world or Work

NZ Truth, Issue 472, 4 July 1914, Page 2

world or Work

— Pithy Points lor Proletarian Plugs—

BY "HONBSTAS:

Oh, y© who look throu{fh longing eyes" To mark .fair Freedom's Sun arise, Know that your hope unfilled ' must b» Till Labor stand m Unity.

The first proposal discussed at the Trades Hall Conference on the Cost of Living was that of the institution of a Board of Industrial and Social Investigation, to inquire into complaints about Monopolies and other matters. It was carried after some discussion, which mostly turned around the method of election for such Board. One side— that -to ultimately -win .out — urged that popular election for such a body, which must be well grounded m economics to be of any use, Would bo a farce the public usually choosing men for public positions who could "pitch them a good tale" and keep on their "blind side." For the opposing side it was mentioned there could only be two ways : of appointing ' such a Board, 'either by popular election or by appointment by the Government m power. As the winning side stood for appointment, it meant " to say We would get a Board which would be placed m power Just now by the Nfassey crowd, and it is a foregone con.olusion that such a Board would be thoroughly representative of the Cash Cuss. Under these circumstances, it was "asked, h°w could they expect to get anything to suit Labor? One of the delegates got home, and expressed the views of a large number of delegates when he remarked .that the i best that. could be said for the proposed i ßoard was that "it couldn't do much harm," anyhow, although he could not see what good it was going to do. ' The plan of a working alliance, already : referred to m "Honestaß's" notes, between the miners, railway--men, and transport workers— an alliance which will comprise 1,270,000 workers, and will prove one of the biggest facts m the history of Laboris proceeding apace. Considerable nervousness is felt m many quarters as to the possible outcome of the movement, and hair -raising yarns of immediate national strikes are being told. All rubbish. There is far less likelihood of a great strike with the three Unions , combined than there, would be with them separate. The men who count m the Unions are well aware of the responsibility which the new alliance — supposing it became an actual fact*— will place upon .them, and are not likely to be rushed into any sort of wild-cat aotion. On the other hand, even more with the employers will the responsibility be felt of provoking a quarrel with a force so potent Such an alliance is likely to make for peace rather than war— or rather Btrlkes, for the war to improve the lot of the workers must never cease till the goal of economic emancipation is reached. ■ • ""'.'"•.-" ■''•.'■ What the continued reign of Bill Massey and his pjute push of supporter? will ultimately mean to the worked,in New Zealand Is graphically. Illustrated, jn the experience of a young motor' mcohanta from over Nelson way. He was engaged by a firm m "Sleepy Hollow" at a wage of £3 5s a week with, a room rent free. . Unfortunately "his health broke down and, on the advice of his doctor, he sought some lighter occupation m order to recoup. On the recommendation of a chum ho came over to Wellington and applied for tho position of chauffeur to one of the squatter kings m the North Island's most southerly province. .^On arrival ho found the pi u to family living m Hobson-streot Ho "heflltated not ia the order of his going" and made an early call at the squattorlal mansion. Here he was met by the lady of the house, who said that her lord and master was away from home and would he call m a wbek. Ho returned on the appointed date and was asked if he would drive the family to Oriental.' Bay. Accordingly he took out the car, which was not m the best of order, fixed It up and drove the party to their destination .and back. Returned to Hobson-streot, the motorman wanted to know something about on engagement. Tho lady said that, as her husband was stilt away from home, she could come to no definite arrangement This produced from the rather surprised young man a polite demand for five bob for the work he had already done. His pluto patroness was horrified at tho enormity of the chargo and "ottered the magnificent sum of one shilling. This bolng scornfully rejected, she condescended to discuss the details' of a permanent engagement. She said that the screw would bo 15» a week and found. . The duties would entail the cleaning of the daily footwear m tho early morninglending a hand m the garden and about the house; cleaning tho car and taking the lady and hor friends for a morning drive to do shopping or »)ay j early calls; In the afternoon wash the | car and take the family -out for a drlvo; help m the garden till tea tlrao; m tho evening answer tho door, and drlvo to theatres, parties and balls when «o required. This \va« too much for a man who was socking to recuperate, bo ho again politely insisted on getting his five bob. After some hesitation It waa forthcoming, and-. he left. • « r There are those In tho Labor movement who will boost municipal managemont for all it is worth und spout about tho Improved conditions granted to municipal employee**, and no doubt tho surfaco cvldenco bears out their contentions "almost to tho letter. Those who look deeper, however, will tell you that municipal employers aro as rapacious and *a« exacting as the most unscrupulous of private employers whero economic conditions permit of tholr being so. Thin also is true, and every now and again "Honestas" culls Illustration* of tho unwelcome fact from tho advertising column* of tho plutft press. The latent example of the latter economic fact comes to him from Nolnoh, where that honorable and catlmablo gontleman the Town Clerk wants a LADY TYPISTE who Is also a shorthand writer, but hero Jb tho precious advert, a« it appeared In the Sleepy Hollow tripe wrup the other day; CITY OF NELSON. Wanted, a Lady Typlste for the | Town Cterk'n Office; knowledge of Shorthand ncccswiry. W»Be«. 10* par wo<?k to commence. Apply ttiSTMonftlly. G. A. EDMONDS, Town Clerk. And In tho City of N«»l«on, wh«r« tho Lady hung* out who i» nuch a great authority on ih«i Whlto B!ave Traffic. Of " eouma there* no-whlt*' ulavery about tho above. It* a fine reapoeta\>j«. Wllet and many »'ft working mann smart daughter will • Jump at the

chance. ' Why, when Miss Mary holds such a confidential position m th© Town Clerk's Office, the social status of the whole, dam -family -will be considerably improved. "And look at the chances she'll, have!" .' which :cryptie saying may mean much or little* v<3U the Town .Councillors' of Nelson^ <are , responsible for the fixing of the above wanted Lady Typist's salary at .10?, per week, .then Town" Scoundrels* would be a ; more.- fitting. term for thetdT and Nelson- electors must remember Athe fact when nex^ these bUghters and smug-faped fakirs cpme out;,bleatlng , to be re-elected. But ' if ttie: ladyi'df r dual accomplishments is to be a iprivate employee ;of ; the gentleman, f who calls himself the Town tlerk, of thai Town Clerk.; who,calls> himself a" gentleman, then "Honestes" faas n'oth^ng, further to say. The .Town Clerk' whose" "private" business Isn't; worth A .,m<tte than ten shillings a week to tbte'ena- ■••;■■'■ ployee who does all the .conn^eriCjal correspondence, etc., doesn't , hq|(f"La v very high place m the estimation "orhis fellW citizens. And that is soine-^ thing even m that Sleepy, Hollow, *the CITY. OP NiJLSON-^put" "lt Ci^eaps, Mr. Printer, it needs all the dignity* it can borrow to cover its shame! ■ [■■*. •■',-/ ■•■-:■■ ■.■*^Sr^??l :, "What is- the matter with: toe Wei- - lingtpn Trades Hall? It must be under a spell of intellectual eclipse. At '\ the Cost of Living Conference Jast i , week, it 'waa generally noUceaWWMf' f a comparatively, small number took / part' m the dlscufifsion, ] riot ;jU %-Vu^"* ■: more thaV three ' or " four. The'^thing got so bad that oheiof the/defagstfes, who "Honestas" believes iooic'"aA^tk>m» inent part m bringing the conference ; about, called on the delegates gfciier- ' ally to "spruik up a bit and let all hear from yef." It was, too had, .s&yi he, to just allow ' three or j? Our &} *^tf':' '-■ all the yapping, and that 'what^thffip had come- for was to hear &ll tiliSte?' have a go. Bfit whatr Is Hhi*«Be^ There seems to be something, njbp.ut the Trades Hall, or maybe iris Gubastreet, which throws a.' pall over any attempt to think clearly op j^.narjrof any working .class man, ■<'&* wants some mental dynamite to shake things up' a bit and then things might, movor. a wee bit faster m the: « " Wellington Labor' World. juJ_ The more "Honestas" studies "The Workers*' Educational Asspeia^Uon'' ' movement-, the. more is ho enamored with the' idea and convinced ' ihaJEjltfe adoption as the leading activity "m Labor circles is immediately* ib^eraUve. By no possible stretch of'bpiUmlara can it bo conceived that the coming general election is to- advantage Labor and its objective. Allvth.«Bt..:cap i ; i be expected of it ia. to aUow^ttio ,prolotarlau.an opportunity qf showkLg^thal htf'ls not yet kliled-^not oven^wroftinea —and to convince the" Masao^'plute push that they are not the, -''top^dbga*/: m this little Dominion. The reaiWJW'KV that lies at Labor's hand at tho^.pjreBont moment is the education .of <- its rank and file and "Honestas" "cah see no better medium m sight; than the establishment of a WorkerV Educational Association m New Zealand, Ho is- the moro emboldone'd to t&press this decided opinion of to£ reviewing the work that has alrcady^fteeddbno. Here is something productive of thought: " : ; • The history of , -the Worker's' Educational Asaocfution of . Great Britain and .Ireland reads i * jike V < romance. Prom a small 'beginning made ten years ago* by a , little group of Trade Unionists and Co-operators, fired with a zeal for the education of the workers, it has grown until to-driy is a federation of ten thousand wording olaßs and educational organisations. It fs estimated' that MM- , year 60,000 men and women wore under its educational lnfludiufo '■ What' that means' in thtf ■ljfe^df f a.. t ' " nation It is impossible to esliraqte ' m mere figuccjj. ' . Animated by success" sff 'far. m other lands, it m surely no^aßTjftxtravagant estimate to make tlia£,*\tnside twelve months at least 50TO jsarn-^ oat workers could be banded together here — thus producing a solid thinking body .that; must have an immense Influence on. the sclontlno eco*«**» nomic development of "God's. Qwit^, And now a word to some of the would-bo and have- been loaders Qt Labor m Now Zealand. "Hd.n^taq", has heard Scotußonnett, Bob' Sempie '. ' and Pat Hlckey and others of that Ilk say, m words whose purport could not be misunderstood, that ' the manual worker roust go on his own" and^iellgiously exclude all those who, b"jr any chance, could bo to'rmod' professionals/' They seemed to be blind to the fact that there wore thousands '^tfcntbe teaching, medical, legal and JcfufrnaJlstlc ranks m Australasia us sound on the economic problem an tho. veriest' "Red-Fedder" that ever wan, and eager and willing to throw m their influence with the cause of ProgresH. To. quoto Mr. Stewart's circular ngain: , , Tho movomont wan first introduced to Now South Wales «a it should bo, by tho workers themselves. The Labor Council of N.S.W. took the flr«t steps by calling a conferonco of working claim and educational organisations to consider tho proposal. At that' v Conference tho Labor Council proponulH wcro moat cofdia<lly endorsed by rfiprea<miatlve» from tho Department of Public Instruction, tho University, the Twteherii* Aflsoolation, the Trades Hall Ajmk>« elation, and other working slat* ,■, organisations. ■'.•-■> • From what ' "Hono«ta«" knows of New Zealand condition*! to-day n oimllnr community of Intercut exlHtu Jht<». In our University Collogcn thorn v a large leaven of advanced econom)o thought and a large number of «tudonta who would only bo. too glad to lend a helping hand. The Twiehem* Institute hold* very many who would bo willing to Aid the cauhq of progress. Tho Aiwoclatlon of lnternaUonftl Corre»pond«nco School Btufiontn could bo relied upon to provide r<>orutw able and willing to add to tho noccM&ry leaching power. 4<M to the«o nympathetlc frienda In the Pott and Telegraphic AnnoclaUon,' «- th« Amalifrtmtttcd Society of RallwaV S*rvanU, tho Institute of Marine tEngtneer« and kindred bo4le#, not Wfm«rition th« workerV othor. organ l<taVon>«. and there «ecm« to be the nua<*nr of ' on educational forco ihA^vipMlft provft Irresistible In a very^flAMO.