"WORKERS BULLDOZED!"

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 4699, 28 November 1913, Page 2

"WORKERS BULLDOZED!"

• BY A SET OF BOUNDERS.” - LABOUR MAN’S 1 VERDICT. EMPLOYERS WIN HANDS DOWN. A very prominent figure in trades union circles had some interesting observations to make on the strike situation when interviewed yesterday by a New Zealand Times representative. “Yes,” he said, “I am a trades unionist of many years’ standing, as it is now close on 36 years since I joined the movement, and in common with a number of others I have watched with interest the working of the strike, its effect, and probable future results. I have been through a few strikes myself, here and in other places. I was a participant and a very active one here in New Zealand in 1890, and as I say 1 have been a daily observer of the present strlggle. I must confess right here tht 1 am surprised to see so many able and intelligent workers bulldozed and led blindly by a set of bounders, or in other words Rde Feds.

“You can take my tip, and print it large, 'in red letter’s,’ as Mr Belcher says, that so far as the workers are concerned, the strike is lost. The employers have won, and won hands down.

“Yes, I give you all the coalminers in. These men will be starved out before their particular fight has commenced. Make no mistake so far as this Dominion’s workers are concerned, and l include the coalminers, the strike is lost, and nothing now remains for the workers but to sweep up what remains of their organisations and, like true sports, admit they are beaten.

“The Federation of Labour executive can do nothing to stay disaster. In this fight, as in others of the present day, brains must tell every time. This being so, the Red Feds don’t count. Oh, yes, I know’ them, read of them, have heard their speeches. If hot air, bluff, unfulfilled promises went for anything, the strikers would have been back in their jobs long ago, and the Union Company, Mr Pryor, and the others would be ‘back numbers.’ But such is not the case.

“Don’t forget that at Vaihi, a very small business, the same Red Feds had something like £3500 (£35,000?) of good hard-earned money given them to win with, and they could not do it then. Semple got a trip to Australia and lived like a lord. The ‘Maoriland Worker 7 got over £1 <

to make good its banking account, but the workers, for whom the money was subscribed, lost their jobs, their homes, their all. The same will apply here if the workers are prepared to allow the Red Feds to run the show. Already two tourists have left for Australia; that’s how the money goes.

“Australia knows only’ too well how things are. They know how £4OOO of the last strike went towards the ‘Maoriland Worker.’ They are now on the eve of a general election. Labour is not going to spoil its chance by lieing dragged into a Dominion strike.

‘Outside the executive of Labour the opinion is that the workers are defeated. Those who are on the executive never will admit that such is the casei That was their big mistake at Waihi, and they will do the same here if the workers trust them long enough. “The only chance for the workers, if they wish to save their face, is to cut the Gordian knot at once and for all with these wreckers of solidarity, who have never yet organised a workers’ union, who have lived on the brains and work of others, and who have managed to break more homes, hearts and unions than any other force in this Dominion.

“Having out off these bounders in trades unionism, let them arrange to go hack in a body, as if this is delayed you can bet your last dollar the men will dribble back one by one, their organisation will be broken, the work of years will he spoiled, all because they have trusted too long in the wisdom of the Red Feds. “If the workers wish to save the position they will, therefore, first get clear of the bounders, tell them to go to the place where one of their numbers consigned their agreements; second, combine together and make the best of a bad bargain with their employers. By doing so they will bring a little sunshine into what appears at the present time to he the prospect of a dark and bleak Christmas.”