LABOUR FLAPDOODLE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15533, 6 February 1911, Page 2

LABOUR FLAPDOODLE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —A recent writer described the contributions by trades unions’ secretaries under tile heading of “ Labour Notes” as “ flapdoodle.” The local Trades Council column justly deserves this title, and more so. Lamentations are poured forth almost every week of the Hardships of the permanent secretary. Does it never occur to these people there is always the labour marKet open to them, and they can throw up their present jobs whenever they choose ? Do they whine tney would be victimised? What about that? Is not the cause of Labour worth suffering for? If not, then the paid secretaries are making tools of the active members of their unions, who have to meet the bees every day and be true to their principles as well. Then the “ diplomacy ” used to gam ends for self-security shows itself again and again. No wonder one of the audience shouted “Rot” when .John Hedge was giving the Christchurch paid-secretaries a leg up by advocating a miniature “House of Lords” within the movement. Cannot the Trades Council exercise some authority over their local “Labour Column” and let it be for “Labour,” and not a show for the Trades Hall fraternity? Rut for these men and their hidebound spirit of compromise the workers of New Zealand. might be occupying a better position than they do to-day. They never know their own minds a week together at a time, sometimes not for an hour. The fact is they have no definite principle to regulate their actions by. Privately, and if the occasion suit, they will denounce ; the Liberals for all they are worth. Then another day they will move the suspension of standing orders so as to be right in the limelight to propose “hearty agreement” with Ward's policy. ' Take last week’s “Labour Column,” and where is a more soul-sickening state of things to be found? We poor, ordinary trades unionists are rated pretty thickly because wo do not understand what it is we should roll up our sleeves about. Then with much wisdom we are asked, when are we going to learn who the enemy is? We are then told that the enemy is “Capital”—evidently meaning Capitalism. The writer of that column seriously urges us to stop fooling around details —“leave them in abeyance” and let the fight be against “ Capitalism,” for that is the enemy. “ Good!” I said. This man knows a thing or two. Instead of which it was nothing but “ flapdoodle.” llefore he had finished his notes his mind was changed. He feels grieved that a local employer of labour should be holding the idea that trades unionists are his enemies. More than that, he asks the capitalist to put forward 6ome plan so that the trades unionist can show practical sympathy with the investor in a depressed industry. Even further he goes, and. Ssks for a scheme so that the trades unionist may do something “with a view of improving this industry.” All this, of course, is not “ holding details in abeyance.” No, it is the up-to-date method, of “ fighting ” Capitalism by the trades union boss. No one minds trade union officials doing something to better present conditions, but then let them drop all the “ flapdoodle” about “fighting ’ Capitalism when they cringe to a capitalist like a whiDued tchoolWr does

to his teacher, saying, “ Please, teacher, show me how to do this sum,” when a half-hour previous the youngster was bragging to his schoolmates they were all doing it wrong and he would show them how to do it right. John Bari’s position in his “Labour Notes” has always been consistent, although a reactionary one. His views upon trades union action belong to a past age. But the mongrel, semi-Socialistic, cap-in-hand-to-the - employer, keep -me -in- my - office variety will soon cause a pretty stiff fight. The workers are not going to be fooled all the time, not even by “Labour” columns.—l am, etc., H. W. DANX.