The Maoriland Worker WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1915. THE FUSION SPY SYSTEM

Maoriland Worker, Volume 6, Issue 243, 13 October 1915, Page 4

The Maoriland Worker WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1915. THE FUSION SPY SYSTEM

1 The Massey-Ward Party's instructions to tho police (exposed by tho Mem- , ber for Grey in Parliament last week) to spy upon tho industrial organisations of Labour will not tend to mako the working men very enthusiastic about the measure of liberty that prevails in N-Z. under Fusion rule. lor the past two years we havo been compelled to witness a cruel process or victimisation in operation along the waterfronts of this country, inflicting untold hardships and miseries upon many hundreds of good women and innocent little children, and demonstrating a policy of master-class "frightfulness" that might have gladdened the heart of the most ardent advocate of Prussianism. Now, we are told by tho Member for Grey-quoting an official document—that, while the flower of working-class manhood is' beiug urged to enlist for the purpose of "crushing Prussianism" in Europe, a police spy system is being operated against our industrial organisations The working men who enlist know that, along with their altogether numerically inadequate political representation, the only real safeguard their wives and littlo ones have during thoir absence, or in the event of their death, is their industrial organisations. Wo venture.to say that they—more strongly ©you than the men.who remain—will sesent the fact that thoir organisations are to beuspied upon by the police acting under ivory definite instructions from the Fusion Government. Not only aro the working men. insulted by this spying order, but. their most trusted representatives aro referred to in coarse md offensive terms, and they themselves are described as "the labour malcontents." Tho Government's instructions to tho police speak for themselves, and tliey also seem to explain why the Fusion Government is refus- , .ing, to allow policemen to onlist: Please cause careful and confidential inquiries to bo made in your district as to the probability of any labour troubles arising therein at an early date. It Is known that Semple and Other Federation agitators have been reorganising the labqur malcontents for some time past, and it is believed that ho and others associated with him are watching and waiting for an opportunity to cause trouble. Every effort should be made to find out what is going on about tho wharf labourers' and seamen's unions, and other labour unions In and around tho cities. It should also be ascertained through the country constables whether there is some movement among those employed on dairy and farming work. * -5f * # '-sv * There has been no denial that these instructions were issued, be it noted. And it follows as a matter of course that the head of the Department would iwt have issued a document of such far-reaching import and fraught with such . dangerous possibilities hat" it not been discussed by tho Fusion Cabinet. Ifc is well to digress at this stage to remind our readers of what Mr. John Payne pointed out in tho courso of his debate with Mr. Holland—that NOTHING IS DONE BY CABINET UNLESS IT IS UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO. We are thus furnished with ye* further positive proof of the undying hostility of the united Tory and Liberal elements of the Fusion to Labour. These instructions to the police reek with the odor of class hatred. Note, the terms that are employed.' ''Semple" (not "Mr. Semple") "and other Federation agitators"; "the labour- malcontents"; "waiting for an opportunity to cause further trouble," ©te., etc. Not only are theso precious instructions flavoured with such coarse expressions of class hate, but the deplorable document stoops to tho meanest of mean lying. Tho Fusion Party could not produco a single lino of honest evidence to support its assertions. Mr. Semple and his fellow unionists have certainly exposed tiie robbery of the peoplo by the Food Pirates and other economic bushrangers. They have certainly raised protest after protest against the manner in which the Fusion faction has manipulated the affairs of the country in the interests of the exploiters; and in doing this they have rendered an immeasurable service to the people of New Zealand. But they have done nothing that honest men would shrink from doing. Moreover, what they have dono they can say they have done in the open daylight. Which is something more than the Fusion can say, by tho way. .• # * * * * * We aro also informed that anqther circular was issued to tho police, and "The Worker" does not hesitate to say that Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph.. Ward cannot produce a shred of evidence to support the libel it contained. Its substance was in effepfc as follows: It is rumoured here that the Trade Unions haya purchased large supplies of fire-aims and ammunition in anticipation of tho passing of the regulations restricting the sale of same. 8 x * ® * •' * We have nqt been able to discover that any official instructions were issued to the police to keep an eye on tho Wheat Ring plunderers or the Butter Ring brigands, or to shadow any of the other undesirables whose proved treachery from within during this war period would ha-ve justified any honest Government'of the People in lining them up a firing squad But we do find that tho city police are required to do tho detestable work ot spying on the "Wharf Labourers' Unions and the Seamen's Unions, and country police aro to spy on the Rural' Workers, while the Miners and other unions are apparently to be subjected to a general policy of espionage. We cairfc help feeling that the whole thing points to a determination to ijse the public powers to arbitrarily hold down the workers' wages while the cost of living soars higher and ever higher. Of course, the only real purpose back of such , a movo would bo to render quite sale the profit-making exploits of the various Food and other Rings in this country. AY© might bo pardoned for again pointing out that tho police spy methods indicated in tho official instructions referred to aro quite in lino with the police spy methods employed by Bismarck against the workers in Prussia particularly aud in Germany generally during the operations of tho liberty-destroying Exceptional Law. * -X- * * * * It is certainly a great compliment that the Massey-Ward Party pays to Mr. Semple and the "other Federation agitators"; it is also a great compliment that tho same party pays to tho working-class organisations that it directs the polico to spy upon. It is to tho credit of the police fore© that itsbest manhood resents the work ifc is expected to do. But wo will leave ifc to Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward and their supporters to say to what extent such dark-lantern methods aro likely to causo tho workers to rush the recruiting office. Wo will also leave it to them to say whether ifc is not moro than humiliating to tho people of New Zealand to find somo of the most Indefensible methods employed by tho Prussian ruling class against the honiist working men of Germany in ono of tho darkest periods of that country's Jistory aro now being cjpicd for uso by tho Fusion against, the honest workbg men of Maoriland.