THE LABOR MOYEMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 15064, 21 December 1912, Page 11

THE LABOR MOYEMENT.

. [By P.UBLICOLA.] ■ Brief contributions on matters with reference to the Labor Movement are invited. PEACE AND GOOD-WILL. Once more the season of the year .has come when, cither by custom or out of the fullness of heart, we wish each other “A Happy Christmas.” Many of my readers have had a good year. Work has been plentiful in their trade, and they have been blessed with health and strength. To such if is easy to hopo that they may for a short time throw dull care on one side with their work, and enjoy life to the full. There are others, however, who have had but broken lime, and sickness and family requirements have kept them nearer want than is pleasant, and now every holiday means Joss of pay. To such it is no easy thing to enter into tho true spirit of the season. Yet ono can hopo that wo . .may even live above our circumstances for a few days, and, with the love and good-will of our friends and comrades, fool that though there is much to desire, yet there are others worse off than we ; and in trying to make these happy we shall feel that it is good to bo alive. I wish all the compliments of tho season, and peace and plenty. * * * * * * * DEBBS ON CLASS POWER. Eugene \. Debbs is always worth reading, even when one docs not quite agree with his sentiments. Just now wo in New Zealand are hearing a lot about class, and the wrong of setting class against class, as if that were being-done.. It is not. The interests arc so different that it is impossible for the worker to work hand in hand with the employer, or for tho rich and the poor to sit in tho same camp. That is where the United Labor party will fail. They T think that they call bring all classes who will subscribe to one political platform together, but it cannot be done. As soon as the different sections find that their interests clash upon any question, then good-bye to the so-called unity. Bub let Debbs put it in nis own way. .He said the other day : “Do not allow any of the retainers of tlio capitalists to fool any of you workers with their- twaddle about arraying class against class. That game, to use a bit of slang, is played out. Tho classes have been arrayed against each other these many years, and tho capitalists have always been on the top and tho workers at tho bottom. If it is wrong for the capitalists and workers to bo arrayed against each other, then the capitalists must condemn their own system and not attempt to blame the workers for it. Work is done with tools, and these tools to-day consist of mbst-xion machines. These machines, which do the work in modern industry, aro owned by the capitalists, while they aro used by the workers, and hero is where the workers and the capitalists are face to face in the class struggle, and ‘ class is arrayed against class.’ The capitalists want tho big end in the way of profits, and tho workers want more wages, and this is why these two classes are at war with each other,, and ‘class is arrayed against class.’ Socialists are opposed "to this state of affairs. They believe that capitalism and capitalists have had their day, and that they are no longer needed in* this day of concentrated and co-operative industry, Fhe workers constitute an overwhelming majority, and they aro in a class by themselves. They have made all the machinery, they do all tho, work, and they produce all tho wealth, and now they propose to take over to themselves the productive machinery, dispense with the capitalists, and produce wealth for their consumption and enjoyment. _ To inaugurate this change the workers will have to develop and apply then- class power. This means that they must unite in one and the same industrial organisation, and fight tho every-day battle of the workers, and at the same time organise in one and the same party, and vote together at every election day. The class power of tho workers, economic and political, when fully developed and intelligently applied, will set them free and make them the rulers of tho earth.” Keir Hardie wrote ‘When Labor Rules the World,’ and many people smiled, bub if our friends would strive to link up Labor instead of trying- to link a part of Labor with something else, more permanent good would be accomplished.

WAKE UP, LABOR.

A well-known unionist writes to me, and asks : “Is it not about time, that the Labor party in Dunedin woko up, and let us ece that they are alive? For tho past two years they have been talking, and doing little else. I know that it ie called organising, but it is just about time that we workers saw something done. We aro now at the end of the yca.r. I suppose that there will bo no move for the next month, then more talk of what is to be. Is there nothing for ihe Labor party to do? Recently there was a big fight over tho rating on unimproved values, bub Labor slept on, as if nothing was happening. Then we have had Mr Belcher fighting alone, and not receiving support or encouragement But what gives me most concern is the fact that in a month or two the election of Mayors and councillors for the city and suburbs will take place. Many workers arc employed by these bodies, and they also manage several business concerns which tho Labor party believe in. I say that if our leaders were up to business they would have things so that Labor candidates could be run with a hopo of election. I trust that you will print this in your column, and that it may bo tho means of waking the Labor parly up. It is time, and there is work to do.” Ido not know whether my friend’s union have joined 'Jio United Labor party or not. If they have, he should bring his grievances before them ; and if not, then he should get them to join.

AN IRISH PARALLEL.

At a, demonstration iu Manchester recently, organised by the Women’s Social and Political Union, aided by the Independent Labor party, Mr George L<msbui'y instituted an interesting parallel between the position of the Irish Nationalists fax the past and that of women to-day. Since he was 15 years of age, ho said, ho had taken part m every progressive movement in London. He remembered the death of Sergeant Brett in Manchester, and the fate of the four men who were known as the “Manchester Martyrs,” and who cried “God save Ireland!’’ on the scaffold. Irishmen revolted because they wanted to take their full share in controlling their own lives. They complained that laws wore made for them by the Government majority at Westminster, and they claimed their right to make their own law’s. Women are now in exactly the same position outside the law as Irishmen wore then. Miss Homiman, speaking for the Actresses’ Franchise League, said they were getting tired of asking for the vote as if for a favor ; they demanded it as a right. She was not a young woman, but she intended to live to go to the poll, if not on foot, then in a bath-chair or a litter. LABOR UNREST GAIN AND LOSS. In spite of the number of big strikes which have taken place in England and the great amount of suffering that they have necessitated, the unrest still continues. , The trade unions seem more active than ever, and, while the loss must be great to the men who arc doing the fighting, the gain to the workers as a w-hole is not insignificant. The Scottish miners have just won a good increase in wages. By negotiations on the Conciliation Board they have gained an advance from 6s to 6s 9d per day, and further improvements are to be open for consideration after December 51. tin Northumberland and Durham the agitation against the three-shift system is assuming big proportions. The women in the homes are particularly determined in their protest. When men and boys return from work at all times of the day and night the burden of work becomes intolerable. The Miners’ Federation of Great Britain have decided to support the colliers of Northumberland and Durham, and it is possible an extensive strike may occur. In Liverpool 8,000 members of the local Garters’ Union have

handed in their notices, in pursuance of a demand for a Saturday half-holiday, a shorter working day by ono hour, and Qxtra pay , for overtime.: From the Black Country comes news Of another-' revolts on the part-of sweated-women workers. Until a few months ago the female employees in' the hollow-ware industry had worked for Id per hour. They struck for a minimum wage of 10s for V week of 51 hours, and 25 firms conceded their demands. But because a few companies have-- refused to make any concessions many of these employers have- gone back on their word, with the result that 840 men and 550 women have come out on strike. This is only an indication of what is taking place. We are apt to think that because there have been some big strikes, and that the men have not always come off : best, therefore tho industrial revolt is ceasing. But it is not so. England i* to-day satiated- with industrial unrest and discontent. Indeed, it is a greater danger to her than war or rumor of war. ,

* * * -» * * BRIEF NOTES.

Congratulations to Mr J. F. Arnold-on joining -tho Civil Service, and more congratulations -to the Minister of Labor for recognising tho good work which the exmember for Dunedin Central did during iho many years ho controlled the deliberations of tho parliamentary committee on Labor Bills. The new Factory Inspector for Dunedin is- in a position” to do his fellows signal service, and by tho exercise of tact he will bo able to carry with him the good wishes and kindly offices (which count for more) of the employing section of the community. Exit the politician, and I wish tho new Inspector a prosperous and happy time in his new sphere of operations. » * * I congratulate the A.S.K.S. on the result of their membership campaign. One thousand and fifty-six new members have been added since May s—surely a record that will be hard to beat. What a power these big unions would be if they would work together, vote together, and fight together f * * # It was fitting that tho Bootmakers’Union should be tho first to congratulate Mr J. F. Arnold on his appointment as an inspector of factories. This tiny did at their meeting last Tuesday night, Mr Arnold lias been a. -member for close on 29 years. It was in fighting their battles that he earned the designation of “The Bootmakers’ Lawyer,” and it was to a great extent due to their influence that he responded to the call of the workers and entered the political arena. * # * Three shipping companies have challenged the validity of Judge Higgins’s award in the case between the Marine Officers’ Union and the Australian steamship owners. * * * The Bootmakers’ Union this' week voted two guineas towards the fund for the relief of -Mrs Evans, whose husband lost his life at Waihi during tho strike. Other unions, go and do likewise. * * * This week s * Methodist. Times 5 contains a special supplement on the Bible-in-Stato-schools question.- It is suggested to me that it is time that the working men in connect-in i with the church woke up and had their say on this question. It is not fair that they should simply leave empty pews, as so many are doing, without letting the reason be known. * * * All the Australian Labor .papers give extensive accounts ot the IVaihi happenings from the Federation of Labor’s viewpoint. * * * Ten thousand mill hands employed at the Carnegie steel works in Pittsburg (U.S.) have struck in defence of four mates who they believe to have been victimised. * * * There is considerable unrest in the southern colliery' districts of N.S.W. owing to the dismissal of one of the officers of the Miners’ Union by the Mount Kemble o °™P' l . rl . v - Afc a meeting of 2,000 miners at Bum it was decided to insist on his reappointment. ft ft After reading the above two notes, and bearing in mind the railway strike just ended at Home, my readers will come to the conclusion that-the old feeling of comradeship among the workers is not dead m other parte, whatever it mav bo in New Zealand, • ,VwVA=.,r- •