THE ONE BIG LABOUR TRUST.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18458, 17 April 1922, Page 5

THE ONE BIG LABOUR TRUST.

CAN IT SUCCEED? ACID TEST OF DEMOCRACY. (Contributed by the New Zealand Welfare League). The New Zealand Alliance of Labour is an organisation which is established with the avowed object of securing a complete revolution of the economic constitution of the Dominion. For the purpose of securing adherents amongst those who are neither convinced Socialists or Communists, the Alliance is being cunningly presented as merely an extension of Trade Unionism. In reality the combination is not of the nature of a trade union. Its objective, policy and plan of organisation is more after the pattern of the I.W.W. school of syndicalism. Acting as the partner, or twin brother, of the so-called “New Zealand Labour Party,” it proposes to create a revolution in the industrial field whilst the Red party does the same in the field of politics. As pointed out previously its plan is to create a huge Labour Trust which shall control the whole of the industrial labour of the country, and even in the Civil Service departments. Clearly that goes far beyond trade union action, which is a combination for the protection of wage-earners in their occupations, whereas this Socialist Trust aims at takfng entire control of the Industries. Its objective is “the collective ownership of the means of production and distribution and control of all industries by the workers who operate them.” Translated into specific application the Alliance intends that the tramwaymen shall control our tramway services; the railwaymen the railways, the Post and Telegraph employees control the Post and Telegraph service, and so on. When it is planned that this shall be effected through the Alliance “Industrial Councils" linked to a central “National Council” it is no exaggeration to describe the scheme as that of a monopolistic combine, a New Zealand One Big Labour Trust. CAN IT SUCCEED? In putting the above question we can hear people laugh and exclaim “nonsense, the idea is widely absurd; such a plan could never succeed in this country.” We will put the question in another way—could it succeed in playing the very devil with the industrial and social state of the country? In putting that last we advise all concerned not to hurry their answers but to think the matter seriously over. We have previously pointed out that this Communist Trust is already in existence, that it has over 40,000 members at present; that attached to it now are most of the unions connected with the key industries and transport services of the Dominion; that it is boldly seeking to gain control in the field of our Post and Telegraph service; that it is securing finance and ex tending its membership constantly, and it is carrying on continuously an aggressive campaign of propaganda on lines of peaceful penetration into every department of our country’s activities. To the above we have to add that apparently the Government, and a great body of the public, including many business minds, are regarding this "Alliance,” One Big Union or Labour Trust as just the ordinary respectable type of organisation, a little bit touched with Socialist idealism which I may wear off. Many employees and much of the press is deluded with the idea that it may result in some big strike from which matters will arrange themselves again in order.

It is not understood that the "Alliance” policy is to avoid both strikes and lock-outs in order to perfect its scheme of organisation and control. The whole plan is to build the great machine in preparation for the day of putting into effect the Alliance objective. In view of the lack of insight and general apathy existing, together with the timidity often displayed by the public authorities it is not easy to answer off hand that the Alliance cannot succeed. Of this we are convinced that unless much greater activity is displayed by all who are opposed io Communistic revolutionism the Alliance of Labour will succeed until the Dominion is landed in a similar experience to that which the Union Government of South Africa has had recently to grapple with Few there are who ever call for war, and few also arc those who acclaim physical revolution, but when the powder is laid it requires but the careless striking of a match to cause the explosion. ACID TEST OF DEMOCRACY. From the earliest our people liave been proud of the democratic character of New Zealand. This Dominion was one of the first to establish “one man one vote ” and give votes to women. Shall our democracy stand? If so, the people must fight the One Big Trust that declares its intention of substituting class dictatorship, and non-elective control, for the institution of representative Government we now possess. It is the acid test of our democracy whether it is strong enough to suppress the forces that are laying revolutionary powder all over the Dominion and waiting for the day when it shall take effect.

The declaration of revolutionary intent, especially in the language used by this One Big Trust, is a challenge to our democracy. There is but one way to meet such a challenge, and that is to fight it—any other course would be cowardly.