The Dominion. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1913. THE POSITION REVIEWED.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1905, 13 November 1913, Page 6

The Dominion. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1913. THE POSITION REVIEWED.

A Labour Unionist who called at the office of this pajier a few clays ago stated that practically the whole of his Union were opposed to the present.strike, but he feared that t-he members would be driven either to strike or to assist it through the sheer persistence of certain of the strike leaders.. In other words, these men cajoled, bullied, and threatened unceasingly until they broke down resistance and dragged in their unwilling victims to become sacrifices to the personal ambitions of the strife-mongers. We have not the slightest doubt that this statement was ' the plain unvarnished truth. In some extraordinary fashion the Labour Bosses associated with the Federation of Labour have been able to create the impression amongst the rank and file of the various Unions, that' they are able to make it so warm for anyone who dares to oppose their wishes, that they have created a reign of terror amongst the less militant of the Unionists, who dare not openly flout their commands. Nominally, these Unions decide for themselves any course of action which may be agreed upon. Actually, in most cases, the decision is cut and dried before they assemble to vote on it. This, is due to the underground methods of their paid servants, who are also their leaders and their masters. The individual members of many of the Unions, if left to themselves, Would act in a manner entirely different from that which they are forced to adopt by fear of incurring the enmity of tho mischief-makers who live by promoting strife. There is not tho least doubt that if a secret ballot could be taken amongst the watersiders, or the seamen, or tho drivers to-day, it would be in favour of tho resumption of work". The men know they have nothing to gain by fighting—those who have thought about the real issues of the strike realise that they never at any time had anything to gain that was worth fighting, for. Why, then, are they out on strike, losing good wages, and with each day lessening _ the chance ol them getting back into their old johs ? They struck and they are continuing out of work because they refused to think and act for themselves. They behaved like timid children, following blindly the evil advice of men they pay to be their servants, but who have made themselves their masters. • Let the watersiders and the seamen and the carters, who have gone out on strike, search their own minds honestly and squarely, and how many of them are there who can say they followed their own judgment or inclination, when they left their work and 'sacrificed themselves and their families? They will find, in I most cases at least, that they were I forced into the unhappy position in I which they find themselves through the advice of their paid servants, helped probably by the touts and tools of those samo servants who am used to sway meetings by means of •tho result that Ihny not only fail [ to erargisa aax influence in the

bluster and intimidation, A noisy organised hundred in a meeting of five hundred can frequently carry the day against the great unorganised, majority who vote not as their judgment dictates but as their fear of unpopularity, insult, or injury decides.

la the present- unfortunate position in which the Unions associated with the Federation of Labour find themselves they sadly need a leader with sufficient honesty and courage to place their plight and their prospocts squarely _ before them.. They have been deceived from tho outset and they are still being misled, to tho weakness of their position. They are buoyed up with promises of victory which everyone but themselves can' see are empty boasts. They are told that if the Worst comes to tho worst they can always go , back to their old billots on the old terms, and many of them believe this lis. although they know thc-ir places are being gradually filled, and that the position in that respect grows worse each day. In Auckland men aredrifting back to their work, and the so-called general strike is slowly but surely crumbling away, and yet here in Wellington the dupes of the Labour Bosses ,are told that the strikers in Auckland are more solid than ever. Day after day here the men ate summoned to attend meetings at which they listen to the ravings of their leaders, the idea being to fill their minds with rosy hopes or to inflame their passions ajid prejudices, and thus prevent them seeing tilings in their true light and coming tci their senses, which they would soon do if left alone. Moving and living in the midst of this atmosphere ol deception, finding.almost daily some prophecy falsified' or some hope unfulfilled, the' majority, of the men do not know which way to turn, and so go blindly downhill, The further they go the heavier the; task wilt be for them to retrace their steps. Most of them can go back to their old positions to-day. Sfext week—who knows ? Each day sees the effects <of the strike being lessened. New men are stepping into the vacant places, and m many cases will stay there. Vessels are being loaded and unloaded, and big cheques are being earned by Arbitrationists, which in other circumstances would have gone to the watersiders now on strike. Cartage is being carried out to meet requirements, while the usual drivers of the vehicles idle about the streets and will have no wages to carry homo at the week-end. And efforts are still being made, by the strike leaders not in custody to drag more victims into idleness; to deprive more wives of the means of providing the household necessaries; to make more homes tinhappy, Tho whole of the iaise.t t y and loss involved in the strike- can bo traced back to the evil influence of the men who have dominated the federation of Labour and through it- have sought to dominate New Zealand. Even now, when so plainly beaten, they will not permit their unfortunate followers .to go back to work and earn the money necessary for < the support of themselves and their families., but are seeking to bring still others into this hopeless fight, and involve them also in lo'ig and hardship without the slightest chance of benefiting Labour,