ABOUT AGITATORS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 4, 29 September 1917, Page 7

ABOUT AGITATORS

SOME STRAIGHT TALK IN

PARLIAMENT

A RECENT OUTRAGE

THE NEED, FOR CAUTION

'a . Some plain talk was given to the House of Representatives' Ja'st night by -the Hon. A. L. Herdmari referring to recent acts, of the ..authorities, in this' Mr. Hindmarsh had been Speaking of the searches made by th« police, of certain premises in the city, in search -for evidence pertaining to charge* against officials ,of the Seamen's Union' regarding the strike of seamen in the coastal .vessels.. He did not say that

-no search, would under any circumstances ■ 'be justified, but he did say that, the ■ search had been, conducted in "rather a ■ harsh and 'high-handed manner. The-Hon. A. L. Herdman: I have known the honourable member for Wel- /.. lington South for many years, and I know .'that -when he makes a statement • in the House he is animated by public spirit. But sometimes-.he. is.mistaken. : The honourable gentleman,, in the coursi .of'the speech he- made, referred to the '■ investigation earned out by some polico officers the other day, and ventured to suggest; that it should ■ not have taken i.placs, or -that it was - done improperly ■ Whilst the war is on it is necessary that '.the. Government should do a great many, unpleasant - things which would not bo dTeaiht of in time of peace. It must undertake unpleasant duties, and one of those unpleasant duties;.is that mentioned. It. is within the knowledge -of members that a ship was lost oh the'way •from Australia to New Zealand, and Vh« • inquiry that has taken place would lead 'one to suppose that the ship was lost by ■the act of some person either in; sympathy with or "in the pay of the enemy. We.have been free from that .sort of thing in New Zealand, but I do tell the ', Bouse that'.'the. police have had reason : to suspect persons of acts of that description in. this country. I may also, say, -that something was found in the vicin- . ity of the building in question that made it .necessary to search the building, and - if I related all the circumstances members would, agree, with'"me '•tha't the , search was necessary in the interests of '.public safety. , .- "I. flunk that the people of this country are apt to. forget that this country is at war. Ships are passing between - the"Old Country and New Zealand carrying thousands, of pounds' worth'of valu(ab)e .produce,' and it is my duty as head of the Police. Department to take 'such ('.steps', as. I can. to ensure tha-safefy of Bhips and of the people upon tliem. "After" three years' experience of this ..war I can say that the workers of this •country, and not only as soldiers, have rendered patriotic service to the Empire. On the field of haftle and' in New Zealand these men have dons splendid wort, but I ]ia?e been led to believe' that frequently these men have>been grievously misled. Tor many of the. incidents thut hare :taken place 'in the last three years, .. the-strikes that have'occurred-in which men have participated, I do not blame the men. Time and • agxin men have stated that they did not want to strike, but. they have been intimidated, bullied, and. forced • into, .the position they have . taken,up,- by men who do not know what their duty to their country is and who are.rather enemies of Britain than her .friends,. '. ' '. ."The coal strike on the West Coast •was instigated by leaders who did not ■care whether England fell.or remained as she is, who did not care whether Ger"•.many.won or England won. But I know that the men working in the mines wanted to work,- desired to .work, but werenreventpd from doing so' by -these men, You talk about industries of- the conntry! These men were fold to so, slow, and they deliberately arranged their 'daily wage so that they did not earn more than'-12*. or Us. a- day. .They were forced to do if. The man' responsible for industrial' trouble is not the ordinary .averaee worker. Tt is the agitator who is entirely responsible for the mischief. I could name one or two (Jgitntors without 'anv difficulty who do not live very far ' away from Parliament House, and who to a laree extent were responsible for a great deal ,of the trouble that, took ■'"' place. ... . .-..-..- "I onlv' ask honorable, members to think' of the condition-of- things in .Australia when they talk about irdustnal 'troubles. The fair fame of Aus'■'tralia is dragged in the mire V thp asitator. Her soldiers :'sn the field have fanif marvels at the ; (Dardanelles and in Trance. They have mode for themselves a name that will never fade, but there are people who remain at home who want to tear.from v the heads of these men the!laurels they rjiave won 'in battle, and trample them in the mud. . ; '. '.' Fortunately, in New Zealand, the condition of things lias been' much better. Industrial pface has been observed, and the great mass of the workers have stood firm and have been loyal." And I hone the time will never come when we shall have in this coun- ' try the condition of things now prevailin'" -in 'Australia." " Mr. P". 0. Webb (Grey) said that the ''Attorney-General had'aMin indulged in misrepr'esehtatiorf reearding Labour. His . references to Australia had : been abso- : iu'tely unfair. ' What .'was- an "agitator? Every man'-'who fought for a cause was an agitator. Mr, Herdman was- an aeitator on behalf of the Conservative peo■ple, who-had put him into Parliament. He agitated for Conservative principles, just as .Mr. Isitt aeitated for Prohibition, : The secretary of the Employers'°Association was an agitator, appealing to his -cslass to-organise with the object of combating mare', successfully the claims of the working people. But a man only became/ a vicious. agitator in tho opinion of the Attorney-G-eneril when ho agitated''on 'belialf of tho oppressed. Ths truth was that- the, high cost of living ;' and' the conditions of life of the workers made it the duty of every man to agi- : tate. ' ■■•■■'. .

Mr. Parr .(Eden): Are strikes the remedy,? • Mr. Webb: "No. Strikes to the body 'politic- are liko a festering sore on tho human body. ' They 'are the reflex of n rotten, corrupt system. We know that • strikes are a waste of energy, • and an .economic loss. The same thing applies ~'to war. We see millions' of men' being sacrificed and billions of money being spent,'and we know that-it is wrong. But there arc times when the nation must fight, and there are times when tho workers must strike in order to improve their conditions a little. The root of the evil that produces strikes is the capitalistic system." The Australian strike had been due to the introduction of an American, system of "speeding up," . which:,had never been tolerated by British workers. It had not been caused by .... .agitators* Its leaders were men who j had not been'on striko for many years, The blame had rested'upon the Government, which had'tried to introduce in the.railway service a. system that even the American Government did not'recognise.' ' It'was a. simple fact that men did not strike without ca'usej and that wise statesmen tried to adjust and not to repress.