The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1915. EMPLOYERS AND I.W.W.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8247, 18 September 1915, Page 4

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1915. EMPLOYERS AND I.W.W.

[ The great;majority of tlie workers of the Dominion will agree with the views of the New Zealand Employers' Federation regarding the operations, of the infamous organisation known as the /'lndependent Workers of the World." The day has not yet arrived in New Zealand, and it is to be hoped it never will arrive, when the industries of the country are controlled, by a class of employers who deny the right of the workers to combine for the preservation of. their rights and privileges. But the employers quite rightly expect that, as the labour laws provide all necessary protection against any, infringement of the' workers' rights, no outside influences shall be allowed |to interfere with their mutual interests. The 1.W.W., which is [the product of revolutionary : Socialism and-the standard of industrial Nihilists, appears to be making an effort to introduce, its vpernicious doctrine amongst the ranks of the employees in various industries, and the Employers' Federation naturally objects.- According to the president of the Federation, the I.W.W. "is pledged to sabotage, limitation of output, and other unfair and destructive doctrines," and no business containing such elements of disintegration could hope to exist very long. The matter was referred to in Parliament a few days ago, when a member directed the attention of Sir Joseph Ward, as Postmaster-General, to the fact that " obnoxious pamphlets emanating from the I.W.W. were being circulated through the post." The Minister replied that the police authorities were investigating the matter, but there is reason to believe that the mischievous documents have been widely distributed. One of the circulars we have seen is typical of the class from which it emanates, and while it may appeal to ignorant and thriftless workers, it can gain nothing but contempt from the great body of intelligent men who comprise the labour unions of this country. The I.W.W. circular propounds an education scheme to "bring the university to the worker's back door," in order, to " countermove the insidious schemings of socalled, intellectual, dinkums and ■hirjed professional crooks, who are out to side-track, mis-educate, and mislead—out to leg-iron the working-class movement." Then the author goes on to explain how Capital can be brought to its knees: "Original dope will be given out showing how a few here, and a few,. there (on : the different jobs) can, on any day, and at all times, by incessant, silent sabotage, and without the knowledge or approval of the mentally sluggish and indifferent, i ignorant, crawling, and cowardly i majority, wring concessions. By sabotage —scientifically, silently, jesuitically applied, victimisation, detection, etc.,' will become a thing of the past." There is a great deal more of the same character in this notorious pamphlet, which is, however, incomplete to this extent: its author does hot explain what is to happen when these devices have succeeded. It is scarcely likely that men cap-j able of adopting methods such as; these would be satisfied with any! concession that, did not provide] for a reversal of the positions of! master and man, and the humour; of the situation would develop! when the nihilist began to experi- ■ ence the effects of his own medicine. The Employers' Federation, has done good service in publicly \ protesting' against the introduc-:

tion of these doctrines. The country has barely recovered from the effects of the big strike in 1913 that was the direct outcome of similar methods, and the public are not in the mood just now to submit to domestic troubles likely to cause a repetition of the loss and inconvenience, experienced at that time.