N.Z. WELFARE LEAGUE

Southland Times, Issue 18969, 2 November 1920, Page 2

N.Z. WELFARE LEAGUE

ARE THE BRITISH LABOURITES SAFE GUIDES. I (Contributed by the Welfare League.) Readers will have observed that the New Zealand Labour Party, and a number of Unions throughout the Dominion have been endorsing the action of a special Congress of Labour in England which has established a Council of Action with intention to force the. hands of the Government by means of general withdrawals of labour from important, industries. Putting aside for the time being the very grave fact that this act is a denial of the authority of representative government and a direct incitement to revolution, we ask the workers of the Dominion to consider the question of whether these British labourites show any sound or steady judgment in their recent decisions.

When one reads of men like Mr J. H. Thomas and Mr Clynes being associated with a movement of this nature it is hard to understand whether the British Labour Leaders have any settled ideas of principle or simply shape their course by the passion of the hour. What is the meaning of it? These men have repeatedly denounced direct action and now they are out for it wholesale. Here is the utterance of Mr J. H. Thomas, M.P., at the Trade Union Congress held prior to the special Congress at which the Council of Direct Action was decided upon. THE SANE ROAD. "Political action has not failed: it has never been fully tried. Labour has not returned to Parliament the number of members its voting strength warranted. Trade Unionists have not in the past used their political power as intelligently as they might. What right, then, have we to call on men and women to force, the Government by action which would not fail to inflict on the nation an industrial evil which would involve bloodshed wltile not necessarily obtaining what \vc want, and while a less costly remedy is within our reach? The great rank and file are expecting and are, indeed, entitled to a lead.. They must be shown that the one sure road is to use intelligently the power afforded by the constitution, the most democratic in (he world, and which would gain for them all that they desire. On the other hand, there is no man or woman with a feeling of responsibility that would deny that to give effect to a general strike would lead to serious consequences such as none can tell, and which would shake the country to its foundations, and this at a time when the country has just emerged from a war that has left behind troubles and difficulties the like of which had never been known before. Therefore, proud of our past labours, conscious of our duties and responsibilities, let us decide that we should persuade our people to follow the one sure solid road to freedom ; the way of education of the mind, of faith in our cause, that seeks not to rule the few at the expense of the many, but to provide the free and full life of all.” THEORY AND COMMON SENSE. The average Colonial workman can see at a glance the absurdity of any man opposing direct action at an important meeting and n few mnnths later falling in with the plan to establish a Council of Action for direct action purposes. We have realised for some time that the reason why many labourites at Home make these bad breaks is that they are largely the slaves of theory and probably the most self-opinionated men upon the earth. Men who have never been out of (treat Britain know all about every country in the world and have quite decided how they ought to be governed. The Colonial. who has generally moved about a bit is not so sure.

The English labourite has often swallowed Marx in chunks. He has his theory nf the international brotherhood and is prepared In denounce every Statesman, Government, Parliament and Country that does not fall in with it. The Colonial labourite, being nearer to the East with its teeming millions and even familiar with the Asiatic as a competitor, is less disposed to spill over on the sentiment or theory of universal brotherhood. * Shortly put, the Colonial worker is more for detidled facts and the English labourite more for theorv and sentiment. Th e conceit of (he Englishman was made manifest in the course taken by the British labourites who first of all decided to set up a Council nf Action which would, without considering the Home Parliament., or the Colonial Parliaments or people, settle the whole policy of British Imperial foreign affairs, and then condescended to inform Labour in the .Colonies of what they had done. Of course they are the Empire, wo are just offshoots, or dependents. No, this is not a safe guide for the New Zealand workers. There is too much conceit ; ton much coeksureness and ton little practical ennimonsense displayed for the workers of this Dominion to full into line on behalf of the wild cat schemes of English Labour extremists.