LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3061, 24 April 1917, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

WHERE-MR. WRIGHT IS WRONG

Sir, —If my excellent friend Mr. R.A. Wright is not'careful,he will bo in danger of achieving a reputation for trafficking in terminological inexactitudes. At his Hataitai meeting ho told, tho people that the Social Democratic Party (meaning thereby the International Socialist Bureau) was "a German, organisation witlrheadquarters at Berlin." He now admits that his charge was not founded on fact, and proceeds, to. justify his error by making yet another charge. Forgetting, apparently, his former assertion that it was the political wing of tho S.D.I', that.was the dominant section, ho now says .in effect that what he meant to tell us was that it was the old Federation of Labour—the parent organisation froirt which both tho United Federation of: Labour and the 'Social Democratic Party tako their being—that was-affili-ated with the "National Secretariat or Berlin." Really, Mr. "Wright persists in going wrong with a determination! worthy of a much better cause. .In. the* first place, there is no organisation; named tho "National Secretariat of Berlin." In tho second place, the old Federation was not affiliated-with either the-"National Secretariat of Berlin" (which does not exist), nor to the' International Secretariat of Trado Unions, as Mr. Wright might easily have ascer-tained-if he had taken the trouble to inquire. Tho Federation of Labour-was not the parent of the U.F.L. and the S.D.P. The Unity Conference of 1913 brought both tho bodies referred to.intoi existence, and it was then-decided'that; tho U.F.L; should affiliate with the International Secretariat of Trado Unions and the S.D.P. with the International Socialist Bureau. Mr. Wright has floundered into tlic same bog of inaccuracy that Mr. T.;A. H. Field wandered into some time back. May I now quote, ior Mr, Wright's edificationi what I wrote in The Dominion for Mr. Field's enlightenment in June of last year?-; I then showed., that .the International Secretarist is.'the ' central office of the ; International : Federation of Trade / Unions, ,which "is made up of trade ; unions; ir* Great Britain, France, Holland,. Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Austria, .BosniaHerzegovina, , Hungary, . .Croatia, . Rumania, Serbia; Bulgaria, Switzerland, Italy, -Spain,'- ;■ America, South' Africa, etc. Its British affiliation is , the General Federation of Trade Unions, whoso secretaryv (Mr--W. A. Appleton, one of the-most ardent of Britain's pro-war Labour men) is its British representative. "-< It was agreed that the secretary, of the German affiliation—the 'General-Commis-sion of Trade Unions,'whose.office is: in Berlin —should act as international, secretary; tod that-is all there'is in. the charge ' that International Federation is 'a.Gerinan organisation.'It is "essentially tho international expression of the world's trade '■" union • movement, and it is no more a 'German organisation' than it_ would have been a British organisation had its office been fixed in London,' with Mr* Appleton 'as ' secretary.' It would bes equally sensible (or nori-sensical) to call'. The Hague Conference a Dutcli organisation, or the International Socialist. Bureau a Belgian organisation." Mr. Wright has left my query unanswered as to whether his allegation that the S.D.P. is a "German, jorganisation • was made'wilfully or in ignorance. The "public is surely entitled to know.. X can't help feeling that; we should'demand a higher conception of. moral, standards than Mr. Wright's -extraordinary methods of political, warfare, would seem to guarantee:—l am, etc., : : .\ ~ H.-E. HOLLAND.

[In view of the-factrthst.the.-muni-cipal elections take - ; place rto-morroiV we, in fairness to offered him the opportunity "of suclx answer to Mr. Holland's criticism as he might consider necessary, simultaneously with the publication of Mr. Holland's letter. His comment follows.]

(To the Editor.) . Sir,—lt does one good to-hear Mr. H. E. Holland talking' about, high "moral standards." It is _ surely a striking change to that doctrine form-'. erly proclaimed by some of his comrades, and as far as I know never denounced) by him in regard to contracts. Perhaps Mr. Holland has forgotten, it. It is summed up in tho elegant phrase,- 'jTo hell with all agreements."Would Mr. Holland demand a: "higher conception of moral standards" thau this? "Let :us hope -so: I have, studied with great care the constitution- of the United Federation of Labour, and the constitution and platform of the Social Democratic Party; of New Zealand. These two constitutions are embodied in one pamphlet, bound ajd numbered from page'l to page 31 consecutively. shows that both bodies are closely related, and with our present knowledge of German methods, it would bo quite natural to conclude, that while one organisation had affiliated with the International Socialist Bureau and the other with the International Secretariat, of Berlin, the latter would prove the dominant factor. Notwithstand- i ing all Mr. Holland can say, it is remarkable that tho "International Secretariat" should be situated in Berlin. ! •' . • I wish now to demonstrate tho close affiance between the .United Federation of Labour/ and the Social Democratio On page 13, Article XV, of the constitution of the United Labour I'find the following:— The United Federation of Labour shall be allied to the trades union movement. throughout the world. It shall become affiliated with the International Secretariat of Berlin,' the headquarter* of tho international trades union move- , nient, and it will especially enter into the closest possible relations with the trades uin'on movement m all countries within or bordering on the waters ot the Pacific." - ' - - Turniu" to page 19 or the same pamphet, under the heading. tion and platform of the Social Democratic Party of New Zealand," clause 18 I find the following:—"llie Social Democratic Party, therefore, calls upon - all workers of New Zealand to forthwith enrol themselves in the ranks of the United Federation.of Labour in the industrial field, and 1 in the ranks of tho Social Democratic Party, in the poll- . tical field." . .-' •; . " ■ Clause 6, on page 72, provides that the two bodies 'can. work in. conjunction in publishing newspapers, books, and pamphlets of general interest to both organisations.- '.'..'; , On pago 2u' of ..tho paniphK,, under the heading "Financo, : clause' 5, the following sfgnificant paragraph occurs: "Capitation receivable from organisations belonging to both the United Federation of\Labour and tho Social Democratic Party shall entitle.-, all organisations for. which payment is made to all the' rights and privileges of membership in all local delegate bodies in the Social Democratic Party. I must he excused for believing that tho above two organisations are like the Siamese twins, and -that _ one of them is affiliated with ■ the -International Secretariat, of Berlin,, the beadquarters of the international trades union i«ovement.-^. a m^ GHT ;

April 23, 1917