SYNDICALISM

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 56, 8 March 1915, Page 2

SYNDICALISM

LECTURE BY MR. MEREDITH ATKINSON. In his speech last night at Everybody's Theatre, given under tho auspices of the local branch of the Social Democratic Party, Mi. Meredith Atkinson, organiser for the Workers' Educational Association, dealt with the subject of Syndicalism. In a most interesting address he traced the origin of Syndicalism" to the French labour movement, the word being derived from the term " syndicat," used to denote " union " in France. Its development there and advocacy of its doctrines by Sorel and Pouget had led to the spread of the idea to America, and a similar body had sprung up there under the title of the Industrial Workers of the World— the notorious I.W.W. — which had organised strikes on a large scale in many cases, particularly among the textile workers of Lawrence, Mass., where, notwithstanding they had great difficulties to overcome in that the operatives were of twelve different nationalities, only speaking their own languages, a considerable amount resulted to the sweated workers in the industry mentioned. Different nationalities, said Mr. Atkinson, expressed themselves in different ways in their organisations, and he did not think the ideas of Syndicalism had made much progress in Britain, notwithstanding the fact that such large aggregations of labour unions had taken place as that of the railway workers, miners, and transport workers into one federation. The French Syndicalists did not believe in building up big bank balances for financing their strikes, and often did not have regular contributions to their unions, as Was always the case in British countries. They adopted sabotage to a certain extent, but this seetned to be. a thing approved mostly by tho Latins, and not by the Teuton peoples, and probably arose from temperament. The lecturer criticised the doctrines of the Syndicalists in a capable manner, showing that in the lortg run the workers could not gain anything permanent by th 6 adoption of general attikes or sabotage, and that the ultimate aim of the Syndicalists, which was to cdhtfol the whole of industry through their unions, had some very great weaknesses. It was not possible _to appraise the value of some essential duties carried put in our complex social structure, as in the case of the railway worker and others who were necessary in modern transport, and it seemed essential that some form of wages would have to be established supposing the Syndicalist system were adopted. Questions were then called for by the chairman, Mr. J. Read, ; and a, number having been asked and' answered in a capable manner by Mr, Atkinson, the meeting closed. One of the outstanding features of the meeting was the great grasp of modem labour conditions and organisation shown by the lecturer, and with such m6h at the helm it ia felt generally in labour circles ( that the Workers' Educational Association will be capable of good work in the Dominion.