The Press. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1913. THE "RED FEDS." AND THE "PREAMBLE."

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14844, 9 December 1913, Page 6

The Press. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1913. THE "RED FEDS." AND THE "PREAMBLE."

Thcro is almost a touch of humour in tho nttempt now being made by tho Red Feds, to dissociate themselves from the notorious ."Preamble," and to persuade the public that the "United "Federation of Labour," which emerged from the so-called "Unity Congress," is a totally different body from the Federation of Labour responsible for tho Waihi disorders, the avowed exponent of industrial anarchy and rnpine. More humorous still, perhaps, is the fact that Mr Hickey, of all persons, is put forward as tho Apostle of Truth and Uprightness, not only to testify to tho two bodies being absolutely distinct, but also to repel with fitting scorn tho suggestion that the Federation does not consider itself bound by agreements! The facts of the case are very simple. It is true the Federation of Labour is now called the United Federation of Labour, but its aims, objects, and leaders are practically the same as those of the old firm. As tho Wellington "Evening Post" remarks: —"It is still " doing the same Syndicalist business at " the old stand, but requests the public " to observe that the same articles are "different because of a slight change in "tho wrapper." It has the same official organ, preaching the same revolutionary doctrines in the same lurid language, and it is still led by Messrs Semple, Hickey, Parry, Fraser, Glover, Webb, and other veteran "Feds." of the Reddest hue. The Unity Conference was convened by tho Red Feds, for the purpose of enmeshing some of tho saner trades unionists in. the syndicalist net, and they were so far successful that a good many unions were induced to send delegates. The rabid recklessness, folly and ignorance of the "Preamble" disgusted and alarmed the more moderate delegates,' and it is quite true that when it was submitted at the beginning of the Conference it was rejected by 175 to 161. But tho Red Feds, -then began to propose resolutions embodying tho salient points of the "Preamble," and they carried tho general strike clause, the crux of the whole question, by 222 votes to 91. It was after that vote that tho Hon. G. Fowlds, the Railway Servants' delegates, and other moderates washed their hands' of the Congress, and left tho triumphant Red*Feds, in possession of the field. They now call themselves sometimes the Social Democrats —. the term Mr McCombs prefers — nnd sometimes "The United Federation of Labour," — which is Mr Hickey's favourite brand—but both these terms indicate the same body, the Australasian branch of the notorious I.W.W. of America. This is how the official organ described the position at the time:— .- . "Having defeated the preamble one day, the congress made its industrial I position clear the next day,, when, in j spite of tho somewhat fevered protestations of one or two, it adopted a straight-out Socialist objective by about 350 to 6. Most of the Unity Congress Committee's rocommeadations have been carried, including the clause which proclaims in favour of the strike weapon—and present appearances lndicato that bofoi-e the .end of the week tho foundations will have been laid of two great revolutionary armies of tho working class—one to operate classconsciously on the industrial field, the other to operate class-consciously on tho political field."

It is, in fact, fer proclaiming in their own choice ternacular tho doctrines of tho "Preamble" that some of the leaders of tho party are in gaol at the present time. Tho most fervent protestations of Mr Hiokey will not blind the public to the fact that the Federation of Labour is a body bent on tho wrecking of society and the spoliation df private oitizens, and that nothing but the firm action of the Government, backed up by the patriotic and selfsacrificing support of the law-abiding; portion of tho public has saved Now Zealand from the horrors of a revolutionary uprising.