THE I.W.W.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1914, Page 5

THE I.W.W.

FRANK OFFICIAL STATEMENT " GOVERNMENT WILL DIE OF DRY ROT." What the I.W.W. and the Socialist Party want was explained to the Federal Commission on Industrial Relations at the City Hall, when Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labour, was also called. He demurred at testifying before he knew what questions he was "to answer, and what the attacks' of rival labour organisations might be. Vincent St. John, general secretary and treasurer of the 1.W.W., prophesied that the United States Government would die of dry-rot when the I.W.W. achieved its end. He frankly said that the I.W.W. advocate injury to human life, and destruction of property, if necessary to win. Violenco was usually forced on strikers. The gaining of the end was the only issue to be considered, he said. THE END IN VIEW. The primary purpose of the 1.W.W., St. John .said, is to organise workers on a class basis, and to educate it to understand that wage-workers constitute a distinct economic class from tho employing class ; to gain the power to advance their interests, with the ultimate object of getting the control and operation of industry in the hands of the organised wage- workers, so that the wealth produced by their efforts will accrue to them, " without payment of tribute to any employing or parasitical class." " How would you apply this principle to the organisation of such an industry as that of steam transpoi-tation?" interjected Chairman Walsh. Mr. St. John outlined the plan of organising the workers in all branches of the transportation systems. "Would you include the officials of the system ?" " We would include those regarded as wage-workers, and not those called officials," said Mr. St. John. _ The officers, he eaid. would not necessarily be regarded as a parasitic class. The ultimate aim of the 1.W.W., he said, would havo to wait till the organisation in all industries was perfected for concerted action. "When would you take in the officials?" "When we were strong enough to dominate them.'' , "Do you plan to secure any control of legislative bodies in the various States?" "None whatever." ( AGREEMENTS OF NO AVAIL. "Time agreements," aaid Mr. St. John, "havo no value for the working class. They put tho men at a disadvantage, for the employer can simply use the time to prepare for a strike at the end. They keep the workers from taking advantage of business conditions that might offer a good chance for enforcing their demands. The I.W.W. has no desire to conceal the fact that it does not respect the property of employers, said Mr. St. John. "I don't mean to say," he said, "that we advocate violence; but we won't tell olir members to allow themselves to be shot down and beaten up like cattle. Violence as a general rule is forced on us. "As for the destruction of property," he eaid, "it isn't ours. It is ,used to make the workers' lot harder. The employers are not particular if they injure our only property — brain and muscle. They put us to work with half an education, speed us up, wear us out, and leave us to die in the poorhouse. So we don't propose to show any respect for their property." THE EMPLOYERS' POLICE. "How do you regard the Government?" asked Mrs. Harriman. ' "As a committee to police the interests of the employers," was the reply. "Have you on any other body an effective labour organisation?" was one question. "No, more's the pity," said Mr. St. John. ■ " It is a- badge of honour with some labour bodies to scab on the 1.W.W.," he said. "We don't interfere with tho strikes of any other organisation, and we expel members who do." " Patronage of labour goocta never won a strike, and never will," he said. " That is simply a commercial monopoly that the employer can often use to get rid of inferior goods with a union label." " What is your belief about the functions of the United States Government in connection with your purpose?" a Commissioner asked. "We don't need that, when we get enough industrial control to run our own affairs," was the answer. "The United States Government would die of dry' rot." Mr. St. John discussed the success of various strikes in which some of the 236 unions of the I.W.W. were interestedv Most of these were of doubtful result, But the Paterson strike, Mr. St. John claimed, was a partial success. TO OWN ALL INDUSTRIES. j The Socialist Party of the United States and its purposes were represented by Morris Hillquit. Its purpose, he said, was the nationalisation of industries. Important industries should not be privately controlled for profit without regard to public welfare. The party does not advocate national ownership* of all industries, he explained, but would substitute, for private ownership some form of social ownership best adapted to individual cases. ' I'or instance, it would jtand for national ownership of railroads or inter-State communi.cation, or mines, or "trustified" business now organised on a national scale. Other industries might be best operated by the State ; others, such as gas and waterworks, by cities, and some smaller still by co-operative groups working ■under public regulation. Industries might even be run under private management, such a3 the' arts and crafts, which are not based on exploitation of labour. Samuel Gompers, after getting excused from testifying first, proceeded to take notes of the testimony of Messrs. St. John and Hillquit. i