Rapid Reviews

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 42, 22 December 1911, Page 8

Rapid Reviews

By R. s. ROSS.

M The Philosophy of Strikes."

This? is the title of an article by W. S. Lilly in the October issue of the Century and .After. 3 Fxom my point of view it is an unBsmally variable article as revealing the fear of th& General Strike which exists among the English bourgeoisie. Generally speaking, it is profitable to know the view of the interests and hhBtitutions you are fighting upon & method you ai-e utilising against those interests and institutions.

Mr. Lilly does not like the General Strike, and -makes so a cas© against it that I am disposed to like it with increased relish. To the average "Nineteenth Century" reader, Mr. 9 ! Lilly's article will be completely convincing, and appear to be tihe last word upon the subject. They may not know 'the reason for this, but as the article is not completely convincing to mc I am fitted at once to detect the reason. It is because interests in. some mysterious fashion determine conclusions. Certain, interests being diametrically antagonistic certain methods will be ditto. Thus it follows that if some people hate a particular method of warfare because profits and rents are jeopardised by that method of warfare, other people will love a particular method of warfare for the very same reason. Paradoxical as it may sound, Mr. Lilly's erudite onslaught is at the same time a demonstration of the strength of the General Strike. Inasmuch as the specific strike under treatment paralysed trade and virtually "held up" the State, behold in this a vivid illustration of the power of the strike.

Powerful is as powerful does —and seeing it clearly, Mr. Lilly hits hard; and the harder he hits the louder I can imagine Tom Mann laughing. Tom knows that the General Strike plan has got the capitalist class trembling, perplexed, frightened. Perhaps Professor Mills or Mr. Tregear or Mr. Paul will tell us. why the Strike they are ever idecrying is exciting the fiercest enmity of the. 1 ruling class what time the Arbitration they are- ever glorifying is earning capitalistic endorsement and advocacy?

The strike is the strength of the strong, not the weakness of the weakling ; that's why.

But to Mr. Lilly. Reminding us how that "the Imperial splendours and the popular rejoicings" of the Coronation faded into nothingness before the recent strike, Mr. Lilly quotes Winston Churchill, who said: "Had the strike proceeded for a week on the lines which its authors apparently intended —that is'to say, had it succeeded for a week in producing an entire stoppage of trains in these parts —rthere must have been practically a cessation of industry." Mr. Lilly himself observes: Tt it failed because, though causing universal anxiety, alarm and irritation, it had not been sufficiently well organised to accomplish its author's design. ,, Mark you that. "Mr. Thomas Mann" is next brought forward and made to declare what Industrial Solidarity is, whereupon Mr. Lilly elaborates thusly: "What he means by this is the co-or-dination of the various battalions of labor in such a way that the entire army shall be able and willing, at any moment, to support the claims of the smallest section by paralysing the industries of the whole country

Mr. Thomas Mann is a veteran strikemaster, and knows what he is talking *bout."

Now follows an instructive disquisition upon Syndicalism, Sir Arthur Clay's work entitled "Syndicalism and Labor" being highly eulogised. Mr. Lilly makes a creditable attempt to explain what he terms "the essential tenet-of Socialism," which according to him,'is explained in the formula "Property is theft." He believes in the Moral Law, which, once recognised, will lead to the disappearance of "the troubles which have recently overwhelmed society." Meanwhile, he adds, "there are certainly some measures, obviously just and reasonable, which' we could and should adopt to • wave the nation from the utter anarchy to which it is surely tending." And ihence we have the citation of Now Zealand a.c the country in which arbitration baa worked well! But arbitration sd order to work well in Great Britain

calls for some supplementary measures, i.e., "the total abolition of picketing, , the stern repression of disturbances of the public peace,, and the acquisition by the State of the railways." Vigorous action in substituting for "brute force" "properly-constituted tribunals" will alone save Great Britain from "a •far worse catastrophe than the one which has led mc to write." As said tribunals are saving New' Zealand, I suppose! :'-v