TRADE UNION POLITICS

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18777, 27 October 1932, Page 12

TRADE UNION POLITICS

THE COTTON STRIKE. T.U.O. AND STATE CONTROL. (By Harold Cox, in London Sunday Times.) The proceedings at the meetings 01 the Trades Union Congress at New-castle-on-Tyne do not offer very much hope of any useful contribution from the trade unions towards the solution of the problem of unemployment. At the moment that members of the congress were disoussing questions involved in the payment of unemployment allowances by the State 3 deputation of persons actually unemployed in the surrounding districts of the country appeared at the doors of the hall when the discussion was proceeding, and asked to be admitted. Admisison was refused and their entry barred by a strong force of police. The excuse of the leaders of the congress for this attitude to the unemployed was that the- deputation was largely composed of Communists an excuse which was to some extent jusliiled by the fact that among the banners waved by the procession outside was one bearing the words: “Down with the capitalist T.U.C. Nevertheless the refusal of the T.U.C. to listen to the deputation suggests an attitude of superiority that seems hardly consistent with Socialist claims for the solidarity of the working CI&SSGS. A matter of more permanent importance was the action of the congress in deciding to raise funds for the assistance of the cotton strike in Lancashire. This strike is one of the most regrettable accompaniments of the present industrial depression. Encouraging Strlkos.

Lancashire is suffering from a very serious decline in her overseas trade, and from increased competition from countries which are able to produce cotton goods at a lower cost. If Lancashire is to recover, even partially, her old position she must bring down her costs of production, and obviously the price paid for labour is an element in those costs. Had the cotton workers been well led they would have entered into a friendly discussion with the employers to see how the necessary reduction In total costs could be secured with a minimum of hardship to the operatives. Instead, their leaders have preferred industrial war, and are making that war as widespread as possible by attacking even those employers who are willing to go a long way towards meeting the trade union demands. In such a situation, involving very grave losses to the whole nation, it was the obvious duty of the T.U/J. to use all the influence it could command in the interests of peace. Instead, the congress decided :to organise an appeal for funds to assist the strikers. Other proceedings of the congress help to explain the mental attitude which led to this action. Leading members of the T.U.C. are still dominated by the spirit of class warfare, and still deluded by the dream that it is possible for the State to provide for all the needs of the manual worker if he cannot find work for himself. A bitter attack was made on the present Government for reducing, in .the interests of national economy, the amount payable for unemployment relief, and for insisting on a “means test” so that payment should only be made to persons in real need of relief. The "Means” Test.

The opposition to the means test is one of the outstanding examples of the domination of modern trade unionism by Socialist doctrine. Everybody knows that the payments now being made for unemployment relief far exceed the sums to which the unemployed are entitled on the basis of insurance. These payments are very largely a free gift from the taxpayer to those unfortunates who cannot find work, and quite obviously such free gifts ought not to be made out of Ihe public exchequer to persons who have sufficient private means of their own. A reduction of taxation is an imperative condition for the economic recovery of the nation, and private owners of capital are fully entitled to their share in the resulting benefits in view of the heavy losses of.income from which many of them are suffering. But the Socialists continue to demand “work or maintenance" at the expense of the State without any regard to the resulting exhaustion of the State's revenues. There was also the usual talk at the T.U.C. meeting about the substitution of State organisation of industry for private capitalism. On this point a speech from Mr Lansbury, who came as a visitor to the congress, secured enthusiastic applause. Mr Lansbury wants to "revolutionise the capitalist system and establish In its place the co-operative commonwealth of the world.” In particular he proposes to seoure “control and ownership of that great Frankenstein monster called the money market, in the City of London," and as a step towards the accomplishment of that project he proposes to take over the Bank of England and place it under th c control of Cabinet Ministers, themselves under the control of chance votes in the House of Commons. Marx Out of Date. There was, however, both in Mr Lanslniry’s address and In other speeches at the congress, evidence of a distinct departure from the extreme forms of Socialism as expounded by Karl Marx. According to .Marx, all value is created by labour, and the capitalist Is a thief who pockets tlie wealth that labour produces. If this be true, oblvously the capitalist has no right to compensation if what he has stolen is taken from him. Mr Lansbury, however, was careful to explain that when the Bank of England Is taken over by the State the shareholders are to receive compensation in the shape of fixed interestbearing securities. Evidently something has gone wrong with the Socialist creed. The truth of the matter Is thatcapitalism, though still verbally decried by tiie Socialists, is part of their own financial existence. Must of the trade unions possess considerable investments, and hundreds of millions of money have been invested by wageearners In firendly and building societies, tl>e Host i mice Savings Bank. Government slock and other securities. To meet these outstanding facts the Socialist of to-day has had lo amend the creed of Karl Marx.