THE I.W.W.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160737, 25 August 1920, Page 7

THE I.W.W.

ITS ORGANISATION, AIMS AND METHODS. IS IT ACTIVE IN NEW ZEALAND ? (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League). It has bgeii suggested to us that the League should publish a short description of this movement for the purpose of general information, as the vv .W. is often referred to, and it is well that the public should clearly understand what it Is. THE ORGANISATION. The letters I.W.W. stand for the name “Industrial Workers of the World.” On January 2nd, 1905, some thirty persons met in secret conference in Chicago and drew up the Industrial 'Union Manifesto calling for the convention to launch an organisation in accord with the principles of the manifesto. The convention met in June with 186 delegates present, representing 34 organisations of 90,000 members. All present .were not in accord with the movement. This convention lasted t/ days, and it adopted a constitution with a preamble, and elected officers. * ITS PREAMBLE. The whole of the dictrihes of the i.W.W. are practically summed up ill W historic “Preamble,” which is as follows: The working class ahd the employing class have nothing in common. There caii be no peace so long as hunger and w'anfi are foiind among millions of working people and the few, who make up the employing class, have all the good things of life. Between these two classes a' struggle must go on until tho workers of the world organise as a class, take possession of the earth and the machinery of production, and abolish the wage system. ’ Wc fincTtho t the centring of the management of industries into fewer and fewer hands makes the trades unions unable to cope with the evergrowing power of the employing class. The trades unions foster a state of affairs which allows one set of workers to be pitted against another set of workers in the same industry, thereby helping to defeat one another in Wage wars. Moreover, the trades unions aid tho emMoving class to mislead the workers ” t > the belief that the working class have interests in common with their employers. These conditions can be changed and the interests of the worikng class up--Hd only by an organisation formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, if necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making an injury to one an injury to all. . Instead of the conservative_ motto “A fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work,” we must inscribe on our banner the revolutionary watchword, “Abolition of the wage system.” It is the historic mission of the working class to do away with capitalism. The army of production must be organised, not only for the every-day struggle with the capitalists, but also to carry on production when capitalism ’-'I have been overthrown. By organising industrially we are forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old. ITS BASIC PRINCIPLE. The I.W.W. proposes the recognition of tho class-struggle as the basic principle of organisation and declares its purpose to be the fighting of that struggle until tire working class is in control of tho administration of industry. It thus refuses to recognise the State as at present existent and commits itself to an unceasing fight against the private ownership of industry. ITS STRUCTURE. As a movement it seeks to replace trades unionism by substituting for it what it calls industrial unionism. Its plan of organisation is as follows; (1) Local unions embracing all of tho workers of a given industry in a given town, city or district. (2) All local uniops combined into a National Industrial Union of the entire industry. (3) National industrial unions or closely allied industries combined into departmental organisations. (4) The industrial departments com-■-.i'icd into the genera! organisation, which shall form an integral part of a like international organisation. SUB-DIVISIONS. (1) District Councils of all local in..liistrial unions in district. (2) Department Branches. (3) Shop Branches. (4) Language Branches. ADMINISTRATION. (1) Local unions and district councils have charge of their own local affairs. (2) There is provision for annual conventions of the national unions, the industrial departments and a genera 1 convention of the whole organisation, (3) These conventions nominate tho respective officers and the same arc elected on referendum of the whole body of members in each instance. (4) The General Executive Board is composed of one member appointed from, and by each, industrial department. THE I.W.W. TACTICS AND .METHODS. On the above the pronouncements of the I.W.W. are as follows;—“ The tactics used are determined solely by the power of the organisation to make good in their use. The question of right’ and ‘wrong’ does not concern us.” It aims, where strikes are used, “to paralyse all branches of the industry involved.” Failing to force concessions from the employers by thd strike, work is resumed and sabotage is used to forced the employers to concede the demands of the workers.” cerference by the Government is resented by the open violation of tho Government’s orders, going to gaol en masse, causing expense to the taxpayers—but another name for the employing class. “In short, the I.W.W. advocates the Use of militant ‘direct action’ tactics to the full extent of our power to make good.” In regard to methods of action the

I.W.W. [advocated such methods as “stop-work meetings,” the “go-slow strike,” “irritation strikes” (stopping for brief periods and starting again), “lightning strikes,” “general strikes,” “sabotage,” the defiance of all law and authority—these to be used as the occasion suits. A SUMMING UP. A leader of the I.W.W. school of thought sums up thus:—“ln the ultimate analysis what the ,I.W.W. wants is the unconditional surrender of the capitalist class.” “We can never expect to prove the justice and right- 1 eousness of this aim w'hich will always remain to tho higher strata of society an unjust and even criminal intention, to be opposed by every available means.” “The intention and thefinality being wrong, it follows logically that the means employed to realise it must be equally wrong in relation to the established standards of morality. The question, therefore, is, not one of right or justice but one of force.” (1) Under, the established standard of morality. (2) Upder the law of the land. (3) In respect to the observance of agreements, or consideration of actions as right or wrong where they affect employers. It relies solely upon the law of force and its power to take, or do whatsoever it wills.