The Daily Telegraph. THURSDAY. AUGUST 28, 1890.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5921, 28 August 1890, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. THURSDAY. AUGUST 28, 1890.

The attitude now being assumed by tho labor organisations towards Capital at Sydney seems entering upon a now phase. Our cablegrams yesterday informed us that the Labor Defence Committee havo announced that they will undertake contracts for tho loading or discharging of vessels. This is a fresh departure, and while it, apparently, implies that tho Committee have no wish to put a stop to international or intercolonial commerce, it was more probably suggested by the fact that the shipping trade is independent of union combinations. Each day reveals what has all along boon suspected, that the unionists themselves are not united, and that tho gigantic scheme of a universal boycott cannot be carried out. As regards unskilled labor, everybody kncn- that to one unionist there woro a hundred free laborers, so that it really did not matter if there should be a strike. With skilled labor it was different; but Hkilled labor is possessed of brains, and brains usually refuse to be treated aH though they had none. Hence, it has been seen that there is disunion amongst the unionists. It comes as a sort of cavo in when tho Labor Defence Committee, in the first place, allow wharflaborers to load and disrhnrge "deep-see vessels," and Hecondly are willing to do the Hamo work by contract. It is evidence at all events of "a partial return to sanity, and gives hope that it will not bo long before labor is ruled by common sense, instead of by flaming self-seoking agitators. But the announcement that the Labor Defence Committee are open to take contracts creates the impression thai the executive of these organisations aim at forming themselves into labor registry agents, as middlemen, or go-betweens, between employers and emplovi'w. If they succeed in doing this, wh'ieh they will only be able to do by completely hoodwinking tho members of the several unions, then wo shall havo the curious spectacle of workmen being in some eort tho obedient slaves of tho executives. They are absolutely so at tho present moment, and they appear to enjoy the position ; but when tho novelty is worn off, they will probably think that individual liberty to make their own contracts is better than collective slavery. Hitherto tho recent hostilities between l&bor and capital, both in Australia aud in New Zealand, hiive resulted in no benefit to eithnr ono or the other of the combatants. And as far as can be seen the longer the tight lasts tho worse the outlook for labor will be. For tho first time in the history of industry, or, perhaps, we should be more correct in saying, since the first formation of tho organisation of labor for the purpose of ameliorating its condition, have we scon employers and capitalists uniting with tho object of resisting , tho demands of trade and labor unions. We confess wo do not liko the idea of this overwhelming combination of strength which, should it put forth the wholo of its power, could absolutely crush its opponents. Every day that tho ridiculous and unjust pretensions of labor unions tend to tho paralysation of industry, and tho abolition of liberty, so will capital gain time to organise, mid when that organisation is completed wo shall see tho humiliation of unionism, and tho triumph of free labor. I