In Our Opinion

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 42, 22 December 1911, Page 10

In Our Opinion

SHOULD there be a, strike arising out . of '.he moderate demand of the Auckland tramwaymen or of the wharflaborers, it will be for organised Labor . „ to back same to the last. Tho men on . strike must be aided by refusal •every- . : ," where to handle- blackleg work or to ; associate with it; and furthermore, money must be flung in to the strike funds with a passionate recklessness and an overwhelming fervour of unity.

the elections over, and although in preparation for the next, attention must be closely directed to organisation in the field, factory, and workshop. Industrial organisation can. do for itself and of itself much that Parliaments cannot do, and while doiiig it can- also become controller of Parliaments for other wants. Noticeable is it, for instance, that where industrial organisation is strong the vote for workers' reps, is stronger than where organisation is weak. So, let us improve upon our industrial combination, and so beget political .power added; and striving for both, promote the Solidarity that will be, conqueror. Wa require thousands more unionists than we have; we require dozens more paid organisers than we have; we require all the unions in the Federation of Labor. To the work.

npHE Labor Federation executive has be-en sitting in Wellington for days. To see the executive in deliberation ie to see the Industrial Parliament in embryo. The onlooker cannot but be struck with the keenness,, alertness, shrewdness and knowledge of an executive called upon to settle many a vexed question- or plan a campaign or an action. The executive is experienced and trained for the needs of the times.

TT would, we thiuk, be extremely in- ■- judicious for any of the unionists .: of the Buller electorate to further both- v= or themselves concerning the candi- ; dature of Mr. Mimro. Whatever some J of the officials-of the Federation of ; Labor pointed out respecting Mr. j Muuro, thej' at least acted from a \ sense of loyalty and duty to the or- ] ganisation. It will be a bad day for '■ the working-class movement when offi- • cials are afraid to risk unpopularity '•>, by speaking out. Men -carrying the * . responsibilities of executive work must ■. never be intimidated into silence. Tha /I Buller unions ought to let the mci- >• dent close, learning from it the impera- ,: tive necessity of in future selecting a I candidate by plebiscite in conformity V; with regulations requiring membership ; for a period and pledged allegiance to ) platform. Mr. Munro was | not an en- ; •dorsed F. of L. candidate; and here- j. after the only sort of candidate the ' members should have time for is. a properly-accredited Federation nominee. There are F.L. men in the Buller'-." quite capable of representing the miners and their industrial policy. Selfreliance is called for.

npHERE is. something ironical in the deposition -of Mr. Fowlds. We understand that the Labor Party's, sympathy with Mr. Fowlds was strong enough to keep an endorsed Labor candidate from running for Grey Lynn, and further, that that endorsement was refused Mr. I'ayne. Now victorious, Mr. Payne is welcomed as a mem-, ber of the party, while Mr. Fowlds announces his intention of attaching himself to a "real" Liberal-Labor party, and it is quite on the cards that Payne- and Fowlds will be , members of the same organisation.

nnHE Socialist caucus of one, and theLabor caucus of three, will probably, hold the key i>o the x party position in the House. Both of the old partiee " will sot skilful baits for the caucus,; but Labor and Socialist alike should de-1 . elate "a plague on both your traps." , Entangling alliances must be shunned as the very devil. "Support for con- ' cessions" may be necessary, but it is. playing with two-edged tools. We observe that Mr. Veitch is mentioned as ;. a suitable roprost-utative of Laljor in :; "the Reform Cabinet. If Mr. Veitch is:' offered a portfolio, and accepts it, fee ;- , • will have proven recreant to his party's aims. H« will be useless as a factor in swelling an independent party of;. ■: tho w-orkersj who once again -will. be : ; ' --disbed." Independence can only oome f of —well, independence; • . - ■'

TUM second ballot is in politics wha cut-throat is in euchre— and ftfenti* amazing combinations and <50mi»Iicatioas. At the next elections it Ije. made impossible for Socialist and Labor candidates to deviate one tiair'j breadth from tHe attifcufte of. Itetorm or Liberal rivals with/eww|;in; jr y ' ' ' • ..if;," : .' - >>-. f .

tensity. A "mixed" attitude promotes derision and excites contempt. It is not for a candidate of Socialism or Laborism to sell his vote in advance upon a lio-coiifidonce motion: it is for tho elected party to determine the mattor. However,, to get back to the Second Ballot, it is plain that it does not work out in practice as theoretically depicted. What with bargaining and intrigue, it is doubtful whether it even better registers the opinion of the majority than the contradictory First Ballot. But, of course., party government is a farce, and more or less of a fraud —so that ballots of any sort will be reflex of the system. At all events, the only Socialist vote that can be considered satisfactory is the vote which gives the Socialist banner-bearer a maJ&rity at the iirst poll against all-com-ers.

\flJLp-" SMail 11ot issue "The Maorilaiid Worker , ' , next week, owing to tho holidays, but- will be "go-ing strong" on January 5 and thereafter. ©u-ring the interval we hope to overhaul a mass of copy (including correspondence) and to sift some for acceptance or unavoidable rejection. Please accept this, the only, intimation.

. 4, so much ado is being made by militarists and the militarist prtsss about prosecuting offenders under the Defence Act, why not make another law dealing with the prosecution of the law-breaking politicians and law administrators, who openly defy •the laws they make by refusing to carry them out ? They tell us that the anti-militarists are {; shirker3 of duty" and many other funny things, but but what ''patriot' , so much a "shirker" or exhibiting so much abject fear, as those who take 30 much delight in advocating what they dare not practice? Who are the ''shirkers?" Who 'the most deficient in ''courage?" How's that, umpire ? Can Ward or Godley give an answer? What's gone wrong wifek the apostles of "discipline?"

XT is refreshing to rea-d of the fslitn for freedom of speech in Hu rtly !| so vividly described by "Billy B: -jo" |! in another column. "Local colour at---j quires a new meaning. The boyr< av-e painting the town red in their pro- i| tests against the Bumbles of Huntly., ■' and a ridiculous by-law that should bo j laughed out of existence. Wβ are glad ii this by-law was passed, because it will! help the fight for freedom. The manly; .stand taken by the churches, who rea-1 lise that it is their duty to stand up j for the people's rights, deserves alii praise. The grotesque assumption of ; authority displayed by little local' bodies in Maoriland is enough to make the very jackasses bray. 'Lord! what fools these mortals be!' to think j they can fight against the Spirit of j the Age. Thinking men will never j allow, themselves to be gagged by <■ "the never-ending audacity of elected) persons" whose duty it is to serve i and not to command. Wβ have no \ doubt that the people of Huntly will; send these pompous Bumbles about' their business and elect men who know \ their rights and dare maintain them. ;

npOUCHING the Press Association' -•-message re "Mr. Semple's Threat," ! printed on another page, it does not j do to literally accept any suoh wire, jj though in substance it may be correct ' enough. Mr. Semple points out to ua | that Sir Arthur Guinness, while dis- , liking jailing boys, stated he would hare th-e wages of boys who refused ; conscription duty garnisheed. In reply, Mr. Semple indignantly stated that if | the Government accepted Sir Arthur's : suggestion, and attempted to garnishee \ the few paltrj- shillings the boys earned ' as support of struggling parents, it j would thus arouse a power outside Parliament that in all probability would ' paralyse the industries of New Zealand. j It was in another connection —-she Com- i pensation Act —that Mr. Semple said he was voicing the opinions of 15,000 ! workers. It can be accepted that Mr. ; Semple did not say "he>" would do ' this, that or the other. He knows it j is an organisation which decides. i

<3COTT BENNETT'S farewell at ■*-' Auckland was worthy of his work. The social and dance on the Saturday prior to his departure was crowded and enthusiastic, many tributes and cheers marking the proceedings. The attendance at the Opera House on Sunday was a record one, the collection amounting to nearly £24. Frazer presided, and at the close of the lecture Bloodworth referred to Bennett's great and noble work, Savage handing the distinguished lecturer a. cheque from comrades, amid terrific applause. On the Monday the farewell at the wharf was noteworlhv.

RATIONAL PROHIBITION seems bound to come. On a bare majority basis the people have declared for it. It is one of the chief virtues (or vices) of democracy that what the majority wants the minority must endure. Of the 60 per cent, required to carry National Prohibition between 55 and 56 per cent, of the votes went against the traffic. We are not surprised. The liouor traffic as it exists to-day is one of the worst forms of private enterprise, and as such should be wiped out by any possible means. We think, however, that the people are not prepared to accept prohibition pure and simple, and that after a trial of it, a demand will be made- for the State control of the traffic. It is highly desirable that "t"he trade" as a social problem should be got rid of one way or another. The result would be to free many good men and women from the thraldom of one idea, and enlist them in the ranks of the Socialists, who would make all reforms easy by removing the causes of social evils.

At a largely-attended, meeting of Mr. Munro's political supporters at Westport on December 9, the irregularities alleged to hare been made in connection with the Buller Parliamentary election, when. Mr. Colvin, Government candidate, was returned by a majority of 14G votes over Mr. Munro, Independent Labor, was discussed, and it was decided that the executive committee make further ijuv-estigatiions, and if such bear out the allegation, to take proceedings to upset tho election.