INDUSTRIAL ACTION.

NZ Truth, Issue 605, 20 January 1917, Page 8

INDUSTRIAL ACTION.

Dear "Trujth,"— lt is with the greatest reluctance that the following remarks are made, but m the interests of sound knowledge and the rising tid« of progressive thought, I feel it incumbent upon me to at least enter a protest and a criticism. I refer to the "editorial" footnote, and the ■!• appeal for financial and moral assistance for the members of the I. W.WMn Sydney, now sentenced to vindictive long terms of imprisonment: To '"ttieir guilt or innocence, history has yet to speak, and if the "annals of trades unionism" are any criterion, the verdict will be different from the one jlbw registered m the capitalist courts of Australia. I refer to -your statement, issue No.vember/18, 1916, "That £Truth* has not yet 'despaired of finally convincing the working class that [the ballot box Is the; one "and; only place to fight capitalism."- This statement, I am very sorry to have, to • say, doeS' not do a journal of "Truth's" calibre, credit. Many of your readers I am sure, must have thought with this writer, that such sentiments were at variance with all the teachings of science, economics, . and social \ experience; and that such advice 'should not have come from an "up-to-date journal like our powerful arid virile "Truth," which so many well-informed readers^ m New Zealand and . elsewhere, SO/ much appreciate. Rather, it. could have been expected to emanate from some political, wire-pulling, "do it by votes" journal. We can expect no better- from such papers, whose main function is to eternally boost a few cunning, industrial leaders into soft political billets m the "House," but we look for better advice from good, old "Truth;"' for we expect it to be' up-to-date m this, as Tt Is m most things of social interest and knowledge. Sir, you say, "Fight capitalism m .Parliament." ,But capitalism did not originate m Parliament. Capitalism- is the name given to the form of society In' which we live. It s derived from the word capital, which, m economics, is a part of surplus production that can be used to iroduce more of the same thing, captal. Our form of social production is :apilallstic. The land and Industries ire owned by a small section of the jopulation, who organise the rest of ho population to work m their factores, fields and workshops, and who comnandeer the major part of the sojial production for their 'own purposes, •eturning to the working class about mo-flf th of their product as wages. Dhe balance, after paying for the upceep of the State and the capitalists' iwn salaries and expenses, is profit, tnd can again be used to further exilolt the toilers. The State is an nstrument initiated and brought into. Being by tho capitalists, and only Bunctions by them and for them. Par- ■ lament is one of the Institutions of Bho State, and as it'*was not brought Hnto existence by the toilers, or dlBectly supported or controlled by them, Bt follows that it cannot function on Bhelr behalf. Parliament, is ' not an factor m the production of Bapital. It has its being m the makBrig of 'social laws, mainly m the m Berests of its economic masters. It Bias not, and never has, had a band Bn tho production of social wealth, being an economic cog m the ca.plBalist machine. In the study of scienproduction and distribution of sbBlal wealth, Parliament and legislainstitutions occupy no place. The of tho raw material and its into the manufactured Hrtlcle, all take place upon the ecoHomlc field. The conditions of work jßnd lifo ore agreed upon mutually on Hio economic field between the ownand controllers of the earth and industries upon the one hand -and tolling masses on the other. Parhas been- likened to a shadow with tho economic suba political reflex to an ecofact; a political mirror to, m BBiistrlal happenings. Parliament, rogm its musty tones, events taking upon the economic' piano. More do. It could not prevent the Hpal miners m Australia from gaining "bank to bank" demands. Why tho various legislative) counctls tho world not stopped In and pro|Btntcd tho workers m dlfforc.nt counfrom gaining their betterment o( and wagos that havo taker upon numberless occasions ol H-te years? Tho answer is! Though Hie capitalists control Parliament, the as they do all other Institution.' society, when labor oxorts Ita powei suniclent quantity upon the Indusfield where social wealth Is proHiccd. Parliament, not belnc; an ocofactor, stands helpless am . Not because it would not ltk» nifik. but bccatiso not having <u« M-onomlc' power, it cannot wield any ■labor is In Industry at least six dayi ■[week. It is In, or ha* to do with. th< Hlectinn of Parliamentary nominees H|icc In thrco years, la It not souni HLasoninß then, 'for labor to concorr ■self mainly with whoro It functho greater part of tho time*

I The workers, m the present arrangement of society, could control Parlia- • raent one. day m one thousand and [ ninety- two, leaving the capitalists to , work their sweet will the rest of the period. is it : not ■ .wisdom, and -ele-. mentary at that, for the toileTs to act '. where they are at .-present the whole of the time, thereby exerting real power, and compelling acquiescence to t theix, just demands? This exertion of real power is moral and just. I confess and maintain right here, that 3 the ruling class (the capitalists) are " by natural law, ; which m the last analysis, is moral and just, Tight m taking the lion's share of the good things of the earth, which includes the ' major part of .the workers production ---of! social wealth, by virtue of their s superior acumen, courage and deter- » mination. I must acknowledge * they are justified m their actions. ' Logic- • ally they are right, but upon humani- *. tarian grounds, for the welfare of the : ' race of which I myself am a unit and ; suffer, with the .majority's lack of • ;eourage and. knowledge, this inequitable social system must be attacked ' and altered. . The greatest good for I th© greatest is now the slogan. r By education and realis- > ing that the social disease must be : economic also. A' political pill will not cure an economic cancer. The \ disease, being the unequal distribution of social., wealth,- the workers must concentrate their efforts upon the industrial field *and thereby achieve the control of their economic product— 1 Yours, etc., 1 , "CLEAR THOUGHT." ' Runanga. '