The Dominion. FEIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1913. LABOUR TERRORISM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1662, 31 January 1913, Page 4

The Dominion. FEIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1913. LABOUR TERRORISM.

, ; - •;•.»— —- •■ ■ ; There are some lessons for the militant labour bodies of Australasia in tho story of the American labour terrorists who , were finally brought tojustico in Indianapolis just before 1 the close of last year., .It will bo remembered that tho blbw-, ing up of the LO3 Angeles Times' office by tho agents -, of tho body, known as the 1.W.W., led to the in-, vestigation of other outrages by this labour organisation, and to the conviction and imprisonment of some of tho leaders of the American Federation of Labour. The investigations culminated in the arrest of about forty : labour leaders and organisers oil charges of complicity in some of the numerous dynamite outrages with which the militant section of American trade-unionism had been carrying on their war against "tho capitalist . class." Thirty-eight of these men were finally convicted in Indianapolis , on December 28.' after a trial lasting for months,' and Bcntoncod to various terms of imprisonment. Tho origin of tie outrages was in a disjjuto in.

1905 between the American Bridge Company and the International Association of Bridge arid Structural Iron Workers over the open and closed shop question. . The company insisted on the and N a general strike throughout tho States against the company was declared. It was not until'''lß(36 that the Association, finding lawful, means powerless against the company resorted to violence. . In r -that year a campaign of dynamite was inaugurated, and in the following five years no fctvot. than -100 explosions took place, destroying works in process of construction .by open-shop concerns. This systeni of destruction, as the Judge said in: his address to the prisoners on their conviction, "was not carried on for revenge or in .obedience to any human passion, but for the deliberate purpose, by a .veritable reign of terror, of enforcing compliance with the demands of tho iron workers." 'It was clearly proved that,for. years tho funds of the Association had been drawn upon for the expenses' connected with the systeinatic outrages, and tho guilt of: practically /all the officers was clearly 'established. The evidence, said ; the Judge, disclosed "ah-ap-palling list of crimes, in addition to those charged in the indictments. These crimes' were all oommitted in the name of Organised labour. '•. J will not bclicVe,",he added, "that organised labour approves of such practices, but any organisation that; approves and adopts tho methods of these defendants is an outlaw, and will nleet the fate which outlaws have met. since civilised society began." :,. In New Zealand we have seen; a labdur body emulating the lawlessness .of the -American 'terrorists. There, is no difference in* kind, but only, in - degree, between the fiil labour dyriamitcr-B of Ameriaa and ' tho Federationists /who established fa reign of terror in Waihi. When .'the Los : A.ngeles outrage was .first'.shown;-;to;- pe connected with trade-Union leader^,' there was an outburst'■; of indignation in labour circles': at-.the grpssness of the sug-r gestiori that American Wadc-uriion-isni could pursue'a'cr'iminal policy; and when..this' indignation was .finally proved to be .Without warrant, it -was • pretty •'/commonly suggested., that the crimes of -;tlio .dynamiters .were ,nOt really .crimes,' "'or. at any. rate were/ hot crimes in the ordinary sense, but mero manifestations of labours r&ntmcrit bf'social conditions.'.Even,the conviction of tho 38 conspirators at Indianapolis will leave' many rebellious , souls unconvinced, that these appalling crimes cannot be fully justified. But so- ; ciety can make no truce with law-! lessness.' ;",<lt is an unfortunate j:act' that:there is some real necessity forj tKo.sober : advice of ,thc' New-; York; journal'-which drew this lessor! from; the whole dreadful episode: ~■-..;

Between the staunch upholders of lair 'and > order oh the one side, and tho more or less open advocates of violence on tho other, there has been a neutral Zone occupied by a considerable,' and certainly : a couspiouous, group,of persons, who, while professing, when challenged, the utmost nbhorrenco of violence, have nevertheless given to the practicers of violence aid arid comfort.of the utmost value.. These men and women have been cither wilfully blind, or have .permitted their sympathy with the toiling masses,to paralyse their mental powers.. They have, to ' all intents and purposes, ignored tho question of the means in .their intentness upon tho end.; Tho fact that V given movement, or a given act had for.its aim tho(improvehient of tho i condition of the. workers, or of anno-of tho. workers, hasibecn an all-, sufficient, warrant, for their countenance and support. Henceforth, they must, face the facts. 'If they continue to rush to the support of the strikers in every contest,' if they denounce as tyrannous every measure adopted to protect the rights of employers or of non-union workers, they can be. sharply challenged to show their colours.: They, can' no longer ignore the question of whether their proteges aro or are not employing methods of; violence and barbarism to attain their.ends. .' Unhappily it has been made evident that'in New Zealand there aro people ■ who stand in; need of this warning. We do' not believe that the general body of 'wage-earners in New Zealand'are- more kindly, disposed than are the American people towards violence »ahd lawlessness in the name: ; .of "labour." Wo do not think that more than ev6n a fraction' of the trade-unionists are (and the trade-unionists; are only a fraction of-.the workers); but : the , labour bosses here, as in America, have i never shown that abhorrence of : lawlessness which is demanded by society of every cause arid every movement. ":■• •'•••' : '•' ■ '.',:■