Sal-a of' oro~n..

lands.~ .aova:inunent l!egul~tim1 of work:sb.Opa and the abolition of.

f'ffe.ndttm on State que-stions we~ i'n?.)the:r> points tn the platfo,r,m

which had been advocate-a by the Knights of Labou:r !n.1993." Tll$

whole trend o;r ·the plat£'0-r1n "',as towards the national.1satiQn o:r re ...

-sou.roes and indu.strieslf and a oa:r-efully planned mu.u1c1pal pro""

g"t>iu11me 'boJ:>e 'the aame ij t~a,in•

All eand1da tea t .. or $le-Oti-on to Parl!runent 1i!@re to s1gn the

(9) lJ·or the change o.f opinion towards the Arb1 tra. tton Ao t aee Chapter- ·lV ... -(l_ O) 8hr1mpton ~ M~l~; t"A Short. EU.-stoxry .of' :rt., z .. ei page 363.

(ll) A t'ull oopy of the plat:rorm 1a annexed t.o the end of this

-serv

tt

I

t

•

ret

011e

..

!fJ

1

..

I

21 to VO

COUi:!t:t

1/-s

:l t \"li!!S

one

so

cm~

"

52. The Exe.eutivs was· to o-on.a:tst of' a· President:,, a general _se-0:ra-

Any Li-

b&ra.l members of Pa:rl!ament or local bod1(i}s we:roe to ha:,re the

right of ~ttendano~ ann speeoh at all .epeoi&l and general meet-

B!'anohes or oouno11.a having 25 mem.bEtPs could ·s~leot th&tr own oan·

didat&a, by an exb.aust1v$ 'ballot 1f two ot• mcrr~ -candidates were

sel~oted. · A"«;J member or ,e-z.-.membar ot the. League- -o-ppm11ng a

L&ague uandidate at a Parliamentary eltHJt1on ,,aa to b6 disqttalJ .....

nett trom being ialAHttad tor tM £our years next~ 1"<>1low1ng- All

:nemtnatione had. to be endo~sad by th0 &~ecu.f.i.ve bef'ora going to

ballot and ro:1y -oo-.ndtdate personally canvassing f'o:ri votc$t1 wa.a to

be dts-qual.tf'i~d for seleot1ort,.... M$ntb~l1a ~10oted under the aus ....

ptoeg of' the Leagtt-e w~:re to i'oriu a d!atinot party~ and lle'.r(J ft:tr,.,,·

'bidden to join an:y M1n1atr-y_ not mtd.nly oor.apoood of' member-a o:f

their ,own body~

The oomrn1ttea whi-0h dpafted th~ Oonstttutton gave advi.oe as to

the o~genisat:ton of the Lea&~~,'.!' and corLOluded on this note: nLa ...

beu.r 111 pol:tt,io-s- c1oos not eeek the advantage o:r a olm.sa or .se<lti-01

()£ the · eommunl ty, but the general g{}od by oom'btned Parl tamentary

all • • EdU(Hs.t te, organ! fle , agi te:te. u

lfile "Lyttelt~-1 T1mea«" f.n t:i. leader.11 or1M.o!sed the Lea.-gu~ f"or

tha blu:nder against 1.<Jhteh 1 t had vui.rned 1 t bef'o'.ffl ~ namely t ts de•

elara ti.on or »labour independenoe u r,· whioh made the League too ex ...

o-lU.$lVG and pr,aotie:ally reatrtot~d member$h.!p to <iit'Y unionists ..

Its munioipal reforrna were 0 nommendabl&n bu:t. tte etrlot :rule-a: of'

:e:,tpu.leton °i1ere not oalcUlated to att.raot til:nid . .apirit$'*fl 'lbEi

it

·54 ..

and even it-a in.1::.1.uguratton undor such ti.ll.$p;tces as it has is wa-ak

in tho extrem~ ..

onJ:y about 120 are affiliated with the Trades and Labour Councils,

and even the d~l-egatas of the Oounoila are a.lmoat evenly divided (13)

ttpo:n the necessity of 1:naugu.:rattng the new pol1t!oal pa:rity._tt

The indiffer,eneo of workers like those latter ~na the chief

to stimulate po11tical inter·eat $n the m,ara$- of' the peoplG, and

aoeordingly proneeded to oari)y the raaolu. tion o:r the Eat-1 ter Con..,.

.ferenoe into ef:feot in spite of protests fl:'om thetr ln-·m :ranks,,

this meeting a:eoeptB the prinotples~ Conati tut1on and fl.atform of the Poli ti-0al Labou.:r Lea~e ~ and reaol vea .to et1tablish a central

branch .of th~ League in Wel.11ngton .. 0 The motion waa a~eeil to

by a large majo:rlty, a:nd the Leag11e thtla o-ame into existence,·

wt th. Mr. John Rigg as its Prasident~

The Wellington body rernai:ned alone until the ne"1 year, when

branches VH:1tt$ for,m.@d in Dunedin on January 26!)- and i'n C'J:!..xitstchurol'

into tha Const.1 tu.t:ton, and 111h'ich waa now gene:ra.lly assoo1aterl wi tk

the League~ l'Jas -eV1t1entl:y not oontemple.ted by the original ra.overa~

Mr.. Paul deolarad when the Dunedin branch \'\las formed th.at the

League was {}L'l.i te p1:epared to join forcf.ia with other pwtt~,.h

"F'rom the e:g:t(!l:nsion of the m.ovementu :> he SJ1id, "it has become

55 ..

mant;. -but there ts no such intention .. n The.y merely wiahe-d to

Bigg, when questioned in Du:nodln on 1-l'ebruary 1_7 t1 z,epliedi tt!t

1s to be a sap.a.rate party, but it ,1ill vwrk 1n wt th alliea"' If

au.pport the Govon1men·t Q n

This t'1laa ·said in the middle of his. p:r10si.dential tou.r of the

Sou.th Island ..

poor, ru:i.d tho cot\ntry ar;. a whole lw..d not ·taken kiruJly to the

mcnrement~ partly tht'OUgh poli.tioal apa·th:y$- pa1"tly :r:rom. an an .....

z:vmpathisara- 'to 'be ide-ally saitat'l fo3;-:- tho task, ht:1oauee his deep

1:nter·est in the Laagtte e,'ave him. powc:r t,o. spealt with a peJ:>sonal

conviotion that cotdd :not but appeal stj;,ongly ·k) this l:tstene1~s .. · {14)

Hi~ ttk:t.nal y ~ v.:nasatwing manner an.:1 e-n-t:tx•e $.:b$01)(.;e of si.lly a1den

brought home to man-y n the immense ·supe:t ... io:r.1 i ty of' porscr.aal in-

fluenoe and th.e living voicH0 ove1~ all otb.cr ugen6-'ic~ in oa~!ng

out tho woi.,k of o:r-gai:dsat..1011-.. u

labour legislation,

·"You

~ ::;:a µ ,..l::!>arlzt:..::stct.;:,,!. tbi. ":!oil; ..:,Jo:\ db t."J:1.b-i.=.~-.t:::.sa ~~~-t'cl:!r'1--,--*=t2._.,,. ....... .-;;.e:1-1 ---~-=ai-•..u.;,,;<..·-·-· ,,,__,-.,, (14) 0 The Ota.go Liberal" F1ebruary 2, 1905.

" (tho most. conse~tvatiYP colony :i.11 Australia), Os' -nill you. make- an

efi'01"t t,o plaoo it in t~ho fo1~emoot 1->a:nk of d0-mooro.. t1.o oolonies?

It is .i'-o:i;, you to euy.. The Independent Political Lahour League · {15) .

is o:rgan:J.aed i'o:P 1:i(tfox111~ Gome and join us"' n

different to pol:tttor~, the manJ.festo aa.ys.,,, ar1d i't is- ~.,3asonabla

to -0onolud-0 that the~' i1e:re ge:rwrally '3£1. t1$fiod 1'li th t,hail"' lot..

'I~b.ey seemed to have no immediate and vital gr•ievr:.mcies whtoh cot!l-d

63 per cent,, qu.otod as being 11Jagt.;1.-ear:ne:r,.s v101le 00rt.ainl;1 :not al.l

labom:•i tQs o.f' the typo ·to v1hom. sttoh .e. ma11i.f0s to 1~ould appoal#

f:tt thos.0 1,1a.ge-1<?0a1~ne:r·s ino.:r;,e £ir1nly in the gr1oovo o:r· -oonse:r..,.latiam ..

Lh" .. Rigg emba:r-ked upon hi .s tour, ·the:.r:•of'm:·o, hav:i.:n.g to fight

the s tronge ri t enomy oi' any pol :t t:ton.l .m.over11<:n:1. t - :t:ndif'ferenoe.. He

(15). The Labour League Manifesto, issued January 24, 1905.

je-0t ;,of encouraging the ti0J:1 ke1•s to organise for the pu~"lp-ose -o~

ot:mting the r-0aottona:try elemont ot the Lioo:t1al Government. "We

do not cWa.nt a dlvoroen said Mr. Rtgg., ttbu.t we eanno1; live on thee

tnemo:rie-s· o:r tr.re past and so we seel~ to :Y,\e-inforoe the labour se-o.­

tion of the alliarHrn in order thra t 1 t rriay be no longer an append­

age of the LiJ'.H:J:Pa.l Party, but, inatead, the dominant, factor in

the L:tberalwLabour all :tano-e .. 11

2.1:b.e l?residant 1s march 11&n riot a triunwha.l ono oall ing a. na t1on

of workers to action; nor was it even widely au.pported1 but it

did succeed i.n setting the movament on a national basis and in­

c~aslng the memb~i .. ship t-o a numbel'." whioh jUS:tified. its 1~,,,

In ~~ to a quast1cn ~@l:i?ding the l.'l1;;n1.ul t or h1s mis.a1on,. 1',h:.,.

Rigg said that he had turoompl!iil'he-d tnnoh. more than he lm:d nnt1et~,

mi tteo dis.b~.nded 1:n i'aJ1our,- tff the Le--c1gu;e!l' a_nd a ne·v1 branch wa-a

f'Ol?t!Wd in TJL,netltn Sou.t'ii. Inver-o·a.rgUl too1t up tho work enthu-

aiaatioally. under the leade!lf&hip .of 14:ri~ T., o*'Byme;; anr1 1t -WS.$

~ltpeoted that a large brnnoh 11;onld be :formed ·t.he:re 11ho:vtly~ At.

th~ mee'ting 1'1here the O".aristohitreh T:nranoh had b~en ror.m.ed.9 .he....,

tlfflen 30 and 40 1w..tnes h~tl been enrolled, whloh, to M:r,., Ht!)g$< was

an ennoura.gi:.ng $1gn.. lie belteved.i from h;b.J obs~1:-;yation, that

wharov$r too Leagt1e ,1-a~ eatabliahed, from Wellington to th~ Bluff,

it embraeed the moat influa.nt1a1 labour ·men in the d1at:P1ot,, Pro ...

@""$a.a yu1~ 11tlowt>st :tn Dunodin;lc whatte there was le-n.st. npp-ost ti.on~

and wher>~ people aEHsm<H':l inclined "to thin.ii: that thinga wero all

l 7 1ght., and that they ·wottld be 'there" ,,hen the time ea111e .. n

On Ap:ril 26 the f 1rat AJ:Ynual Gonf.erence of the League met in

Well 1ngton,,

Ada1ns {Uellinr;to-n); J. A· Mc Cullough and A. Patterson (Canterbury)

Il* Breen, w. Hood-and J.., soott (Dunedin); w .. o" Noot (Southland};

and n; .. Stevenson (New Plymouth.},.

stated that the numorioal etr1ength of' the League had then ex-­

oe~ded l,000 (l.,026}"' and exp:riassad ~ts aonfide:n.oe 1n its ulti-

1!1:r->orn. the date of the Oonforenae un.tU :Daoembor t11.e. various

branohea eonti.nued t,o organise ·wt th t'hie oampaigt1 in trtew., DG'l~ ...

gat1on$ appx>oached· s.ome of tho more liberal n1embo:;?~ -0:r Parliament

a:nd ask®d ·them to join trp; bu.t -al though thef;lte men may have :sym....,

pathi$ed ·with the Leagu(tfe p.z,i:m:iipl.,as.'J, .they thought that m~mber.-

O:ri.e of thera$

in 1890 ...

babl:y be naga1nat h1s intere.s-t,sn to e;tgn, 'the League's pl.edge;.

M:ti:t1 o ... w,,. W1tt}7 aatd he COIJ.ld not i"ui11ly ns:tnk hio pe:ri,aonality f

·1:n -ol"de.t> to pli!oaw one eeot.1o-tt of the oou1mtu1ity at, the oxp~nae · (16)

.ot the J;tast .. 0 The Loagu.e cons-0.quently had to pr-0ou.oe in-expe.r1-·

enoad me11 f'l?.om. its own ranka"

. to point out tl),at the League did :.mt .expeat -0r aim at immediate

!lUCGes0:,. but. v,1ishEH1 t-o give to the oand1dat.@f.\ an expe1-1tenoo wnioh

on sep tembo1• 4 the

J?re:eident reported that; s t-eady rn'}og:i."es:s lw .. d been made ainoo the

Oonfo:ra-.aoa"' especially in Ohrist<lht1roh, ·1nhe1"0 mombo:i:•s.thip had al,,,.

mo l p SS fl ,,

:r~e no ~ ta ti ril "' t: '" s r 1(?1

I don

d been

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{16) 62., 1n Parliament. 11 • Labou:rr-.. leaders. vote-a against· the League. because

they .fo:reaaw ·that· it woulr1 only at1c·ceed in dividing Liberal sup­

porters and ma.king them tne-ffeottve 1n the realm~ o!' labour legis·

latio:n .. Independenoe may haVEi appeared a aottnd pol icy to them.,

but only ii' t t was baeat1 on an earnest devotion to the ·h1gh p:t;;in­

eiplee Vllh1ch ooneernad the oopita.lis_t.7 the :profes,aion~ man and

the old age pension~r, as mu.oh a.a they: did tbe worker11

That :taboti.11 men -could not agree aa to the auooesa of' the League

1e made apparent by the repo::ft, of th$ 1.906 Trades and Labour Coti.n­

oU~ Oonfaren.oe, held at the aame 'time as tna t of the :t,e.agu11h Thill

:Exeou ti ve of' tli~ 00'.llf~rentlEI :t,,..,<\d t110t1.ght fit in :t ts r·eport to ttntit•

1 ee 1111 th sat iaf'ae t lon the progrtHJsl ve work o_f the l,$ag11e,," A nrun«

. b&r .o:f. del*sa, tes ob j'eo tad to tbs p1.r.ragraph eon.tainlng this 11ta ta ....

ment, notal)ly :Mll~ A., J., Roasert- who had actood as a lone Labour

oand!date tn 1896.

lo-st~ bu,t a £.eeltng of h<:Hit111 ty oon ttnued to "ranltl-6 in the breast

-of tho$e who thought t.bat th* C.onterenee should not show pal!l"ty bi ...

Rigg ai.imttte.d toot the League wa.s failing, bt1.t point~d to the ~x_.,,.

ample of 'the: Br1t1Sh Labour Pa:.rity, whteh had au.0:oaeded 1n return ...

;tis) nlfhe Ityttel ton TimtH.ln, Deoember 15,: 1905 .. (19) See next Chapter ..

statetl a1gn1:f1oantly that tlH1 need :f'or the L&agu.e had d1min1ru"¥Jci

t)£H.lauae muah labat.l~ legialat,ton had bean pasa>t3t:1 ,atnoG tta o~gantj;J­

ati-on.

NATIO:NAL FIGHTI»1G PLATF'ORM of' the Labou:r• League advoca.t1ng, :..::,......,, z;:::.::..+ !::,I *1 ::;> 41 I<"""*

{l) A State Bank -(a) The @stablbthme-.at of a State Ban.k with the sole ri~t.

of' note 1 aaue, which .shall be legal tender.-

(2) Land Reform

(a) The a'bol1tion -of the sale of Crown ls.ndth-

(b) Pertodi.oal 1~evaluatton ()f all Crown lands held on lease.,

(o} Re~mmpt:i.on of land .fo~ olo-s-01'l settlome.nt to be at tho ov.sne:rt s revaluation £0:r taxation purpo1.les plus ten p.ex· oent.

{d} T'.ae absolute rtgh.t of tenants. to their improvement.a.

(3) Loeal Govemm,ent Ueform . .

(a} By ·making tb:e Parltamenta~ franchtse appl;y to the el$et!ons of .all looal bodi~s ..

(bl By permi th1ng ~v-et"y $le<Jtor to haV$ the right to vote on all queationa submitted to the poll.,

(4} Economto Government by

(al A ns:rarendum vii th the ini tis. tive in_ the handl.l of the people.

(b) Th€ abol 1 t!l.on of' the Upper House.

(o) Elective exeoutiv~~.

(5} ~!-l tu.~~ J?J?B:f'(U'.'we Of em;eJ.011:1~.n t to, ~~is ts,,,

(6-l T~ oessa tion of Borrow1n,ae except :to~ (a) nadempt.ton, (b) oon: pletl'ng works' iiready anthor!sed by J?ar11a.mcnt ..

(1) Mat1onal1s~t1on, entail1~

(a} The establ'isbment or State iropworl~.a.

(b) T1.a.a :nationalf.aat1on of all mineral wealth.

(o) The eatablishment of State woollen and f'lour mills and clothing and boot faato:t'}1e:$.

NOTE: Labour oar1didates shall hav-0 a free hand on the liq~ nor and-rti'oal questions.

MUNICIPAL· PLATFORM i.

Advoo-ating,

{l) One vote only fo:r each adult resident ... ·

(2) Poll~ to be open till 8 p.m.

(3) l?a.jHI1<1nt ·Of' mayors and oounotllo:rs :Lf approved by a plebiscite vote of the .eleoto.rs-. ·

(4} The un.ification of tm.mioipal 1 tie a around large eentres of population ..

{5) f!'ha municipal. ow:r1el"shtp and control of any industry or service d&e.med desillabla bJ a plebiao1 te vote ef the elac·toracl>

(6) The $tr1ld.ng of all %'-ittea on the unimprovE'td values or land wtthtn ea.eh district ..

(7) Powe:1; to acquire .. the title to and power to leaae, but not to sell~ any la.nds on V1hl-0h rates ape ov@x,..due and unpaid for a perto-d of five years" provided the. owner may reoover poae.eaaion on pay-tri$nt, of all rates and accrued in teH.at. tha~-on.. ·

{tl) Qutnquenntal valuation or prop$l"ty by the owne1:1$<

(9) Oompul.s()'ry power to aoqutre gati or, ~laotri{) lighting works ..

(lO} P.owe~ by int.t:ta.tive to demand a v-ote or an.y policy proposal of a looal governing body ..

t is t men

on ..

' l

t

t

t

l not at

t t

1

ts at or

(l)

67 •

. onrr1ueada.y~Jt111e 19,.-19069'-a tnG'Hattng·wa.s·h~ld-in Chri.stohuroh . ,

i'OI'·the pu:r•poae of forming a. polit,ioa.l association whereby po11tios

questions at.fecttng the. vml.t'a:re o.t the r>0ople of the colony as a.

wholt) oould be disousaed ..

oormnendat:ton of laboui~ lead@!ls who had discussed the qu~stion full~ {1} ..

beforehand .. " It vias dao1ded · to oall the new body; the *New Zealand

Wo~kers• Politionl. ·Assoe!at1ont~ and its -0bjeots weT• desertbed br

of the workers of New Zealand .. ~. A oomprehenatve pro~mm0 ad­

voo~ted t>ef:orma 1n the lt1nd lS;ws 11 labottr legislation, taxation,

eduoation, St.ate- 111d11-st:r•1es and tnsti tu t1ons, local government and

aoo1al leg'! slat ion ..

ttH1l:-&t1n_gst and the following <>:f':f'ieers -we.re ·sl,e(rtedi President, Ts1r ..

.J"' BarTJ v10-e ..... pr~si&)nts, M~ssrs .. H. R. Ru:shbl-11dga and R,,. o'J3rien;

_ Sea:rtetaey1c Mr .. M. J. l!101'id01, Traa.st.l3'.'0~g Mr*' F ... c .. Ge'.t'a'.f.ldf Coro.mi ttee

Me-sdame-s St-ace and Gunner,. Mesa'.!:l's .. 11., G .. 1~11, 11.[,;, H. R .. , E-..: Cameron,. ' .

J.e Fisher, Nf' O:rton and I. Ward ..

The As-sooiatton i-vas n.ot a po11 ttoal party .. Mr.. Ell wa-s on the

c.ommtttse, al though he had stedf'astl'y refused to join the Labour (2) .

Leagtt<lh1 Mr .. Barr.it the PresJ.de-nt, vm.s· on~ of the most hosttl~l or:t-

h~ saicl 0 when the New Zealand ttorke.ra will have to take a mol'e

ac-tive interest in the politics of thei~ ootmt:rw., when they will

have to meet to disettss theiF p~s1M.onl) i!':'.t"@speetive o:f' pallty,/1

The. Association ~as to be a disou$s1on arena f.o~ man and women who

{l) The 0 :Lyttelton T:lmasn, N June 231 1906.. _...,. · (2) A·t the Pa1,,liamentary elections of 1~05 the Laagm1 •s candidate~

ea. objected to .ba:'Lng tied by.elaborate.pl$t:',lges .. su0h as the.folit1cal.

Labour League '.tnsisted upon .. The absence of any auoh pledges was

in fact the main difference between the Association and th~ Leaguee

Th.e Aesoof..ation was su,bjeoted to a savage a.ttaok f'1"0l11 the League,

and from those who thonght that Labour should aet in<:1epend~ntly ..

1I'he Auckland Labour paper, the riNew Zealand Wor~ r, n was venomo-t1s: ·

uThe whole obj~et of the orp,p.nisat1on is to :r1ng11c:H:1.e the workers

It was conoeived in t~~tH:thS!"'".j and de(}(tit; it will crawl along a.

pi t:t:fttl m!$shapen thing 1l:nc1 will eventually die as its l--eaders ar~ ,s} . absorbed into politieal job:S. n

Mr. :S~ rr .. P-aul:l speaking for the La-ague, eomplained that there­

was nothing mo1~ solid behind. the Association than th& personal

opinion 0£ a few men~

in the colony, and yet net th.er he nor m:ry meniber o-f' the Otago Tl:t$;d®1

and Lab<,ur Oeti.:o.id,l '.had l:'0-@tl!ved tnt.imat-!'on that the Assoo1Sction was {4}

t-0 be .f o:rmed.. The ata t-eme-.at that labour l-0aders had di.s-0usat;d. the

Defending the

Asao(U.ation,, Mr. Barr L1e-plied that it hs.d been forme-d by m-en v~ho

thought they were· free mecmbers of eooie-ty,. and the~e:r.ore did not (5}

consider 1 t necessary to ask the perm1aa1on ¢:f' the Trades Coun.o1l ..

With.otit doubt tho A-ssociation vw.s even less the on.teome of national

olaan action than the League had been~ It went so far a$ to es-

tabli$h branohas in Wellington and Auckland.,. a:n.d ca.ma to a deoieion

to appoint agents 1n towns where no braneh existed,. A oommittee

was set up for the purpose of discussing the most important planks

69. tn~ the platf'or.im .with dis triot .mambe:ra of Pa?1liam.ent. -But .the

periodical meetings were so poorly attendod that. on Dee,ember 5 tho

question of holding noeials to popularise the Asaoetation waf!J eon­

s1d<Sred but negaM:vedo Again on February 9 6:f.' th~ next ye~ (1907

a. O()mfl1ittee wa.s set up to con.aider- ways and m.-eans of inereasing the

members; no ways and means o-ould be :round apparently, f'or the meet,

ings gradually became :fevie!'~ and had .oea.aed al together by the end

o:r the y.ear,.

Th-e one pra.etioal step taken by the Assc>oiat1on vuaa to sponsor

labour oand1t1atea .for thB municipal ,aleottons held throu.gb.Qut the

eolU'l.t:ry on April 25~ 1907,,

da£1n!te tiokatp and by its ela<ltion oa.mpa.igna sutlCfiH:Hle-d to a e~r­

ta.tn extent in rousing the publiu fl"om it-a apath;y. But they,e v.JfHl

little auccttss in the polls. In Auolden.d :Pr ... Stopford was :&l~etee4

and 1n W.ell ington ll~ssrs. D.- Mo Lax,en and _A .. n .. Hindrna!'sh, s,itttng

ersen:r n.. G. Sl1.ll iv-an and Fa-ullmer w~re all def'-eated.

brougn t torwttrd no oandi da tesl'

Dunedin

If the vJorkers i1e:re to organia& p-oltti-0ally w:tth any prospaet of

(2) The G110s~ of the Polit,ical Labour League anc1 the 1905 eleotionfiJ

nuxiing the yean:t 1906-1908 the Independent Po-ltt1oal Labour

League -cont1nu,ed to hold spasrr1-o--dio meet1ngs:i and members gave. Sun ...

. dB.y afte:1:,noon addr.•tH:1ses :tn public plaoes. · But the blow dealt by

the 1905 e1-eot1ons had been too severefJ and by 1908 the League had

for all p!'aotica.l purposes ceased to ex.1st ..

tione of that ye-a.~<' no candidates ea.me f'orward under t ts auspices,

b\1t mem'be:r-s -stood variously .a$ -»taboUX\, u 11Soo1a.list.tt and 11 Independ-

"10. ~nttt. -In w-e-llington· they· wer.e supported by a Representation Oom-

m1ttee of the Trades and Labour c.ouno11 .. The Chief objeot of

attack was the Liberal .:ra:rty, espeeiaJ.ly th~ non. J,. A. Millar,

&iH.n1$ter. for Labour; bu.t. many untontata~. refU$ed tQ aasooiate them­

selves with .such a policy.. Mr ... w. H .. West.'brooke" Pre-aide-nt or the

wellington Trades and Labour Oounoil, apoke vehem~ntly against the (6) . .

movement. On November 14 the 0 tyttel ton 1rime.an published a lette!t'

signed b:y leading trade unionists denoun(li:ng the "soe1ali.sts•i and

praising all that tbe Li'bej'.lal,s had done for the vio:rker$ ..

In f'aoe ,o-f suoh di.vldad opinion, 25 candidates contested ~t,.a,. (7)

polling in all- 24~262 vote-a~ On.a member" l) ... Mo. taren, was c0l.eeted

under wh1oh a seoond voting had to take plaoo in my $la-ctore.t'El

-wher-e the Otl1ld1datea l.ead1ng in the £1:rst ballot tailed to s0-0u:N!

a el(Ja:r majority .over all the other -0a11d1aates.. All exo-ept th&

t,w top oa.ndida.tea were 01 im:tnated ;f".o:ri the $~eond baJ.l,ot.,

first ba;llot in Wellington Ea$t the l"@aul ts wera:"""

A-. R. Atli:inaon {R~fox,m} l) .. McLaren (Labour) W., Mo Lean (Ltbet}t\l) G ... 1Vinder (Ltbernl)

The aaoond 'ballot :rGsultea; ....

•·• ... ,fl .• «:·••·· .......... ~ ...

D ... Mo I.a1 .. en (Labour) ................... 3450 A .. R. At.id.neon (Rai'orr.a) .... __.., .. ~.tr w. 3022

In the

Q., E,. Barton (Independent +'abour) onntestfid Gtabo:rn~ wtth th~

Hon~ J., Car~oll ancl seoured 2062 votes in the .first .ball.ot and 2484 . '

. in the . second, aif again.rat 3218 f'or Carroll. All the remaining can·

dide.tea 11e:re {1lim:tna.ted tn the first ballot ~r beat~n outright: J._

.(6) The "Lytt$lton Timesn November 11. 1907 .. (7) nihe Ri.ss of the Labour Party" • f'trat of ; serie~ of art1oltHl b'9 Mr .. A .. H .. Oa:rma.11 in the i'New zea1a.na. standard t Jan 2a. 1936.

?l .. . Tb,orn ·~gain oonteated- Ghr1stchuroh Sooth., as a- Socialist,. and poll-

ed· 222!"/ vote:s, being 1213· votes behind lh o. Ell-<> R"' F .. Way (Sol""

o1a11at) ~eoured 725 votes for Ohine-muri, and H,. T .. Armst:rong (La­

bour) 256 votes for the $&Ue seat~ Th-ey ·v,ere thi!'d and fifth on

the list rea-p.eottvely.. F-. n.. Cooke (Soa1ali-et) aeeured 506 votes

in Christohuroh Ea$t" and J,. Me Comb-s (Independent.) eon.testing the

sam'B a-eat polled l 7'71 * w. A. llllorr 1 s ( Ind.ttpenden t) oo:n tested A:w.a-

rua. against Sir- Joseph Ward and fH'act1red 886 votfHh- St.anding for

the f1rat time,. O .. 11• Chapman (Labou.:t') reo-,aived 68'7 votes for

Wallington south~ finishing third out cf lteven eandtdataa~ 1h G.-.

Sullivan (Labour} ente;r,ed. the lists at Avon, being fottfth among

1':t va oandidateg with 616 votes. J,. w. Mun-ro (Independent !i'd.bour),

eontes.ting a strs:1ght .... out f ir)lt at Dunedin West, poll~d 2338 votfJSc

· t,o J,, A'} !v11,l;l:irtca 4785. In DunecU,n south R .. n_.,, Doo.glas (Labou:r)

aeoured 2462 votes to 4298 f.-or T*' K..,_ Std.ey; · and at Tater-1 J. T.

John.son (La'bottr) wt.th 20'70 votes,; wae 500 '.behind the Hon .. fJ.."b.os.

lnnd Central with 821;$ and similarly J,. N"' Iia!'le (Labot1.r) polled

only 374 for· Auoldand East. Oontast1ng ri1a:rf:lde:n Mtt Sotile -(Labour)

G .. s. Cl.a.pham (Independent) with 656 votes

was fifth out of six candidates in .the 'first ball.et. for Hawke-a Bay.

In Wellington Subtrr'bs,, among th.a £our oa.ndi da t.-es el im!na. ted. by the

(Labour) 613 .. J .. G .. Oobbe (Labour) polled 406 votes to gain

fourth plaoe at Ashburtw..,. and J .. T~ Kolle'.'{} (Labour} ('Hloupted

third plaoe fr;,r T1rn.aru. with 1269~ R ... J. Eekroyd (Socialist) :re,..

ceived 405 votes for Chriatohurch North; J . ., v~ Brown (Lttbou;r>}

polled 67 votes for G1>ey L1nn 1. o. Mason {Soo1aliat) 297 for Thames:

lect 0 t

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t

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l

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st oondi tiona po[isible for ,~orkers by pol i t,1

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meet t 14 t

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)

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aet

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activi

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At an-

l t

n-otad his appointment us a most lmports.nt feature. 74-~.

counoila and

Unions throughout the Dominion had been addresse-d and circularised,

w.ith the gratifying :result that up to .that time 73 unions, 8 aoun­

oils and 3 £ederationa had intimated thei~ dest:re to join the F@d-

and it ,1aa :r,esol·ver1 by 13- vot-es to 4 that a Federa t1on of Labour

should be bl:iought into ex1atenoe with as ltttle delay aa possible ·

.f'.or the purpose- of he-al ing the many exist iri.g breaohe s ..

ther 1..-esolvea that a -oonferenoe vtith the exe-outive of th-e miners• {9}

Federation ahould be a:r:ranged with a vtew to amalga.matton., But

the end of the year oame w1 t.h nothing oompletiad; t.he· nonferenoe

wt th the- mtnera had not yet taken pla-ce, and the Federation was

(4) ~ala'?W:: .~epres~~1t~t1 .. on -on the- Legis-la.t~ve Counotl.

The Legislative Counoil appointment$ announced on January 22,-

1907 inoluded two ~epresentatives of- Labour ln a. total of l4it and

the first •wa.ge.-.earner$1 to take their place on tbe Oou:noil sine@

1891,, a,.nd it . ts s1gn1f1oant that whereas in the e-al:'l ie'.f'- year re- ·

oognit1on had been granted to labour elaimffl only e.:ft.er prolonged

agl tation" suoh claim~ had by 190? beoome aoo-epted as norm.al.. Tb.ti

n,w coune-Ulo:vn ware Mti!tssr.a,., John Barr1>. John Paul and, in J~y p

Jolm Rigg._

Mr... Barra was bom tn S<'lotl.a.nd in l.867 "$ V'lorking t,h-ere .a.a .a young

man~ first aa a weaver and then ~s an apprenticed mason~ On the

exp.1ra. tion of his appl"Emtioeship he travelled to Canada, vihere for

(9) For the· f'or-mation of the twew Zealand Federation of ?iliners', later the 'New Zealand l?ederatio:n of Labour' see Part n·-o:t this

-chapter ..

75 .. the next· few yea-ra he wo1~kod· at his trade, in British Colm.mbia. 11

.Alberta and Manitoba. ne oa.me to New Zealand in 1902 1 and at once

asaociated himself wit'!.'1 labour politics$" becoming president of the

Ile was va,ll read on soo ial

and politioa.1 subjt:H;ts., a.n.d isaas an ea.meat and itnprtH1-siv@ speaker ..

Mr. Paul was born in Victoria in 1874$ and -0ame to Ne~ Zealand '

in 1899 after r®ad1ng of' 1 ta expe~1ments tn eta te sooi,al ism.. H0

joined the meohan1oal eta.tr of the nota.go Daily Tim'$att and quickly

became assooia.t,ed id th :tabouw 1natter~. 1-!e was president 'Of the

Otago Trades and Labour Oounoil for two years., a..~-d president o-t th.a

Typog7>aphioal Aasooiati<rA f:'01~ '.t;hr3a yes.re.. "lie has ,seen r:111 s1d0s

of lUe, and hts e:xper1enoa should stand him in &l'()od ·atead in h1~ (10)

new sphe:r-e o-i' a-ottv1 ty ... n

These ·t'INO men r,e11e oons-tderahly 'Younge!' than Mr .. Rigg,. both in

yea:ra and exr)er!enca; but *HansaJ.':ldl shows that both of them were

mor0 articulate than he tn the delt'barat!ons ot the Council On

grounds of oonsiatenoy it 1a difttou.lt to jurttify thQi~ i:n.oluston

111. a Council wh1oh they thought s-hould be abolished. o:r should at

lea.at be ma.de aleotive ..

ward had innl.l.tded a plank tor Leg!alative Counoil refom; but ev­

idently La.boll!' wished. to make the moat of an opportuni t-y which gave

it some vote~ tn the government of' the (lountry.,

thought that threte members were not tlmougn.. nwe are a.tratd,0 th'®y

said:t ffthat they will gradually beoome like other memb@rs o'£ the

Counoi.l and get out o.f touch with us an·ei ol.'tr a-sipirations. 0 But a

few voio~s 1n the Ooun-011 were better than n¢n0 at all~ and work~rs

were gx,adua1ly beginning to realise that the road to suoee-ss lay

(lO) The nLyttelton Timee•t January 22t 1907.

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77* ed--mo-re · and more to rou,ae the. ola.as-oonaoiouane-aa of' th0. woJ?kers-,

wh!oh manifested itself' in two "ll1ays, militant and po11tioa1. The

former u-sad the method o;t strikes, but lie:s: beyond the sphere of' · . (12)

thts work exe-ept in its l"f)lat1on to the MinGra' Federation.. The

latter took form in further efforts to organig6 a Political Labou~

Party.

(6} ¥,!,Y!.P.,.t.s le~dine; .. ~o t11e ..... r~,~ti?R of th~ ~t~ew Z~a?-t:ffi4 Lab(?UI; . . . ,10.!' :!!.!...

The d1v1eion betw~n the poli tioally rn!ndt1id and tne mo:re 1•sa:t th-·

ful O unionists 1:•oached a mino.r climax at Chx•iatchu1;-,oh in 1909.. Tb.e

ca:nterbury Trades and Labour 0--ounoil was acau1it'ed of' belng a mere de

bating ground f1:ir pol i tieia.na, a:nd many o;f the Un:tona ¥rtthdrew the1

aff il!atton f:rom a body which th~y eonstdere-d had outlived it1:l use ...

trove~sy" and led a oe.:rta1n ~eetton of the -wo:vke:rs to think tntlre

and more of independent poltt!oal a.ntion as the only way of :re11ev-

At a social gathering ot the

cante1.,bury D:r1vers' Union, held on July 15, the matte:JJ we.a d1eeuas--

0d1r and a mo·Gton was carried unanimously that -tt!n the opinion of'

this meeting the tlm~ has a~:ri11ed :for the eatabl tahment of' a poi it-

1eal party~ to 'ba called the New Z@aland Labour Party, to organise

all those persona, both vii thin and w 1 thou t the tradatt union mov.e­

rMin t v,ho are in sympa.th:y with and prepa1.,ad to support the pol toy,

aima and objeeta of the Labour Movement~"

The p:rioposal create.a a gTeat de.al of intere~t. 1n the ranks. of

labour and in political oirolea, and a general opinion was freely

(lJS) 78,. ultimately adoptol~., tho nohr:tat,chur.ch South Labour :P.a:i:tyn in.diem.tea

how fu1., it was .f1.,om boing national, 'bi1t tt continued to keep 1:n­

tereStt alive by public meetings until 1t mis .abso:tfoacl 1-n the nati-on

al movement. v1hich took .fo1"l'l1 in the following year.,_

11b.e possibility and deairab111ty of creating a new labour party

i1as broached at the T1"ades and La.hour Council$ 1 Conferenoe tn 190911

wh~n ·r~1:r.-.., T ... o'Byrnu (Southland) moved;

0 The ttrae has :n.0".;1 D.l''l"iv:ed when the Trades and Labou1't Counoila

should take defi:ni te ao tio:n 1:n endeavouring to return Labour•

A long debate followed du1.,ing which all delegatell exue-pt Mess1•th·

Rushb~1dge and Ba1"r (Cante:r1bury} supported the motion7 vihtah was

During the nine nxon-th-s whtch

elapsed until the :next 0-on:t:·erenae, organising viork wa;s carri&d on

·th:routJl 'tht; medium of the Oouneil.$, and also through IvJr. n •. Mo Le.:c,-.

iaing vwrk Vias oonduoted during 1vhioh budding p.ol1 t1oians add:i:•{nls~d {14)

no leas than th~ee meetings a night~ A lat•g.e oru11patgn ftL."'ld was a ...

masa-ed~ support oom:tng 1from the mo.st unthought of 1 souroea.. Fiv.e

nmni'bera -0:f' the G-0vemmont pe.rty had promised to stand as Labour

candidates at the next election., and ax•rangem~nt-s wove batng mad"'

tor :riv0 members of the Auet14:aliru.'l Labour Party to h~lp 1~ organts-

-din the same :repoz.,ts of steady p.rogl?es.s w.e:rie made,,

Activity was g.reatost in Auckland because of a by-ele.ot1on 'L'Jh1oh

(13) Forraed at SI. public meeting on Dooem'ber ll »' 1909. (l4) The "Lyttel.ton Ttmestt May 3, 1910,.

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'!he matter was debatecl f'uily,- and an objective and platform pro ....

tp:& new party W$JJtH•

~To maintain uptin our Statute Books al1 the progresstv~ leg1s•

· pathetic and proper admtni$tration.

To· enact eom.pTehansive mea$tt.Nus an<l eatabl~s~ such oondi ttons

a.a wt.ll f-oater mid ensu.:re .eqtuui ty o1! oppe:rittt.'rl1tY,, .aleo the moral

material and edUe.ational. advan<Jement and. the. general oomf'ort and

w~ll ... betng o.f the whol.e pe:opl~ 11 basfld U:J;t-On the publ 1t'l o-vmel'$hip

of all the mearu1 of' product.ton, distribttt.1on and. ~xo-hange .• tt

Th~ plat.form,,. e.lt,hougb. \ t 1:nolud$d measures relating a-~otfio~

ally to the wo-rke:t"a!l' was n-(')t by any riJean$ a purely ol.atu~ _progri$tmna~

In tht1 forefront waa tbe 1:tmm.<:nttate :natioruuiaation of monopol1e:at.,

follo1ilf!d b;1 etght plank~ on ltmt1 1?:efom whloh <tonstttuted, tn the

opinion e:f Ml"ffe J~ "'.I'1K Paul$' the be"S'h pol.toy yet pu,t f.orwattd by the

Labo,:n, Part-,y.. ttA vigor:outt cloe-EJr s~ttlement policy imd an tncre­

.m~t tu on all land sales, to $ecure to the· State all socially

oreated values$ is ett least an att•pt to curb the land ·speoulation · (20) ·

which harass.e.s the genuintl farmer .• " curr.~n.oy reform :rep-ea t:Etd the

plea. for a State bfmk and the cessat:tonof borrowing. Electoral r@•

to~m ino-lud:ed a new plank aavoc.attng tu11 pol 1 tioal r1gh. ts to all <m> . . St$t~ employe-es;c and el@ven planks on :tndustr!al :.r><'1form PEd'arrad

(19) From the off1o,ial repoJ?t of the 1910 Conf'e:rence. (20} J.o T. Paul in thei11yttelton. · TUniuin July 26:11 1910. (21) State employees wer•e forbidden to ste.na. for Parliament.

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V!hilo ·the various disjointed 0v0nts described tn Part!" viere ' -

'lhe importance of this phase lies leas in the event~

which cromposea ! t than in the men whtch 1 t b:rough t bofm ..... e the pub-

lie eye., 1:'heir political opinions at the t1me identified the La-

bou~ Movement wi. th revolutionary so-c ial ism,· and too men ma.do them­

sei ves eonspicuou2 by the $tr,,1kas they fomented and the sooialistio

propagai-1da they disseminated among their .fellovJ .. -wo,:,kers~ The oppor

tuni ty whtoh their occupation provided .fol' leader$h1p gave at l~aat

three of" tb.a-m a grounding in pol :t tie0.l agi tatton whtah wae ul time.ta

fuey were mo:rie ao t ive than. the

average trade uniontet:t and ~t that time had. little- sympathy with

the plans on foot for the .formation of a. polit1oal pa1.,ty~ They had

more faith in elaas warfare and believed that a properly oonducted

.atrik& t'1&$ mor~ eff1eae1ous than labou.r legtslation"

P:rominent among thetr number ,ias p_,. c .. ('*Padd'!Jnl VJebb.., s. yo11ng

man in hi.$ ea;rly twenties who had arrived from Vi.otorta in 1907 ..

u A . square,,.,,bittl t you.ng ehap,, al vu.tys lati:i :t'o!I? v,ork~ l1U sh:tn;g across

the Denn1$ton plateau" the ba-0ka oi' his trouser lags worn through ' .

at the bottom f'o:r a di atanoe of about nine inches, and vigorously

flapping as he hastened on hi'a way ...... »' An enthtta!.af$tio soo:1.a.1:tst,

he preo.ohad his philosophy at all time-a.. H:le capacity for argument

appeared • and I bel !eve was ,.. unlimtted ..

oer'a philosophical works,- ~d used to instatpc with !'1ght :rore­

f'ing.er ... prodding the palm of' his lel't he.nd that "we must prooeec1

from the simple to tho .oompl-ex!

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Ez&caoutive ot'. the •J:radaa- and L~bour councils a.iak1ng· that a deputation

be reoe:tved f'rom the Fede:r-at1on to diaoues the question of unity ...

'l'.'he proposal 1rw:.l:l ag:r>E11ad t-0- ru:'tev long dia-0usaion, and t.he meeti.ng

took plaoe in Chr:tstohurach~ The Fede:rat1on del~gate-a wa~i Messl"Jae

P:. c. Webb~ Rit sempla1t p_., Hiekay and J.,,. Cllove,:,; the Tra.dea a.n-d La~

bou,y, councils were represented by Meas:i?ih .r,, A~ Mc OulloughJI' ..,l •.

Young~ R .. Whiting,- and J-. t. Paul~ ' '

The delegates oame to no d~~1aio:n afte·r dtseu.sstng the matter· fw

a de:y; but they pal"ted -0n friendly terms,.. The Trada:s Ooun~lls could

not ae+>e~ to any depa:rtu?10 fi?cm tbet:tl annual oapt t®.tion tee Qf' ld,

llfhioh e·ompar~d wt th the Fede.re. tton 'ti 4/i#,fl w~s -an a.bin.trd sum"' The

political se(ft of the Co>J:noU:1, aooused the :F'ederatton of a loose and

vague method of genera.li$ing which would be repudtat,ed by many e.oei~l~

bour Party, but 1t$ u~ak"n.es-a is. :that it m1hstltutes no method or

machtney,y f-or area. ting a Soo!~liat Par-ty. tt

Amid suoh unsettled C1ondi t1on$ the 1ear l9lO drer1 to a ol.Ot6J

but if it was a year cf d1asens.:ton in the Labour tH):i?ld tt wa.a also

on.a of great $1gnt:rtoanoe.. An awakening had t.akEin p:la.{)e and a

·$plrtt of' aotivtty ~a$ 11elling up which had bce:en pract:toally dead

a :f'eii y-ear-e before. ' . '

ment of' t.h-e oountey numbere-d among 1 ts members -s-eva.ral .sympa. this-ers (26) · .·

wt th the Labour' ca.use.; but .a long pe:rtod of power was tnaid.ng them

Tl"lay fal t too. t the-

(26) Many of them had been ttlabourl:rign men themselva$ .. For example; The Ron,. J. A· Mll.la:P (e:x:-aearaanl» T. H .. Davey (ex..;,.oompos1toi'l -and· journalttat}, o. Laurenwon (-e~.storekaeper), R~. G ... E.ll (ex-stereotyper J. Stall\'l!O-l"'thy (e:&-o.omposito:1?)s11

deo.errnora had passed 1.n- the ninot,1@a, and :regarded independent ac-

tion on the par·t of Lm.bour as inff.vEd,1tude. The~i continued to hold

fast by tha "Li.beral-Lal:H)Ltr allianttc3M.1 whloh tb.ay still claimed to

. be the strongest prog:r.eas:tve force- in the oount"ry; ·but· their oon-~

tinued ref'uaa.l to pledge them~lvea openly ·to a lab0t1r programme 1n­

dieates that their aynrpath:tt}s were the-orat1eal rather than praott-

oal ..... they hnd loiit toueh wi tl:1 labour oondi tions. One of their

r.1urtfbar,. Mr;, T .. E,. Taylor~ did indeed give open fu'ltpport to the La­

'bou1~ l?arly~ and by v!gorou$ pu.bli<J -speeohea (notabl:r in clonneot:to-n

'i'l:i. th the Auckland by-election} J helped oonsideTably in the preli.m-

Up t.o the ttn1e of h:'l~ dee.th tn 1911,

he nevsr beeame a member,,

1n th-e Hous:e proved, howe.nre1:" ~ that the Liberal Party laoked the

soltdar:t:ty tt had shown ten -yea!'a be:tor.e$ and this supplied a jnstiw

:fieation for a new party 1'Jhi:0h the earl ter Labott:i:· League had not.

been able to cla:I.m.

Labour 'W's.a not un1ted.,. but it was etirrlng, anti. m:o-St ttlabour1te-s 0

points of diff'e:rie:n.oe lay in the method to be .u.aed .. on the west.

Coa.at and at WaS.hi. R .. Semple,. H.., T .. Armstrong, P .. IL, Hiekeyit l',,. o"'

Webb and w .. E<t> Parry vrerf> teaching the need for co-mpleti:ng induat-

rial organisation be.fore political a.otio:n we.a oonaidered.., In the

t"na1n centres of population paid union eeoretaives v.1.ere arlvooaM.n.g

'the immediate i'ormation of a pol 1 tio.al party to oo:ntea t the 1911

They in tur.n had enemies in their own ranks

,1ho objected to the compulsory prov1s10:ns in the constitution., and

others, purely unionist in their views but almost. extinct in the

·,

", aotive. eounc:tls· o:f tht3 movement, who still adhered to the mild

\

social ism o:t' Rus.ld.n ... I

Ii'inall;y, there 'k"tero the n'.l'.1evolu. tionary so .. ,

mH3 al toge the:t• theoret1oal and :tmpract:toaL, At last genuine in-

te:i:·e-St had been a l"oused, and it remained for the ftttuve to produ-e-e­

lea.dors oxi a leader v1ho could fa.shi-o:n. the only road to success ""'

unity ..

-'"'-0:0000---

91 ....

OHAPTEH · V.

The Advent of Unity.

nTJ.1:ts that they call the o:'t'•ganis1ng of' Labo1.,u, is, 1:f' well­

underatooa, the problem of the whole future for all who will

(l.,) !}~~$,rems in 19ll. up to too Ganel::al ~~0<!,~on ..

11le f'!rst ooni'erenoe of tha llG'!,',J Zealand Labo11.r ?a:rity, as the or ...

gnn1aers had hoped~ \'HlS h-eld !n conjunction with the Tradea and

Labour Councils• Conferen(}e at m1.ristchtL.t"Oh1t April 19, 1911,,, Ivour­

teen deli&gates vH:>r>e present~ :representing eight 'branohes.1r i'1~om Auck ...

land to Inveroe.:rgill, and all were agreed that the progress made

had been most ea tisf'a.o tocy ~ T'ne chtef topic of dist:mssion wa:a the

ConsM. tn tlon;!t clauses 5 nnd 7 o;f' whi-ch ha,1 g1 ve:n rise- to a good

deal of adverse- ori ttotsm among thos~ who depracat,ed any kind of

pledge.. It was finally resolved to '.retain ala.use 5" insist1ng on

adneremae to the objeo tive~ pla ti'orm 001.d pledge o.f' the party, bnt to

d0lete clause 7, Yih1c11. provided :f'o:r si tt1ng raembers of :Par11ament

to at.and in the interests of the Pa-rty at the r1ext eleotions with-

ou.t being selected by ballot. In view of the approaching eleetioru

1 t was 1'u:rthe:ct Tesolvcd tha. t th-0 executiv@ should take immediate

steps ·to ootnmunioata with all branches 0£ the ?arty an.d aubmtt a

sob.ems for tho i.naugtu,,.ation of' an a.c tive campaign... Branches we:rie

to be o:troulartsod vJi th copies of the Oo:risti tution~ and questioned

as to Vlhat electorate in their diatrtot ooulcl be contested-.. Ol"gan•

tsing worlc was left 1n the hands of a Mat1onru. l£xeontive, l.ocs.tecl

in Well:tngton until the next conferenee was held.

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given· to el-0cto~r:1s o.:nd oandidat-ea-,·la.s consequently· lacking. . A ee:tt­

ta:tn amount oi' cU;rerst t:1 in the opinions of the Labou1-. :represent­

atives elected r0flea tod the absence of' a single purpoao among th®

Mr4 J,. .Payne (membor f'Ol" Grey Lynn)~ speaking shortly a.:rtar tht.9

election, said; uindi vi.dual freedom of ao tion 1a absolutely· n.eoe:as,

a.:r.'71 when t1e c01rnit1er that Mx• .. Veitch is the only Labour Party r0-

1n:>em:rnt,at5.ve, that Mr" Eohartson 15 u social iat m~1be~, that Mr.

re.otion.,_ and that I myself am a Labour memb-e:r without part:v pre­

d:tlections o.f ro1y kind, the t1elta..re of the vwrker being my only -o-on· {2)

siderati.on .. .U

Mr .. Payne: did not divulge hie 1~0.sons f'o:r calling Mr •. Robert·son

a soc I.a.list, nor ·the · d:h'1oo ti on .followed by ?i!l.~. llindmarsh -ts nparty

· leaningsn,, but h:ts words .bore an elera.ent of tt1utht :fo:r vfh.en Mr ..

Mas.S.ey moved a n\w.nt of cwnf id:enci:i n motion on Febru.ary 20 1 1912,

Mt'... ve~ toh suppo1" t0 d Reform, v'lhile Mess:i?i~h, :.Payne> Rober·eaon and

Hindmarsh votod w i. th the Govorrunent,,. . The· (1:i. vision was :not perrua-

nent:J! no1rnver_,. a:rn:: v1h-en o:n July 5, 1912 ~lr<> r11asaey fi:nally carried

a no .... cr:::inf :tdence mot ion by 41 - 33 ~ all f'-0ur Labour member-a voted (3)

11i th tho H;no-asn.. Some cri tioism was imrelled at th®m b-eeause o:r

tbe au:.p1>ort Rafox1:nm:-s h.atl given them at the- aeoond ballot in the

hope ·Of their h0lpil'1g t,o pt1.t the Vtard mi:nistry out oi' of'fioej but

they_statod that thei~ actions w~re guid~d by the events as they

a.1:"os.-e and that ti11ey had supported the more democ:vatte of the two

(2} The 0 Lytte1 ton Tir110s": D~e-embe:i;, 26ll' 1911., (3) Th~ defeat of' the L1bax1al Government was efftH1ted· through the tit.trnoverit fol" one reason or another,.,, betwe~n 1l1ebruary and Jl.1.ly !t .qf M<HHJ1"$i;. Ec0 IL, ClLH'k, ~r,. G .. Coates., J. A. Millar,, v,,, :rt .. R0:~H.l and T .. w. Rhoda a,. who., though. ~l -el coted as Liberal-a,, now voted with rn:i:•.

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97. or·tv:.n.1ty to· all citizens ·Of· New .. Zealand in the u-se. of lancl .. for f'a~m ..

1ng, bns1ne-ss .or roeaidonce. purposes by making the m1nexiahip of the

land impossible on tha part of' thoae vi.ho did not us-e i 'l',1- ano by re ...

qu.'lrtng an annual payment fox· tho SU:1.'1Plus llS6 valu.e:a, by ·those ,,ho

he.d the best loaali ties,, into the oommon fund in the shape or a tax,

Those mi th poo1.1e:i:: sit-es -0:r non.e at all wero to have ~qu.al be11e:fit

in auoh a f u.rid ~

( 5) !,q'.1}£P.<?.!ll.!.

T"11e. policy of the Labour Party"' deols.1:"ed 1:.n ita objec·tive, via.fl

to continue 0X'".(H1!'1ments in publ:toly-ovmed ent..erprlsea nunttl t,he

int:fans of p!'of.lu.eti.on:t d1stribllt1on and exchungell 2.:nsofa.:r as they o-on·

ati t11t~ in private handa !n.etr-mnent.s of oPP?'@S$10n £1nd e~lo1tat1on.

shall 116' soo1al,ly -owne.d and opemtttd without pront- for th,$ oomnn'.m

good of a.'11. ft

(4)

In olasaing eduoat1on afi tho most lmpo~tant of all publio

~ttteations,. thG Party· 1nai~tetl that the sehool should b~ gtven ·tne

best· equipmtJnt · and thet advant-ag-e of the world's beat aohievemente ..­

ttnie children snonld. hav0' mo1,e or outaoora ar1.d les:a o.r- oonfinetntmt,

more of na tu.ral employment .and lees of c-om_pJJ.l.s1on, m.o:i;ie dei'in1 te

rala ti.ens to the :real th1nga whioh mv.st 1Je a.o tu.ally t1nde-rt-akfm 1n

aftez, 11fe;t and leat1 of~ study and the mere ;:ee.oit1ng of h11iltO!lioal I

&oh1eveme:nta., many of whtoh w-e1ie better neve:r• to have been achieved (?}

and the moone1~ forgotten the better .for the raett,.,ft

Candidates fo:r politioa.l offioe we:re to be nom.1:nated b'y one o.f

In the ona 1natanoe

~,.,.,1,1wu;. p.=-,cltHf'.!t az::.,.~,:;red *!$b..p""' td"F'"'l=:SI 1o L 4-~i;o.,a.~ ><'.::.;A_z;.,ollQ:t..-=Q=,=,l.:itl't~W::l:!,;t :>a!::o:..;. :. eu,;: .d .. _____ _

(7) 19The United Labour l?a:i:ity • 1 ts Platform and Con$t1tu tion oon-atdered by W+ T~ Mills~ O~gani$@~~fl. ·

..

on a:n

i

t

:l t1

i that their

Labou.r sol

j

i SH tion v;ras in

ut:tl :laed (lo)

ir

on

1

tched periodically to

vwuld

..

of tion was

f)

tion,, ano

an

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i

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VO

t

t :tts

"

) done

27, l

101 ..

In order• to g1 vo offect. t0 the r.lt:loh,1ons of the confer>el1ae 1 t

tut1on ·-us.oed on thB d£!loistoos n1",rived at, nnd su.bmtt it to the Con ...

. i'tr:r•onoe; and. that u.ftcn." tho Co:n.fe~noe rose tho c-or'1mit.te0 wot"k out

a constitution and rules to be subratttod tt) a combined conf'arano.o {l3)

to be held at ~omo future da.tG., Tho election of a <H>U1rr11t.tee o.f 12

ro$lU to<l h1 the following delegfl.t~s. being choseru }Jess:N1 .. n .. sem­

pl-0 11 l1.. ]; .. l.>iil?:r"J, P ~ l?ra~or and P.. O.i. lff ebb (;t•ou.1:~ members o~ th0

oab1:net 1936) ,., n .. s~ ru.,as,, 1-I"' nunter, r:<l T .. Young, r1~ Heleher-, H ..

a g!->Oat atU?Pr1sc to nU t11a.t in r~gar,;1 t.o the really ~s11ontit\l

thtne;s for tiJhi-0h all t1cro etm6r;t 1n.g the:re vu:t.s .aubstftrtt!tll .agt'*ee­

raent upon method as well ne atnuh, · l'~.a9;1 helc1 tll1 ~l.-.dny n!tttng

ru1d eri"i vod at. u.:nantmoun oono-ltuitons for the indtt.tltr1al and pol 1 t,1-

cal unity of' t:h.e v10:i?k1ng elasa ...

F.1r-. \'Jebb, on l:mhali* of the c0t:tr11tt.a@, submi'tted ittJ r@p01"'ta to

f ollOiiHl: •

un-m.t t.h1a Ocm.fortlnoe :Pt'HlOOU7ionds tbe following outl1oo n~ 1n­

ti1cu.t!ing:: t.l1.@ lines nlon,c;' vil!ol1 a c-onat1tution ~houl.d b.e drawn up b;y

the suu-nomm.1ttee oot up to draft a o-0nstttt\tton to be nonsi'dt;red,

o.t1wnded 1.t" necHH.1anX>l111 and adopted by th~· joint <.H>ngresa o:f unions

to oo held in v;o111ngton, oO?mnen.ctng on th0 f'irst 'luesday in Jul.;1,

1913 ..

=.trte;:zp tr TI)~---------------------------

11M/ilil" -

The sooialisntton of' the aolleottvely.-used me.ans of production,

dtst:r1button and exchange ..

COMPOSITIO:R ..

The party ab.all consist of unions, :t.ooal b:ranohes ene1 individual

memb0:Ni prepared to ~ndor ae the f'oregoing and pledge their support.

Thi~ part1 shall be diattnot. from any other party or .parM.e-s.? a:t1d ,,

1 ts attitude towfJ.rds that of any other part, o~ parties shall b$

that .of: the.t· of tndependence.,.tt

The (l!tepo:r t fu1..,ther sta tad . that the sub-oommi t tee be ms true: tad

to draft tt deola.ratton of pri.no:tple~ and prepal"e a platform wh1oh

vtould f.nolude the uaual J.eg1slat.1ve proposals .of o~nined labour· in

the country .. In regard to extfJtent partt~n it wag reoommended that

the reape-0t1.ve executives of the New Zealand F-ede-:ra.tio:n of Labour,

the U:n1ted Labour l?art-y and the Socialist Party be invited~ while

not 1:n any way abating the1:r own activities~ to uttltse their ex ...

isting maohtnery and organisers to push forward the vto:rk of organ-(l.4)

1sa ti.on on the. lines a.greed upon at the ConfeI1enoa .•

The proposals of the comrnittee were greeted i"avourably by the

delegateal> who ~do.pterl them without runendment,, and the Committee

was thus empowered to make arrangements for the Unity Cqngress in

No effort appears to have been spa.red to make the or·gan1$a-

tion as thorough as time and otroumstanoes would allo1;s{t

(l.4} From the Offio!al Report of the ConffJ1:enoe.

(15, were held all· ove:r, the· 00untry, pamph.leta oiroultitted to-unions, and

tndividua.ln, and public appeals p:rint.ed in the o.oltun:ns of ayrnpa.that-

P .. n .. Hickey~ seorata.1.'-y o:r the Com.mt ttee,- states

that they not only r0oe1ved. thousands o.f oommunicationa, but sent . . (16) out 50_t-OOO bulletins and over 6$000 letters and oircmlar.a.. ttDa:y

after day vie .sat anc1 draft-ed:JI. amended,. and rejeoted :rules, plat•

:f'o:rms:$: cons ti tut:to:ns and declaration o-i' pr1nc1ples.. Diseusslon at (l '7) . . .

times aeemed endless. n The draft oonatitution. was pre-pared in good

time and dist,ributedp. together ,<Jith a oiX>otuar call tug on the work ...

ars to support .the earnest effort.a of earnest. men .. The organ! sers

firmly 'be~ieved that their propoaals would be the clarion ca!l whi.eh

would.rally Labour together in glot'ious oolidnrttJT~ and lead ulti-. . . (18)

mately to complete aoonom1o etnanoipatton., Oertatnl-y they created a

grea. t deal of interest and enthu.s:tasm~ and by the time prep.aratione

were oompleted had i•eceived advioe from 24'7 organisations intimat­

ing that they would be :represented at the Oongresa""'

(v .. ) Tb.e Untty Oon~reas 191-3 - its aign1:fteance for the future .•

Wp.sn the Unity Oongre~ls ttS$€lmblad 1.n Wellington on July l, 391

delegates were present, t•epresenting 61.1 000 organised wol"kers. rr'.he

Congres.e lasted ten days, and from. 1 t issued t-wo duly con-stttuted

labour Ol"gantsations • the trn1ted li\,der1at.i-on of Lab-ou.r ruid the So-

e:tal Demoo:ra t Party., rt cannot be recorded., however" th.at the

spirit of' he:rmony which had prevailed in the two previous unity con ...

ferenoes dor.llinated the third and most important one .. The Congress

(l5} ttThe number of meetings held 1.n support ot unity mu.st have been -one thousand at the vecy least" .... P ... n. H!c1i::ey,op .. ait ... -p .. 69 .. (16} E1rom the Nli:nutes of the Conference. (J.'7) 'Red Fed M-emoira 1 page es .. (JJ3) Th~ n1.,yttel ton Tim.el(l" February s, 1913 ..

104.

had- not. been long- in f.1<%rnion before 1t was realtsed that, t'epresent-

a. ttvas of' th_a unt ted_ Labou.r- Party, \"iere not pr,epared to aooept the

Mesar-s~ a. Fowlds~ D._Me Laren .and A~ Withy re$peotfully withd~ew

from the Congress wh1oh they eonnidered too revolu tiona:r.y in tone

emdea,,.voured to- re-organise the Uni tea LaboU.r .Party a.a a sapa.:rate en­

tity; but t.he-y were not at the-tr :full strengtn; the organ1s1:ng

genius o:f. Prof'essor f.U.lltt had been loat to them in favour -of the

Sootal nemtH:,·re.t Party~ and the futll:t_!tc$ VJaa _to prove that f'fOtu July

1913 the :peal Labour el$.ment in polttt<is oonstttt,$d tn the men '®h-o

had first organ:ts.ed the :New Zealand li~ede:ration of Labour in 1909.;

. The name •sooi~l ~m(H'}"~t.'1 wtt$ g1V$n to th& palt'ty n1n raoogni t.1on

o:r the bond vfhioh bolds. i)J.viltsed people together and -o:r the fact

that eve~7 man and w-oman hae :a :i?1gh t to a vo:tce in the matter or (i9}

gove:rvnment .. n Suggestion$ that the name should be the .New Z-ealand

Labour Party were t"e,jeeted on the grounds. that the name Lsl,our Par­

ty had never ruled or gove:t1ned, but 1nt11oated the party of' the

wh!eh bear the t.mprtnt of' Profesaor ?Jiille's eapao1 ty !'or logical

th1nki.ng 5 affb:m0d the right o.f the worker to organise arm abolish

industrial exploitation fo~veti ..

Nt:t.tional E.xeouti ve and Dts trtet Ccunotla,. and supreme autho:P1 ty ev­

e:r all matter$ given to the Annual Conf'erenoa, to meet in July of

The Platform was eu'bsta:ntially the same as that ado~ted by the

(19) Ii,rom th-e Official Report of the Congres~h,,

o, 1 :l a no

5 aclvoeca 1 t

\01 i t thEl loss 11'.')

s IP t

l t

t s

..

tions on rs d not

t

VO its

ems

l-06.

in.g a --comm-on i.dea.J. .. · · Th.o.se roerobe.ra or the Un!-ted· Labottr Party who

withdrew from the Conf'erenoe had given the 1mpra.as1on,: by their

apeeohes and a.et-tons, that they had not £u.lly realised the stand­

po1nt of the wot-king alassea;· a.no even tneyleft the Congress 1n (20)

the belief that a .saner Labour movement would emerge from it.. La-

bour t s un1 ty, al.though only partially suo-oe snful ,. din s-ol ve d many

doubts and rd.sunderstandinga, and the po11tioal atmosphere was all

the el~arer for their dtaappea:ranoe ..

CHAP ~rER · Vl"

'me :ttconorn.lc l•'ac tors behind the Pol 1 t ioal Labour Movement.

The impartial obaerve.r:9. vihen he !a aurvey1nf~ the condi ti.on of'

New Zealand b6tween 1880 and 1913.,. cannot but question the vlisdom

ot> tho necass1 ty of forming a Ls.hour Party 1.n a (Joun try whioh was

cou1pars.tively new $1- thinly popule.tedp, and had neve.r kno·wn that de­

gree o:r 1naustr1al strt;fe 'Whieh oha:raoter!sed the older states of

Europe.

neoeasary to outline the economic ttevalopm..ents wh1eh oombined t'Vl th

the i:natt.neti ve desire of Labour to exercise tte voioe· tn poli t ios

x,ega.rdleas of o!roumstancea: the e-~planat1on ta both eoonomtc and

pol1t1'eal, but a.t bottom payohologtoe.1.

The ge:rm of the unreat ou,lmtnat!ng 1n the events of' 1890 ts t-o

be found tn the perni.ctotrn system ()f' land tenures. which commenced

when the government waived 1 ts right of pre•emptton ov0r nattve

lands in 1862 .. The provinces, eager for wealth, th.raw large tracts

holdings, were eetzed by weal thy .aqua ttet"e .. The &lngo:r,s of' the

. . in the seventies,,. when poorer colonists VJho had been attracted by

the prospect of· owning land fJ<:,:re com.pellecl to work for a wage., The

inflow of popu.la tion oau.sed an immediate rise tn pri:(HHl · which soon

put the land beyond the reach of the majortty.. •tine specn:t.latton

was 1ntoxicat1ng and many smaller men raised money on mortgage and

bought at high pr1ces 1:n the hope of selling at an earl"S' profit 6

The tna.rlcet was closed absolutely to the genuine .small settler, and

l.08,.

there :was. a rap.id aggrega. tion of land in the hands of. the. few.. (1}

F1u:rther~ the manufacturing industr'iEHt$ v1hioh Vogel had plann(3d to

go hand in hand with the land settlement schema, could not generally

eao,ape .from thei..1-" pre-0ar!oua infanoy v,hile a non-pro t.eo ti ve to.riff'

Tb.oa=e industries in e:xistenoe depended on the phe:µo-

rne:nal aotivi.ty of the period.,_ and had no solid foundation. on whtoh

to weather a. depression ..

The slump vthieh began in J:lt)W Zea.land in 1879 waa oaus.ea. by the

1-ow prie-0s of wool fll'ld othe!' produe·ts, part of a worl.d-w1de fa1l in ' (2)

prioes lasting :f'rom l.873 - l89S... It :found tna aountry qu.:t te unpre-

progress had been marked by a gen-e:va1 1.mpr.ovement in i'ro?rnling methods~

the opening up of the -oountr,,s:1de by public :works~ the organi.f!ation

of tranirport,;. .. eommeroe" banldng and -aeoonda~:v industries,~ and, -a.-.

hove all, an inoreas.e of numb0ra and an tmprovem,n t of' human welf a.rei

· W:tth the oopr(Hu1io:n.,. underlying na.wa in the a.ystmn oame to the au,:,. ...

taoe11 The collapse of ·the expenditure of borro~ed money on P':lblio (3)

worika put an end to the ezts.tenee of mo.ny looal in.Bustrte'lil.. The

failure of local· enterpi-•ioe 11: turn ruined the hopes of many 1rum1-

g!"B.n ta who were tow11dtsellevs and had ex:pee tad employnient tn infant

introduced the ntyptca.1 la.lJou:r reac t1onn to the manurao turtng in­

dustry and were largely responfi!tble for the trend of poli tioal de­(4)

velopme-nt 1:n the ensuing gene?1atton.

But t.he- ~rba.n ~orkers. could not have placed the Ballance govern-+z:,el,~-,r=-t, .. '7i'. 1' - ,l'<IIA'tili ........ ti.:-c-awa,:;y;:.:::.::cl ;;;zh ........ "'~4& . . ~~~i oJo;::.w 4 ~

· (l) G .. ff._ SohoJ.£teld1 "Nev1 Zealand in Evolution" page 163 .. (2) J. B .. Gondl:Lf'tei *"Short History o.f New Zaalandn pa.ge 143~ {5) . J., 13., Condlif'te:: 11New Zealana in the Makin~n page 153_. (4} J .. B. Condli.ffei 11New zeal.and in the Mald.ngtt pa.ge 145.

109 ..

roe-nt -:tn, pow-er w.1thou t · the allio.n-oe -of the small· f'arme~C'S, who v,1er.e,

more than eager to destroy the system of land tenures~

ataterl the ease cl early:

Reeves has

H\~h1lst. the CO®try ¥13.S just fitted fO!' WO?"lking fta.!'ttle!'S,t and

lying empty and waiting .fo:ir _their hands, man 1n hundreds arid thou­

sands, farmel"S 1 eooa and country la'bou.r-era.,- were growing up and

worktng on, other uienta land~ albeit they Md the *illa knowledge

tn UG'l;iJ. zealancl 1n l.890 wa.s :no roe-re urban s-entimenta.ltsm •• • ,._ In

the ,main· t t ~\.'la:$ a. g®uina hunger for land~ coming .ft"'O\n the land..-

ened !t t1 and an altodus to Attst~lia. · iµ the ye-ars · 1a8£i•91 poin:t:ed

the m.oralo- A oolonYa· vthen 1te population is qe.s,evttn.g it, is . . (5) .

like a child that e11rink~ 1,~t~.d of' gro111ng .• r• ··

Ac-Oo!t"di:ngly, in 1890 the oi ty worker had the support of the .small

obtained land his attttude changed~ ro1d thenoe :f-or-vt2u:•d he ha.a re ...

mained oonv1need that an alliance ~1th L~bouP would do him more harm

than . good.

Another e-o-0nom.te fact tJh1oh. helped to g1,1.tde poli tioal aotivity

prior to l.890 ~as the d1.str1button or populaM.onlF 'I'he Maori trou.-

blas and the looking up of rloh North Iflland lands until the late

eighties dive~ted the ;rlow of eatilement to the South Island$ t1.Jhtah

aa a oonsequenoe received the lion's share in Vogel •s public w.orks

sob.em.a. The ino1-1eaae thu$ gi.van to the population of the southern

o1t1es. pa.rticularly Du:n-edintl' explains their dominance 1:n labour

movements at the time-v VJh0r-ever numbe:rs we:ee gl'."ea test and induat-

(5) state EXPer1ments in Australia and New .Zealandj) vol,. 1." p .. 870-:

st,

the

0011

o:n oen

t t,

l

l

d t (~S a; a

~t

to

. an ))

to liH:Jcnre

.,

s fl ,,, ,,,, 1

one 1

1 ice a-

cauaea p

pulat-1 t }'.' la 1 C OIJJJ

t t ..

lat ion tba :North st

1 t

l com-

l

l 1

t

112 •.

oombi.nations, rr1onopolies · and t:in:i.sts 1,,aised p:r.ices dlreotly to the'

oonsumor, and t,E.n1ded altto to disoot:i.raga lnitia.tive and solf-relianoe.,

Ot,11.er gona11 al causes VH3:te, a relatively high.er :tnc:riea.sa i.n the coat

of distribution,. national waste tnvol11ed in tho devotton of an 1n ...

ereasi.:ng propo~t1o:n of weal th to n_on ..... prodnctive nses, the operation

of productive tars:.f:t"'s and trtists abroad in raising the coat o.f im ...

ported ar·t.ioleo, und failure to attain that na.t16na.1 eff1otenoy

vih1ch e-an be aeeur:ad only by the, opert:ttion o:f. a well-eonsiaered and .(.7)

properly oo ... ordtnated soheme of' education*

The la.hour

legisla t1on had aneouraged!)c on the one ha..'Yld, the form~t1on o:r work­

e:ret' Unions, whoaa opet'ation, b:V a<:Hlllring highe'.!:" \1agea a:n..d bette:,;i

oonll1. M.ons, added to the eost of produ<.rti .. on exeept Vihare 1:noreasad

on the other hand it was met by combinations

of' masters and employor·s 'bent on mel&ting the ine:reaaed aost of pro-.

dnctto:n b;r 1norea.sec1 prtcea; but the commission agreed that. prtees ' (8} .

generally wer•e not arbi tra.ril y 1ni:latcec1 by the leg:1.elatton .. ·

Popula t :!.on iw,vement a showed a .~i et inc t tende:i:ut:ir on the part of

The tmstt1 t ...

try,, the tn.:t:reaair.i.g demand for labour and higher rates of real wa.gei

tn the tovmsp, ware p:rimai-•y oau.seil of th1a tendency.. Its chief ra­

aul t, a most 1mpo:ete.nt one, was tne increase o:r house .and land ran ta (9).

1.:11 the towns~

(7} aomm:tasion 1 a report. page 86 .. (8} Report~ page 84» (9) Report .. page 49. In relation to the !lnf'ltH:moe of' the gold ti1upply the Oommi.asion sta.ted3 nn: we take into account the consider­a.ble r1$e in rentb :tt. is therafo:ra clear that the cost .of' living 1n New Zealand has :riaen muoh more than the i:norea$e in the suppl :tes

t,o l

0

t

l i

ff (10) of profits

i

t

(11)

l

ll4 .. · 11Adm:i.ttlng that-tho award rates did :no-t -in overy. case keep pace

v1i th the rising cost of' living, there v1ere many :f'aotors benefieial-

ly aff'eot1ng the real earnings of the workers ... Employment -was

plentiful, and there was a great diminut1.on of the oaaualneas of

employment.,

ers :reeetve,d -substantially hi.ghe:r. :wage-s ,. ... Hot1rs of work "Were

sho!"tened etn.d conditions of' employr!lent v1ere tmpX>oved ... TJ11.skilled and

aemi-sk:1lled wo1-ikers vre:re often able to -cotrm1and sk:tlled wo:vkers'

rate a of pa:;r ... ,.. When we make prope~ allo11Janoe for tlwse i'aetoi~s

we cannot $:aJ that the rettl earnings of the average worker did not

keep pa.a@ i'airly well with the- 1:uor-easatl coat of' living du1'ling the

pe:r•tod of riifd.ng pricres: exoe·pt"' possibly,, for• a few months at the (12) .

peak ef priees .. tt

In hts stru.ggl e to ltaep the wage ~ te oornmensura ta w ! th the o ost ·

of living the worker was fighting· a loid.ng battle; 'bt'lt this 1:itrugg­

la was 'both the foundation. and t.b.e ex-pl~t!on of a bl"oader movEHnent­

iNb,o.se l!>.ttack -waa not ao much upon the .Arbitration OQ~rt as upon the

~hole o~.pi tali at syatera. ..

opportunity ·tor mil.it-ant workers. to emu.la.tie the example of Labou:-c

1:n other o-ountJ?iesj> althoogn oond1 tione in those oountrteg -were far

Obv1m:tsly th-a direo t

aetion1st.$ depended a great deal in their al"'gume-nta on the example

of other -oountries; ®d their followe:Ps, bl 1nded to e-conomto truths,

were led to believe that th~y were not ao well o:r.1: as they should be t,;:A=;.t' mr?t ,::;,:;:q.:ow . .....,. ;c)iitl :l#.l*e,=;.1¢dd!l'= 1:,.,4au~.3G¢ ·~-i!fll-i!l-•-1 _""" ______ ,........,. __

(12) 1-ti,, v .. l:j\rasM.tr•,- Judge; -f1-pronounoem.ents of the Cotx:rt roe· Cost of Living and Geneml -Order Anwnding A-a~dfa'' :Ma.Y$ l932. Pi.ll ..

116· under. a truly demo.orat1c .;&ystem.. . . IJ.'his at once 0xplei.1ns th@ att1-

tu.de of' t..b.H 1R(H1' Fodt:1:c>ation$' who want.ad a reversal of the oapital ist

syatom.,. and o:l the more taoderate Labour P-arty., 'IJJhieh aimed priine.rily

'lne economic

:roroes. ope.~c~a ting behind the .labou:e moveme-11.t we:N'.l not strong enough

to t,Hll.rra:nt the :formation oi' a third party aa an immediate ne11e.ssity· ..

But they were su.ff'iotent to rs1ake the worker belt.eve that unles~ he

began to o-:rgan1a.e v1tth hta eye turned to the i'u,ture.,- ooneervative

polities would in .the · iong run rob him ot' all tmt had been won in

the glor!ou$ nb.leM.eth

--ooOoo----

116.

At a. ve~y early ata~ .o:r the <;,a,onomi.o history of New Zealand

· :t.agislatitm, · '9Motmianta ¥1ere de$igned f'-0:r the proteottoo 01' wage

Apprent:toe Aot cf 1855 had ~ga.d.~teo the 1tu:ienture or app~entic~

w:id h$tl given proteetio:n to ti'.b.Gnt \ll:1c1er -a ola.US$ ts"nax,eby an etnploy(;r

again.at tho Pe:mton Aet of 1867 gavo a fiJimtl~ meature o'f prertootian

to appl'Snttooa a.nd sewantlH-

In 187~ ·the ft.rat. t4 the so ·oa.lled :Faotoey A@ta ~a ~$:SOdll> un ....

r~r 'the ruii:m~ of the Eraplo~e:nt ot Femal.Gil Aot:; fem.~le '00!lke?)S ,1e~e

to ,:Jffl!"k not m~e than eiettt bOUi~ a &J,; and only betVJ"een 9 a..m ..

and 6 lhtn!!t 11,)1.ey r1tn·1~ ~so to i~tlce1~ ·a. hnl.f 'holtda.y on Snturaay~

A cl&.u.1~ ve·x,y briefly :t1<tqu lr$tl that. 1*~"V&1?y \il~ltroom shall 'bo pro-

r;0;rly vent Un. tedH ... . . .

of a3e o,oul.(1 l:~ lf.m1ployad at -all,,. · 1fo llO!,~o.u tmd01· 18 waa to v10111t

£01"- m.ore than fot1J? m1i:l a hall" hou..~~~ -u1t.!!OU.t u. re~t.i?' nol'l fo1~ moro'

t.h.nn a half dErJ nt a titnf) except with tho ·al te:rna,tive of ooo ftill

,idta:y 111 every t.1-10,.. L"'l lOOl the prev1ou~ Atrta we:;:ie -ooneolidated ~~

ttligl1t ohr.1ngeu ro.ade.. Tho t\gO .at 1r1htoh one could ~ta.rt f'i1ctoey um:

1.1afJ ra!aea to 12 years J no rernal.e wno to t:10:r-k oo.tt1eov.o. G p,..,m.,, and

raatn 1.n the i1orkroom during meal time al>

gain otii;ulated(<

117\1,

X:n 1002 protea t ton was af:fol'\dcd to viJ01--kex•r.1 u:aong rnnol1ine:ry by the

:tnapeo t ion or tJaoh!no:ry Ao t. Provis icr..-1 t 01" ooi1,1)e11~a t ion ln case of'

aoo:tdanta i,iaa made by tho Ewiployel'fi'J1 L1.ri'h1lity Act of' the ij&.tne yeart,.

11\ro yon~3 lnttn:>1 vm:vkme:n 1 s i.tf.l{;~~ rooo1vou trie eoxt$irle:ratton of

l?m"'liume.nt... Un.tit!7J."a tb.o Wo11 kuteli! e 1:;agos Aotj' woJ:1kit1eri wei-•a gtve.n tho

:t?1~1t to olaim mo:n.ey i'X*om the employox-i of his own :enrployiav tr tlle

.la ttei'l uou:ui :n.ot pu:y him; ena &Zi".J uagee cm. ta-taru.U.rig t-0 WO?'kllwn wore

t,o lHJ a fi:-eet ol~i:i;~ga tap.on ffm.'9 ~1$ :ttooatv,ed by the emplo'9e1il4 lb'vm

the nelf~ of: ~atafi.tn had ~ceived tllO attention oi' I;,lalil.irun~nt aa

ars to tol:'tn a t1~de union had aJ.so 'been ).'14;1(H'.lgfl.1»et1 a.$ &ru?lf ~ 10'18~

mien a. r_e1?ade UniJa Ae t uas pam1ed-..

, l

. .. iii

l

l

t t

..

..

)

AF,WE'MDIX lll .. ~A 1 • Jl . I ~i=Ati

Note~ on the XndUstrial aonotli~tton and

Arb! t~tt-o:n Act.

Qeooral Prb:.(t~El~u

$oo1et1eti oonaisttng ot tito ox, mo!'le tlmployo~tJ,. or of aev't)n or

more workel"S» raa.i be rogistered and become aubj~@t tQ the provist011.

0£ th~ Act tmder t'he tttle of ttt..qduttrlal union:*~ Any :anoh rm.ton

may ln")lng a trade rl1tipute oof'oN:t the B~ri .o:r Goneiliatton1t 'Wh.ioh

Board lml!.Y proceed to 1nvett1gnte the dt~t,e$ or, on· 1ieql1t1<1tmwnt

of one ot th~ parties11 n1ay 1~f0r the oose d1reut to th6 Arb!t1~t!.oo

0-Ctfil,'1t-~ !t' tbe -d!spu.te ts 1-e;f't to tbe Botll"d, after taking evf.dene()

ete.-,, the Board may malt~ a reoommendfa.t1on» ~hi.oh., lt' a.cceptetl by

the pnrt!.ec$, is put into tno i'Ori'l;l ot an lnchlstrtal agreeroon;t ~nd

1ng of: a. l!'~sldent~ 1r1ho ia a. Judge .of the Supr~me Cotirt,, anti too

othtt1~ members ~ one el~oted by the empleytJr.s' un1onra-$' t-'.he other 'by

the i1ort;:ex-~' un1o:no ..i hnJi wide poweraQ aw:1 aga.1nut 1tn dee1s1ona

Arm.rt1G- nr.H1:el." the Arh1t-rat1on Act.

The n~ao for nonttnuooa amendm~nt. wnfi'l thu1~ut upon the I1eg1tJla­

tUN th:rough the p:i;-,inetple of tndust:ri«l 3X''b1tt>t1tlon oi" a 3uatci:al

@a.racter being entirely un1t.1ue and -a1 thout atatu.to;g'ly proeedent"

Law on the subjoct had to be kept £1@~1.ble to meet the continual

1894

1895

lSOO

1800

1900

1901

1903

1904

1905

123 ..

The la tar ;a~1endmeritfl ·Of the

At.1t wer•a :tnostly i.n the d1ro!lt1on ot g7..vtng w1de~ notf..f}e of Co'u!'1·t.

attt.mgs, · .of' q~sng1ng for peffi1!.t.$ being gtv'.ffin at tower rates tht'.l.n.

th~ m1nttnum wag& mentioned 1n tit..& a\'ffl.ra, a'i'ld ot gre~ter strJ.etnorJs

L'll matters throatantng to bl"1:ng noout ~ :atrlke tn.-- lookout~

A~Wlt -, Zl

ootol~r 18

Oct,ober 17

lfovemoor 5

Ootobel" 20

.. .. l

" .. I

l

.. ·!ii'

ll.111E1nilm.ent 'to o~tgi.nf!l Act-. p~s:tz~t:L.

Amendm$nt to or1glnal Act ptU3$$d ..

A~ndtnet1t t~ or1g1Ml · Act passed;!<

Ari tiot. W$;$ pa&s~d coneoltaaiit.1:1g all p:v.~vioua

i\ot~, which were :re-enacM,.tl ·with ame:ru:1tr.ent~ ..

AffMlntlment paS$0d~.

·'lhe A1-it11trat1l)n Court l~~~";enoy Aet. pasood,1

Amendment Act.

Amt1ndn1ent ;,\ct ...

1:!J.~ 1t:tnf1uirt.rteu COl'!OU .. ta tton and Arbt trtt ttoi-i

Aets Comp1lll1t1on Aet ioos11<i<

~lat£9+"'m of g1.e Kpltt,!o~l ~a~,our l;~~ty 1 aa EHL'iEt'9,Sl ~;2: .t'1!.

ilrude a .o:nd Labotn"' aounoll~ • oontelf@n.e$ 1@10. ~- flit . ! Vqd: ;a . :::A;f...(:Oal--4· . "'7 "WI!" <; . - . 'z - , , . . f • - : ;~ . J µ

Jmmedia ~~ N_$, t 1~'7;,l,\1!~t !~!:! .. ~ .. M?ll9~+l'-!·*

124.

(&) Tl1e e-stnhl1~m~nt of ,e; Shelite Fe~J r.ent~e and StaM Oolliert:i~

· (b) T11e ~irtnblf..shtno:nt ot oompet! tiv~ State Faoto:,;-itea~

Land Refol?titr ·: ~

(a) No ftwthar 1;1al~ ot crown Ltm.d$.

(b) Leaee-ht:>l.d "nu.Pe, wttb. tlie right of' i~onenal nm per-loiii(}al ro ...

vaiuatton -eV@y 21 yea.%'$-. '1X~ept :tw h&avy bush -ana. Sl1amp.

la.nd-4·

((i) Tenantfil' abf!olu tee rt~ t to theil" 1mp:rovemonts ...

(fl) Limitation o-t area;# basea on valu~~ to snaure an equltallle

dt s:trtbu.t-1on of ot.1r lands~·

(e} Re$Umptlffl'1 ·.of· ~a.t.t"1e and otho~ lm:uis .for elossr aet·tl~%1(mt on

reoowabl:e- 1easeo-

{f) .An 1:n~rement tu on all l~d sa.10-e to .fUSC-Uli~ to th'0 state n.11

sooiall,r c~ea tea vttlnea-~

(g) "l'l1e rettni.ttoo and :di;peet ope~~ti-on bJ the State of suffioient

19.nd to meet the c~mds o:r ti'.h& Nationl!l\l Foo--d Supply ..

(h) An tnc~a$ed gra.dua~d Land 1.'ax;(I

Qtt~~llO?! }~!!,. 0-r~l.!. {a) i'l'he .establid.1.ment_ ot -~ State Danit navtng the sole rittht oi'

note 1eaue ..

(b) fJ:'he: t1<=u"&aation of pul>litl bo¥1wo1d.ng~ ~'"toept for the3 ro-clemptton

ot loons Md tho uom,pl~tion of tio:rks already autbotltsed by

'P$rl iamont-.

125 ..

ISleotoral R-eform ..

{a) Abolit.1.on of' the Legislative Council ..

(b) Ptioport1onal vepr>e&tu1tation on a "Singlo t:rrotsf'f.lrable vote.,,

( o} InJ;ti.a t 1 ve a11,1 Hef'eyienoora,,

(d) Pnrli.am.entnry fra:n<(h1se to appl11 to. the olaot!on of all local

botU.eo,,,

(a) A fU.Sbt to t~k 13111.

(b) mSJv.ranee ng-atnat U,n(lmployment,;J

(c} 11H:t el!it,Gnsion of E,tat~ Labt".»lr Agenoies and the abolition of

p:t'llv~te rar.{tetey off'1-cas~

(d) A raaximu.r:1 etght hou~ day nnc1 ~ silt day uaeli:,, with -a .grad"l:tal

reiiootion to a 40 hour week.

(e) st~tutory p~oferG:n~e -Of enlI}loym~nt to Utlloniat~o

(f) l~qual pay for· eqtaal work fQ:r male and tomale worke:i?a~

(g) An a.m&nded Worltel"'13t Aoccmo&tt1on Aot ..

(h} An atn.®ldetl \forker.st Compett\il'flt 1(}n Act~

(J.) An amend-en InduatritU Oonctliatt-on and Al'l;b1tmt1on Aot.

{S) A l&gisl:attve r.itn!tm.\tll -wage*

{a) A f~duated 1l1cffl¥!6 tu baaad on .sc1ent1fio pl:'ino1ploo,i; 1nlth

a tn1pe:-tax on U!Mla~od incon1ea~

Edti<utti.on Reform<>

(a) T.ba maintenance of a. free$ e&oulnr arid eompw.so17 State

Eduoa.tton system,, t:rom p:rtnmJJY ~ehool to u.ntvera1t,yl>

1261'

(b) un,.ro:rpm sohool uoolut, p1~1ntod by the Gove;i;~ment ond au.ppl1ed

free of oost.-

Sooial net01"ffl.,,

(a) Penas.on~ f:or uidOW$ ruu:l orpb.ans~ and State as.s1;0-t:ane0 in .

ma t,eml t'S ,It

(b) •J:h.e ~!gb:t o.f the people to rest:rwt or abolish the liquor

traf'.tie by & bare maj.ortty vote at local ~d Dood.n1en optton

polls ..

Grey Lynn; ooeond ballot$ ~r .. Payne U:ndep-'f; tab.) 3470~ G"' Fowld'tt

(L1beml) 3432<)·

otalt1i seoond ballota: ;r. noha:i?taon (Labour) 3517,- VJ. a. Fi.Gld

(Libul"al) 2496.

Ro) A· W:rlr)lt (Ref"om) ~44-.

Wan~u1t w .. a ... vettoh (Lahouz~) 4U5p :r. T..t Hogan (Ltb,e11al) 8959,

\'Jt)ll1ngton Eafll:tt aeacmd ballot, D~ .. A.,. It.-. lt~nw.n (n-eforin) i>r/oo.,

n~ ?tic :ta:r0n (Labour) 3'11.5.. F., O"' Bo-l ton (Labour} alf11

stood for this seat and secured 1242 votes bl the fi~s1

ballot.

Ohtnetnu.rit $ahond lni.llot~ H;r,- Poland (Llba~al) 3341~ p_. n~ HietkGy

(1Jed.erat1on cm1did.:i\te) 2134.

Wall1ngt.on Subu.rbat i1$60nd ballot» r1"1>' 11. Dell (Reform) soao, F .. T

?11001~~ (Lnoou:r:) 2661 '*

Avon: ee:o0'.at1 ballott .r. 110 Combs (Inde-p. L!'b~) 3583. G. \J. !b.lt1Gol'.

Arnone; the Lo.boo!' candtruiteftl y1ho roode a £~st nppea:i."anoc at this

el$otton v.1:e1>e Iii..- J\, Sav-o.ge.1 now Px,i1me i\Unlst.er~ standing as a ~o ...

o!talist, iiho pollttd 1800 1n a fi~l.d. of t>ou.:r at Auc1t.l~d CentY.'nl,

tm.d P .. cjil, lJebb (F(H:1eratton oancU.dat-e) ~ now IninttJter fo-.r £111.nesl> tiho

lost 1n ~ .st,?night ottt .i'ight at Grey to the ·Spaah:er,. Si.:r 11u Gu.in.., . n> . neas$ 2539 to 'l:if!/'11-, D ... a.. St1ll1vWl, l'l..Otil- r,n:ntst~r fo1 .. Ini::1natrlo.s

(l) on the death of. Sb~ A. tlutrmoas tn 1913, till"~ web'bg. ni'te1'1 a ~trenuoua tHimpa1gn, ~on thG <t.eoy seat and retid.ned tt until his tnoaroerat1on for his pacifist attitu~e du~ing the War~

:noll t"hail"'au1.n of !Jomni.itteasg v;as hott0t11 at Ch1'listel1tiroh S-ottth oith

540 votes, u.. G11< Ell (Liberal) 3690, defeat inf: Cla H.11 \)ni tine; (La-

· as a !H'JI01al.1st.i t'JMl bottom . .at Du.nedtn W~nt vJith T78 votee, the . .

other two oand1ils.ten polling ritu1:rly 4$000 api~tHh

Othe:r Lo.hen.tr candic1ateSc wotre A~. Withy, wllo p-c,llod '81 490 wteti

tor Atiatd.and I::ant~ being defeat<t.d by A .. r,,1. M~,nsi~s wii1h 4""485,, n~ T

ll1ll with 2 1856 to'Jl Napi~r# J,.. Rearilon~ ~ooond :for Mntt with l,-54.0

vote:a ou.t ·Of" tt totd of ntlai"'lY 7,.000-:r R,. J* CtiX>GY» bottom 0£ th<i

poll fo~ W~Utngton ltio:rt.11 ,11t11 1J<l85; Fi;; F ... f;1tinro (!11.d~pl' Iial,,..)

2.,993 fo-r Buller a~ ae;atnst J.~ Oolvtntfl a,l.4.3; D,,. t~e Pherson,

bottom fo!l '.f)t.tnedm Cont:ra,l with 1;452 out of a totQl of 6;0?5; 'llr. E. Y1tm;u1~ 3 9Afi26 beaten by w~ K. Stdey,'t 4171 .for !Jtmedin South; tl~

A· l\lowts tJho polled 158 vote& at A,1arua.; :w ... J. r,1aelt (Pa.moll) ,witl

1#5!5'7. voteil:; a~ s'A Cltt1~1 940 and 15"' Lane 401 \.-"Otes tor: ffat\!ltea

Ba:y,; \J,, '1! ... Young l,$72 nnd F ... Freeman (Sooi.altat) lBO :ro1~ fcfellin~

ton· Oen t:ra.l i 11., MW:l te1~ u · 21356 and Ft# R.. 0fH)ke ( Soc tal 11rt} 418

votes tor Ch.rt.st:ol:tU.l'oh l~ut; J,. neaue!"t} 1 1 636 votG,s fo::i." Titmiri,i

A<)- P~ r,io earthy (Ohalm.or:s:) 516 V<lta~; W"' JQ ranl (Viaitak:i) J .. ,5'72

votisa; Ht!, Fari~o.nt (tnver~gf.11) 2.,,04,3. votes.$ a.net ,1* !So P.ethez,1cb:

{nomocra t) ~ 727 votes. to-:t" Chris tohux>oll !To:J?th.