MAYNOOTH UNION

New Zealand Tablet, 22 August 1912, Page 43

MAYNOOTH UNION

SOCIALISM AND STRIKES

His Eminence Cardinal Logue presided at tire annual general meeting of the Maynooth Union, which was held on June 27, and at the various sectional meetings the papers read were of more than usual interest, dealing as they did with such important subjects as ‘ Strikes/ ‘ Syndicalism/ ‘ Socialism/ ‘ Temperance/ and ‘ Home Rule.’

Cardinal Logue on Socialism and Home Rule.

In the course of references to Socialism, Cardinal ( Logue expressed his great regret that what was really an anti-Christian movement was finding a footing in Ireland. It was a matter, he added, that the. clergy should keep under close observation. Referring to Home Rule, his Eminence said that a great deal of prudence would be required to enable those who had the destinies of the country in their hands to use their power and their opportunities in such a way as not to trench on the spiritual or temporal welfare of the people. •

Strikes.

In an extremely able paper on ‘ Strikes,’ Rev. M. J. O’Donnell, D.D., examined the main cause of strikes, dealt with the historical aspect and with the modern phases, touching also on the boycott, the sympathetic strike, and arbitration. If, he said, strikes did occur, the resources of civilisation were surely equal to the emergency. Let the combatants decide the case for themselves, but let measures be taken to protect the interests of the general public that had nothing whatever to do with the dispute. Dr. O’Donnell advocated the working of impartial arbitration courts, and also the extension of the minimum wage to industries generally. It is the fashion in some quarters to attribute the trouble almost entirely to the evil influence of the paid agitator (said Dr. O’Donnell). With that view of the case we have no sympathy. It is on a par with the plea of the sapient political philosopher; familiar enough to us all, who assures us, in his own superior way, that were it not for the baneful influence of the political agitator, we should have here in Ireland a happy, prosperous, and contented people. Both classes of critics seem to forget that' it is not the agitator that makes the grievance, but the grievance that makes the agitator; and that, though the influence of the popular orator may occasionally lead men further than their better judgment warrants, it is the existence of widespread misery and injustice that calls for the presence of the agitator and makes him the spokesman of a suffering community.’ , In speaking to the paper, Monsignor Byrne mentioned that in a factory in Dungannon nearly two-thirds of the workers would have nothing to pay in regard to the Insurance Act, as their wages did not exceed Is 6d a day, which fact gave an idea of the Avant of comfort suffered by workers in some of the textile industries. Mill-owners in the North had left £30,000 to £40,000

in legacies after twenty to thirty years. That indicated that the profits they had been deriving were out of proportion to the capital they had invested. Commenting on the paper, Canon Lynch (Manchester) suggested that there should be a Political Economy course for students for the priesthood. The suggestion met with the approval of Cardinal Logue, who thought a summer course or a post-graduate course at the 'National University would meet the exigencies of the situation. V,',

Syndicalism.

Rev. E. Cullen, C.M., read a paper on ‘Syndicalism/ tracing its definition and claims, its operation and progress, the reaction of the more moderate school, the effects of Avar with capital, and the relations between Trade Unionism and Socialism. He said that though Syndicalism belonged to the same order of ideas as Socialism, it would be remarkable as having opposed every other Socialistic theoryin fact, to have as much as possible eschewed theory altogether and applied itself with desperate energy to practical work. Syndicalism as a policy of social reform had for its purpose the

transfer of the means, of production from their present possessors, the wages payers, to groups of workmen. Syndicalism, as embodying a hope of raising the working classes to the level of co-operative ownership, is now practically universal. Improvement of the working classes, if gradually accomplished by the State, or by philanthropic effort, is rejected by the Syndicalist as futile. The railways for railwaymen ; the post office, telephone, and telegraph departments for the employees there ; the land for the agricultural laborer such are the claims of Syndicalism. By strikes succeeding one another at short intervals would* the workmen gradually learn, to play the Syndicalist game, and then it was hoped at the psychological moment to throw down the trump card of Syndicalism, which was the general strike, by which means Syndicalists would attain their aims. Syndicalism was anti-political, anti-militarist, and it was also anti-patriotic.