PROHIBITIONISTS, PROFITS, AND THE PROLETARIAT.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 10, Issue 421, 2 April 1919, Page 5

PROHIBITIONISTS, PROFITS, AND THE PROLETARIAT.

An Open Letter to the Wages Workers.

FELLOW-WORKERS,— For some time past you have bcei listening to. or reading, the fulmina tions of the imported profession;! hacks of (he Prohibition Party, wlv have consistently libelled the workiu , class of M.Z., and painted them as ; gang of weaft-willed toilers, who ar constantly satiated with, liquor. Th 1 palliative of these gentlemen for al social ills is a National Prohibit iot order, which' they exhort you to lak< out against yourself on April 10th Have you considered the far-reachiu.-: effects of such a dangerous experiment as Prohibition, which, at the outset, is going to cost you £4,500,000 in addition, to the interest on the borrowed money, as well as the absolute loss of £1.500,000 sterling in revenue to the State. It follows, as a logical sequence, that if you destroy entireb one source, of revenue, and at the same time throw out of work the hundreds o£ hands employed in the banned business, you arc seriously upsetting the .social equilibrium which will inevitably operate to the hurt of the toiling masses, and in :avor of the capitalistic class. The japiialistlc Prohibitionist, and his aired marionettes have the temerity :o argue that the loss of revenue, il Prohibition is carried, will be more ;han - made up by the increased efficiency of the wage-worker brought ibout by the useful people being deprived of their social glass. Good 3od! Are not these cold-water coruorauts satisfied with the huge stanlard of efficiency displayed by the exploited worker? Worker, do you enow that you only receive back now n the form of wages about one-fifth >f what you produce? Yet these efii:ient experts want to initiate Prohibiieu for the purpose of further speedng you up in the workshop, and deiriving yiu of another big slice of the >roduct of your toil. Furthermore, he great army of unemployed which he labor-hating "Prohibitionist always >lays off against you in times of inlustrial upheavals, when you strive or better social conditions, will be urther augmented by the great army f men and women who will be thrown lit of employment, if Prohibition bo arried. Arc you going to vote to aenace your sacial conditions by plactig such an advantageous economic -'capon into the Jiands of unscrupulus employers. The Prohibitionist mployer has suddenly found out that cis interested in the welfare of the oiling masses. He is hurling huso urns of money into the fighting funds f the Prohibitionist Party. WHAT 'OH? Simple because he is actuated y base material interests. He has n idea that the portion of wages "hich is now spent in social pleasure rill automatically flow into his c0- ,,- ---?rs. Fellow-worker, clo not be misled by lesc Prohibition joy-haters. Make 0 mistake that if the Prohibitionist ucceeds this time lie will not re;:i lere, but will carry his campaign in-j ) the picture shows, the tobacconist j iop, Sunday picnic ground, and race- j jurse. Included in your wages is a jrtain amount for social pleasure. .11: ie Prohibitionist and hiii Puritanical lends can cut off your social pleasres, your wages will be reduces cor'spondmgly. Strike against such inu'sion upon your personal rights and berty, and this cunning, round-about ay to reduce your wo?-,es to increase ie profits of the Prohibitionist emoyer of Labor. The Prohibitionist has ho real eco)mic ai*gument, so ho plays upon tin , rings of sentimentality. He paints cturos of the horrors caused by -er-indulse-nec in strong drink. No- \ >dy but a fool would argue in favor! excesses of any kind. Moderation all things is to be advocated all c time. Because a small percentage a community abuse a privilege doe; justify you in infringing the liberty the majority of the other member-; the community? Certainly not! ?t this is exactly what Uiu Pr6hibi.'riiat s<ilH out to do, Because oiie two individuals uc-c razor;; lor the irpose of self -destruction, would iyone contend that this would jusy you in prohibiting the importation razors ? In clamoring for Prohibi- ! ;n alone the Prohibitionist show,,! at he is only a shadow aparrer. He ; sparring at the shadow, and mist> 5 the substance. His Prohibition lliative for all ills is about as useful advocating the placing of poultices wooden legs. It will not act. It opposed to the great law of evolu>n. The inexorable laws of nature, th our conscious co-operation, will d a remedy for all our social Ills-. m to-day is not acting accordii:.the laws of Nature. Our present ' cial system, of which our Prohibin friends are ardent supporter*, ( the negation of ail that make? for ' 1 betiei-ment of humanity. His for- 1 i, material interests will not let him ' nk otherwise than in a narrow '~ 30v.-. The Prohibitionist employer ( s cor-sistentlj opposed the finna- 1 nof unions of workers—to cite a * ;ent case, the Drapers' Union—and j l.as fought you on the foor of the ] Irirdion Court. Ho hsrs vuitiniiseu trKjTjc's of your fellow-worker.": , , and l )ushi. starvation into your home:-. * has been the promoter of \hn baton ( gaflf-s. and has opposed biit?rly all l • candidates at election time To- ■-. to suit his own onda, he, and hi* fc d marionettes, are using some of -* ir pet phrases for the purpose of ' iUng your cars, and maybe catch qc of your well-meaning fellow- f rkers' votes. Do not forget, fellow-L-kcr, that the claws hidden beneath velvet by our rich PrihobitionisU', the time being, are just as sharp ever, should you make a move to >c with the rising cost of living, tight about in the main, by the r melcss and bare-faced profiteerinc; *„ ulged in by plutocratic Prohibit- c, isis. Do not allow any organisa- j h l which has no interests in com- j a i with yours to draw a red her- j ? across your track for the purpose ! tl dividing you, and weakening yoin-j')' ics on the industrial field. Koej)! (t r eyes on the goal of Labor, and ! (t ise to swallow doubtful pills mad:.:; t( hi the potion lactones of Prohi- vl anists. " isc ii|» on Aprii 10/ ii, ami c-how i\v\ ) l hibitionipts. l>\ your vote. r'rr,w ] *'' arc alive to his real i.e.. ; complou.-. >-üb.i'!-vation of-Lyboj. A JACKSON.. .', -o&cretar , ': .Aur.klarirl Kct&i Workers' n-nion • (Fublishe-i by. : a.3