The Dominion. TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1916. THE LABOUR EXTREMISTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2826, 18 July 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1916. THE LABOUR EXTREMISTS

The authorities we assume will take note of tho reported attempt of of Labour to promote a general strike as a protest against' tho National Service Bill. It will bo' seen from a telegram in our issue to-day that the 'Federatitm has received the rebuff it deserved from the'' Greymouth' Port Waterside Union ,for its flagrantly disloyal suggestion." This West Coast body of workers has made it clear beyond all possibility of mistako that it is utterly out of sympathy with the/ attitude • which has been adopted by the Federation of Labour in connection with tho war. The Greymouth. Watersidcrs have replied with an unqualified "No" to the strike proposal, and also resolved to put any further communications from tho Federation into the waste-paper basket,_ which is a very' sound and sane decision. Tho Greymouth. Union has undoubtedly given forcible expression to the sentiments o£ .the great majority of labour unionists of New Zealand. Taken as a whole, they arc British through and'through—the war has proved that 'if any , proof was re-, quired—ancl.they realise that it would be sheer madness to do anything to hampor the Empire in tho tremendous fight for right and freedom in which it is at present engaged. To all but a comparatively small group of wild extremists the idea ( of a general strike at such a moment as tho present must be positively repulsive. It is impossible for any loyal Britisher to tolerate the. suggestion that any_ section of our people should c&mbine to help tho Iluns if" Pavlia.ment should dccide— as it undoubtedly will—to give forco of law to the already existing moral obligation which rests on every physically lit-man to'defend his country in time of danger. The sharp and decisive refusal of tho Greymouth watersidcrs to give any support or encouragement to tho "down-tools" policy is a significant indication of tho'baselessness of tho claim of the Federation of Labour to .expfess the views of the workers of New Zealand. Thousands of working-class families are represented at the front, anjJ participation in any movement that would weaken the fighting power of the Empire would 1)0 deliberate treachery to their own kith and kin. The self-advertising group of extreme Socialists who poso as the only friends and champions of Labour seem.to have lost all sense of proportion. In' tho midst of this tremendous struggle, and whilst the enemy has been hacking at the foundations of civilisation, they Jiavo been still shouting their old shibboleths .and harping on their impos-sible-political! fads and fancies just as if nothing unusv.ri! was happening in tho world. They have lost their grip on realities. They fail to .understand tho pitiful pettiness of

the things which they arc striving for whoa comparccl with the vastness of tho issues at stake in this war.

Tho shallowness of the pretensions of tho iipostles of "advanced thought" has been revealed in ri striking manner by the attitude they have taken up in connection with "the various war measures which have received the .attention of Parliament. They have hopelessly failed to shako ,off tho tramtaels of sec'tional and party.interests, and hatf? shown themselves unable to discuss even war legislation from the broad national point of'wow. Tho amount of constructive and helpful criticism that has como from the LabourSocialists of tho Rod Federation typo has been small indeed. Their practical contributions to tho discussion, in and out of Parliament, havo been exceedingly meagre, but they are never we-ary of attributing the worst possible motives to Ministers and de-, crying in extravagant terms tho proposals brought forward by the .National Government. "Tho presumption and ignorant arrogance" of that small but aggressive group of Socialist misleadors who try to m'ake out that New Zealand "is the most deplorable country that anyone could be identified with" met with a severe, but well-merited, castigation I from Mr. Isitt in a straight-out .speed} which ho delivered in the House of .Representatives on Friday night. Mr. Isitt voiced tho feelings of the community generally, including a very large proportion of labour unionists, when ho said he was weary of tho ridiculous assumption of superiority mado by those self-styled champions of Labour who endeavour to make tho world believe that all who will not follow them aro fighting for tho causo of tho privileged, few and against tho interests of tho many. They seem to think that no one has any worthy ideas or ideals cxccpt themselves. They expect others to give them credit for tlio highest motives, but they are never tired of discrediting, the motives of those •whose reason and experienco havo convinccd them of tho impracticability of proscriptions and other quack pan-' aceas for tho bottormeni of the masses.' Tho attitude of tho Greymotith Port jYVatersido "Union in reference to tho general strike proposal is a sign that tho workers themselves aro tired of tho intolerance and the extravagancies of' those who'profess to speak in their name. It is a healthy indication that the labour unionists as a wholo aro not in sympathy witli those who would seek to promote internal strife and divide the nation at a .time when itswhole energies should do concentrated in the struggle with our enemies abroad. Tho man whp would clo any-, thing to assist tho Hun or hinder the British in this fight for lifo is no friend of Labour or of an.vono but the Prussian despotism which has brought such misery and suffering to the wholo world.