THE BETTER WEAPONS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8182, 25 July 1912, Page 4

THE BETTER WEAPONS

tite most im-kasint. and hope prrr, stiv\’ op the times is the EE3O7/UTE ATTITUDE WHICH TDK bi.'.lil.i) I.AIiUK, I'AHTIf ARE ASS 011l.s I r AUAt-VSl' THE SUHKIi.-CUJi- ' ISDIN “STAK."

The United Labor Party certainly appreciates such words of commendation ao aro hero spoken. Tho article from which these words are taken is a carefully written argument proving that tho ballot-box is a more effective weapon than tho strike. Tho United Labor Party does not wish to bo known merely as an enemy of tho strike. It wishes to bo known as tho champion of something infinitely better than tho strike. It prefers to bo known because of what it favors rather than because of what it opposes.

It is quit© correct to say that tho ballot is a bettor weapon than tho strike; but that depends upon many considerations. IE tho great body of tho workers refuse to uso the ballot, then there remains for the few, who must always bo relied upon to fight the battles of’labor, no other weapon within their reach than the strike.

The worker who simply opposes the ■trike, and. unliko this contemporary of ours, neglects to support tho ballot, is simply advocating disarmament, in the faco of tho enemy. Tho United Labor Party is not asking for the ballot instead of tho strike with a view to surrendering the cause of labor, or with tho purpose of abandoning its battle in behalf of labor. It is no part of its purpose to disarm in the presence of the enemy; it is simply swapping a 'bludgeon for a machine gun. it is ■imply exchanging the tools which can, bo used only with great difficulty, with' great loss, and with but slight advantage to the workers, and that secured by a slow and painful process, for tho better tools with which justice can be directly administered in behalf oh all parties concerned and with these authorities answerable to all of tho useful people of tho country.

It is to bo regretted that so largo, a number of those who are giving advice to tho striking . unions arc practically advising that they drop tho strike,'but are neglecting to point a way by which tbo battle that, cannot bo abandoned P»m bo more speedily and more effectively fought out to a finish.

A small fraction of tho money expended in oonnootion with the strike, devoted to the perfection of tho organisation of labor, to tho actual union of all useful people iu a determined

stand for economic justice would have won a thousandfold more for labor than it lias been possible to win through the 1 j she. lint the fact remains that loose who strike pay largo sums of money into their fightijag funds; while very frequently those who Oppose the strike pay nothing into campaign funds for fighting the batt'es of the working class with the more <iffectivo weapon ot the ballot.

The United Labor Party is in complete disagreement with the policy of the Federation of L/abor. It has fought in every way possible, except that it has made no offo/rt to interfere with the internal affair); of the unions which belong to the federation; it has fought in every possible, way against the strike policy, but it has done this, not because it did noh wish the battle won, but because it is unwilling to see the battle lost.

It is said 'that tho LVaihi miners are losers to th.e extent of £40,000. ii this is so, what might not have been accomjdishcid. by the expenditure of a like sum, not by a few of the workers but by all of tho organisations of workers, w’nat might have been accomplished for an effective going to the ballot-bo:£ }? The only persons who can consistently speak to the federation about tho losses of the strike must be those who are making like sacrifices, or, at Least, reasonable sacrifices in the more jw acoful but more effective warfare of the ballot-box.