FREEDOM IN FREE COUNTRY

Evening Star, Issue 17958, 3 May 1922, Page 3

FREEDOM IN FREE COUNTRY

POST AND TELEGRAPH OABE STATED.

In tho latest issue of ‘ Katipo, 1 tho official organ of tho Post and) Telegraph Officers’ Association, tho editorial under tho caption, ‘ Within tho Law,* traverses the opposition to tho consummation of tho recent ballot.

The dramatic turn given by the Government to tho affiliation to tho Alliance of Labor question (says the journal) after tho ballot had been so unanimously carried by tho membership has been tho subject of such a great deal of comment and 1 enthusiastic Press applause throughout tho country that there is a danger of tho real situation being lost sight of. Tho caso is alleged! to bo the faJoity of State employees endeavoring to servo two masters. Disregarding tho full text ol tha material objective of tho Alliance of Labor, tho papero would have everybody think that full control for all practical purposes must pass out of tlie hands of tho Government (by which they mean tho owners of tho service—the people) into tho hands of a group, which is alleged to be revolutionary and out to overthrow good order and fair dealing aa between citizens who believe as they do and those who do not. But this is not tho real situation, no matter how the Press would like Service opinion to think so. Tho objective of the Alliance of Labor is:

Tho collective ownership of the means of production and distribution and control of all industries by the workers who operate them in the interests of the community.

The words “ in the interests of tho community ” have boeii studiously omitted l by the opponents of the alliance, and yet they are the key to the whole objective. If tho alliance does anything which is not in tho interests of the community and does not rectify the mistake as soon as it is shown to be a mistake, it would bo setting tho seal on its terra of existence, and the broader the diversion from this great underlying principle tho more rapidly will the termination arrive. As, however, our members have bad tho full text of this objective before them for some time, there is no need to stress- this phase of tho position. It is only a side issue at tho present juncture. The real issue is: Can the association lawfully affiliate, or, conversely, if affiliation is lawful, what special power does the Government possess wherewith to block the necessary technical steps towards linking up? Let us take the legal aspect first. On this side there seems to bo absolutely no doubt that the Alliance of Labor is a legal organisation. The association has tho advice of three independent legal gentlemen to this effect, and it has now had) verbal admission of the fact from the lips of the Postmaster-General himself. If, then, affiliation with the Alliance of Labor is not an unlawful act, what are the special powers possessed of by the Government which can override tho law itself. This is the serious position which tho Service has to consider right now. It is essential to clearing up the situation that the Government should state what these powers arc. Up to the present there is a complete absence of information, and a definite verbal request that this should bo supplied for the consideration of everybody has been met by a definite refusal. Wo are then in the position of knowing that the association has a clear, lawful right to complete tho affiliation, but that the Government has decided to visit cansequences upon the heads of the members should they da what they have a lawful right to do. If we state the position correctly—and we think we do —then members have cither to agree that the Government is above the law or that it is demanding that they part with their rights na free citizens in a free country. On this issue we cannot see that there is any option.