SHOT AT THE RED FLAG MEN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1808, 22 July 1913, Page 4

SHOT AT THE RED FLAG MEN.

FIE ED BY MB. D. M'LAEEN. Mr. D. M'Laren addressed a meeting of members of the United Labour Party in the Trades Hall last niglit on the subject of "Trades Unionism and Industrial Unionism." After traversing the history and evolution of unionism since 1830, the 6peaker said that tho industrial unionism advocated by tho Federation of Labour in New Zealand was a form of syndicalism, a doctrine which taught that a great Labour trust should bo formed for the purpose of taking over the industries by direct action, in other words, by force. Ho said it wa3 amusing to find antimilitarists supporting industrial unionism, because the form of organisation, that form of unionism aimed at, was compulsory, military, and autooratic. It sought to organise the worker into a great class army, with the idea' that any injury dono to the ene/ny, tho employers, ■would bo to tho advantage of tho workers. Its programme included strikes of all kinds and sabotage, which meant tho destruction of property. In the speaker's opinion, the Now Zealand Federation of Labour was teaching this form of industrial unionism, wrapped up in ambiguous names, becauso they knew their purposes could not be put in. plain torms without being condemned by the workers of tho country. The Federation of Labour had even made it clear that their purpose was to uso striko methods, and to deny the rights of local unions, and that meant that industrial unionism was an attack on trades-union principles, to which tho workers of New Zealand should turn their attention. After Eomo' discussion, tho chairman, Mr. W. H. Hampton, moved:—"That this meeting is of opinion that the recent Unity Congress, in deciding that the national executive should have power to call tho members of various unions out on striko without such unions taking a referendum, or being consulted in tho matter, is a direct attack upon trades unionism, which ought to bo resented by every unionist in New Zealand,". This was declared to be carried unanimously.