"FALSE PROPHETS."

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15604, 31 May 1916, Page 10

"FALSE PROPHETS."

labour and the \yab.

A SEARCHING CIUTICISM

In the course of an address on "Some Aspect® of International Peace,'' delivered in the Trinity Church Hall on Monday evening, the Rev. I. Sarginson, of Timaru, dealt impressively with an aspect of Labour politics that is of importance at the present time. War between nations, Mr Sarginson said, was only one kind of war. uat in the present day was the threat of a general strike, but a. threat of civil war? If a man, a thousand, or a million men, have a mind to throw down their tools, they have a perfect right to do so. But he must be a very simplo individual who imagined that was a'l there was in a general strike, or, indeed, in any strike. The recent Trades Hall" Congress in Australia threatened an "organised revolt" if the Government a Labour-created Government, passed a law for compulsory military service. And yet tho same body of delegates carried a motion advocating an international understanding between the workers to render war impossible.

Nothing was more evident than that the possibility of war was not exclusively a matter between nation and nation. In all British communities the most dangerous latitude was allowed to forces that even in the midst of the present war had again and again showed the • utmost contempt for the most urgent national requirements, and every now and then, uttered threats which, somo day, might have a very calamitous fulfilment. No country could proceed indefinitely on lines of peaceful progress in which there are virtually two governmentsone lawful and' constitutional, and tho other a self-crcated class organisation, held together largely bv the very principles and methods of Kaiserism,. always playing for despotic sur»remacv, and ever ready to threaten what repllv amounted to a civil revolt, if it could not hav o , its own way, oven when its way was onnosed to the will of tb° '"nt'onal Legislature. There wa« a menace to peace, continued Mr Sarginson, in the fact that neither in England nor in the Dominions was there a Government that dared to govern except oy tho most abject reference to this oxitra-governmental organised force, which often had to he flattered and coaxcd like a spoilt child beforo it could bo induced to perform the most obvious public duty, or abstain from a course of action obviously to the detriment of the country. Ho would refer them to the experience of the Minister of Munitions and the doings during the war that had so often called their eyes to Australia and to plain indications not even 60 far away. H© snoke with the utmost deliberation. He yielded to none in his appreciation of the enormous good achieved by trades unionism. It had gone a long way towards the emancipation of what was called Labour from a relentless enslavement to Capital. He regarded unionism as the indispensable safeguard of tho legitimate and vital interests of Labour. But trades unionism had to a great extent forgotten its high calling and had been captured by the unworthy and steered' into devious paths, with its eye turned on a falso objective. It had lost much, of its moral dignity and had become unscrupulous, truculent, and anti-national. It had bccome arbitrary and quarrelsome, ashamed of common, decent gratitudo and appreciation, and was revealing an increasing determination to find grievances. Claiming and exorcising 'tho I right to criticise everybody* and to fling its censures broadcast, it was absurdly impatient and • petulant _ when criticism and censure were occasionally turned upon it. He had great respcct | fof tho workers, but organised Labour j had been to a great extent thrown off its balance by tho- fiery nonsense of fals© prophets, who had fed it mad with impossible economics, illusory dreams and class animosities. There were unworthy elements in all organisations, but while Labour organisations included a largo proportion of men who were the vorv salt of the community, those excellent men were silent when the others brought reproach upon the organisations. Unionism had played a sinister part in this war. To<> often it had done its best bv actual and threatened' strikes. hv cold-water phrases, by innuendo, and by. many other expedients, of passive resistance to damo ratriotic enthusiasm, and so had hampered the authorities ami directly played into tho. hands of the fiends of "f rightfulness.''. whose final victory in this war would be the heaviest blow that God in His wrath could deal to democracy.

Thev were reminded, continued the speaker, of the enormous representation of Labour at the front. He joyfully granted that, but 110 thanks for tb' s were due to the men of the "dignified neutrality" brand, or the men who dured +0 defame not only New Zealanders. but our oommon humanity, bv assessing patriotism, and the cause that was so voder than patriotism. at so many sb'l'ings a dnv. Tho unionists were at- tho front because thev had souls. beriiii=e won'd not be as srwon ""•'"r the Gorman flap- as iircler tb« nn/I in this honr of national a pony nrul r»eril tbeir true nct(irt.nrf no' 1 ci not be rl0"r-artpd bv ;i fiyns"icv> t'int T"—y itself hypocritical airg of reforming piety. FEDERATION OF LABOUR AND CONSCRIPTION. I CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE PRIME MINISTER. The following letter has been sent to the Prime Minister by Mr Hiram Hunter, secretary of the United Federa/tion of Labour: —

"Dear Sir, —I beg to acknowledge tho receipt of your letter of the 22nd inst. stating that Parliament will be given sufficient time to consider the Military Service Bill, and that you are certain that its provisions will so commend themselves to legislators that it will be agreed to without any difficulty. "In reply thereto 1 have to express regret ou behalf of the United Federation of Labour that the Government cannot agree to give, the workers of New Zealand, and others who may wish to do so, an opportunity to express their vierrs in reference to the drastic provisions of the Bill. Members of Parliament may be determined to inflict conscription upon New Zealand without having received any mandate from their constituents, and in defiance of tho expressed wish of the working class, and they are in a position to do so, as far as tne enactment of the measure is concerned, but if they do it will be none the less an outrage upon this democratic young country. The question of conscription was not before the people at the general election; they have not had an opportunity of discussing the question, and they would not agree to it unless it was preceded by the nationalisation of the resources of the country, a Q d then only if it were demonstrated to them beyond a doubt that it was essential to the success of the Allied forces.

"If the Government pledged itself to snpp'.y a certain number of men,

and to keep up the original strength by reinforcemonts, prior to taking steps to ascertain the number of men available, bv moans of the National Register, it goes toy show that its zeal outran its discretion, and it is prepared to.violate every democratic principle in its endeavour to make good. ■ VVe baveit on the authority of Colonel Churchill that there are 200,000 sen-ants waiting upon officers at the Western front, and another 50,000 acting as grooms, and yet your Government has the temerity to propose that this country shall conscript its manhood, on the grounds or necessitv. If the Government wants national service it must ensure that those who are called upon to serve the State are really doing so, and not serving merely the capitalistic combines landed proprietors, who are waxing fat upon the Empire's misfortunes. .If the Military Service Bill is placed upon the Statute Book, and put into operation, prior to the levying of adequate direct taxation to cover war expenditure, and appropriation of all war profits, it will be against the best interests of the Empire. The voluntary system has proved a, magnificent success, and all the men this country can spare, without undnly hampering its productive capacity, will be forthcoming. The voluntary system will ensure a amount of consideration for the soldier,' it tends, to prevent hazardous or foolhardy exploits, where men are likely to be needlessly sacr.*iced; in short, it prevents Prussian militarism, and the introduction of conscription means that the Prussians havo obtained, to say the least, a moral victory, and British blood ' and treasure have flowed in vain. "It is evident that your Government is out of touch with public opinion on this question. Tho workers aro convinced that you and your colleagues are more concerned about using conscription for industrial than for military purposes, and if vour. Government forces the passage of the Military Service Bill it is simply emulating the ostrich. I am enclosing a copy of tho manifesto issued by the Parliament of Labour on. this question in January last, and respectfully draw your'attention to' Conscription of "Wealth,' as dealt with.i therein."