Abstracts and Brief Chronicles.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 10, Issue 447, 1 October 1919, Page 1

Abstracts and Brief Chronicles.

They are the abstract and brief chronicles oi the time.—Hamlet.

Zapataland seems to realise the dreams of Utopians. According lo what appears to be an authentic account of it, published in "The Socialist" (Melbourne), in that land there are no money, no murders, no "pay," no lawyers and no politicians. Worse than that there is no o.oust-tu.ion. The people must be mad. Stranger still, they are happy and contented. .Plenly <»," people in God's Own Country are not, Zapataland is an industrial union of four million of folk living on tin area as large as Victoria. As prophesied two week's ago, the announcement of the defeat of the baton-organiser, F. M. 13. Fish-..*, was delayed for several weeks. The cables were badly congested with other important Empire news. For instance, the Homeric combat betweewen IVleGoorty and Beckett, ending in the triumph of the Brittr. • Occupied nearly a column of the "leading papers" ;just about the time that Fisher Avas coming-to after his political knock-out, Tho W.idnes seat, in Yorkshire, has been for many years a Conservative stn aghold. Yet we find a pacifist, anti-intervention (in Russia) candidate converting a hm;e Coalition majority into a vote for Labor. :<o wonder Lloyd George is beginning to see at last Ihe writing'?)?^.he wall. The twelfth hour has struck! ***"** The fifth act, in the Irish drama is now unrolling .itself before our eyes. From tho cables it seems apparent that the English Government is at its old game of repression and misrepresentation. These tactics are out-of-date and will be fatal under the new conditions. Ireland must be allowed to govern itself as its people choose. Public opinion-in the Dominions is at a loss to know the reason why a federal scheme is not Iried. The Irish, when they emigrate, always take a leading and efficient part in the government of whatever eountriej? they go to: it seems Aery strange that they are deemed incapable of manaemv. their own affairs, "if -John Bull is not very careful, he will disrupt ibe -whole Empire ovev thi 1 ' on.ei'tion, which must be titled witl'Mut -.uv further delay. w * ..: * * Things must be pretty bad over in Australia when a Judge of the Supreme Court publicly condemns a large capitalistic concern for deliberate falsification of its profit and loss account, Justics Edmunds, from his seat on the bench, .scathingly Commented on the fact that the Vacuum Oil Co. had testified, through its managing director that its profits for the half-year ending November, 19.15, had been less than they had ever been; whereas the Industries Committee had reported that l' ne direct opposite y.'as the fact. Neediest to say, nothing beyond the 'bare cal4e " r ?nfp our. kept ■Press. '.fa' 'was too "busy'misrepresenting the soldiers' claims for a just gratuity. * # * * * The Worker continues to be feared at home, respected abroadAustralian, American and British exchanges show that Maoriland's Labor journal is keenly read, and, above all, widely quoted from. Our Australian exchanges make great use of its editorial and other matter, and the same applies to American exchanges. Within the last few weeks quite a number of requests have been received from American journals for exchange copies of The Worker. This, along wiih criticLtu in these islands which may be regarded as a compliment, is proof that The Worker is'n'ot regarded'as a negligible force dn Labor journalism. ***** It is hard to combine wit with wisdom. It takes a genius like Sancho Panza to do it. This gem of unhumorous nonsense is taken from the funny column of the Auckland "Star"—"Mr. E. Sample, M.P., says the only solution of the labor problem is production for use amid not for profit, I suppose it is devotion to this principle tjiat is responsible for the 'go-slowing' in the coal mines. If a householder, has to sit shivering before a tireless grate he can console himself with the thought that, anyway, the coal he would burn would be burnt for profit—not for use." It is not the burning for profit— not money profit— that is objected to, but the selling for profit—which certainly is responsible for the "ca' canny" principle. * * * # '* The beautiful effects of Constitutionalism in New South Wales can be easily realised when it is known that there are in that State, constitutionally governed by a Parliament elected by a non-thinking majority, 15,000 to 20,000 unemployed civilians and 4000 returned soldiers. This is the result of making the Avorld safe for Democracy, and a good place for Hoi man, Hughes and Co.