A RAID OF THE REDS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 27, 1 February 1913, Page 4

A RAID OF THE REDS

Yesterday, with resonant drum and the red flag flying, a band of ultra-Socialists, accompanied by their new allies, Messrs. E. Tregear and W. T. Mills, of the United Labour Party, called on the Premier, the Hon. W. F. Massey, and received some plain speech. Did the deputation represent "Labour" (which is now a very puzzling word) or " Revolutionary Socialism"? Mr. Massey was at some pains to discover the status of his visitors. Mr. Tregear asserted that he and his friends were "speaking for the trades unions of New Zealand," and Mr. Mills remarked that " the deputation was representative of the Labour movement of the Dominion." By "Labour movement" are the people to understand " the socialisation of \he collectively used means of production, distribution, and exchange," and all the other jargon of the late conference? Mr. Mills confessed that the votes of himself and Mr. Tregear had been cast for these motions, and " this meant that they substantially represented the opinions of the whole body of organised Labour in New Zealand." Eventually Mr. Massey was informed that the deputation was the mouthpiece of the "Red-Pink" conference, which recommended a Labour-Socialist fusion — a "United Federation of Labour" and " Social Democratic Party," combining the " twin forces of Syndicalism and Socialism," as the official organ of the " unity " movement has phrased it. "Now we know where we are," said the Premier. But New Zealand docs not know definitely whether the " United Labour Party " is to become the " United Socialist Party." The executive appears to be on a rail, counting heads. All the old nonsense about Waihi was again trotted out wearisomely. Perhaps the Reds were rather' disagreeably surprised "by Mr. Massey's cheerful willingness to submit proposals for an enquiry to his colleagues. They have imagined that the Government was afraid of a comprehensive investigation. and they havV traded in a wholesale manner on that assumption. They may find a vast difference between wild assertions about "cowed and crucified men" and testimony on oath, with the necessity ,of proving allegations. The best couffse that the Government can take is. to arrange for a full enquiry, to start from the beginning of the trouble, before a strike was declared. The beaten Reds are now using all the remnant of their strength in attempts to mislead the public about the history of Waihi. The principal point made by the deputation was in the statement that the industrial law permitted a minori^ to coerce a majority. In brief the contention was (hat the law allowed the tail to was? (he do^ ; a. minority in favour of arbitration could impose conditions of employment on a majority opposed to arbih'alion. Ileie is a. broad principle which we shall discuss in another article, becau&e il is a question that affects all unionists, whethoi they are red, pink, blue, or while. We give at once, himever, our opinion (hat this general indust rial principle cannot be applied to Waihi in justification of the strike. There tho Waihi Miners' Union, affiliated io the T!cd Federation, was an ultraSocialist organisation as well as an industiial body; it was not a clean cut trades union with n platlorni on which itnv worker mulil skuirl with a ileai nm mmciv "■ mj , i.>nvu ton that li<: v a.-> tine to himself, lub cpmilrv, und lua cherished

beliefs (in matters outside the industrial sphere). Tho Socialist union, hostile to the arbitration system, imagined that it had the light to strike becxuiae noil-So-cialists wished to form a separate union, a straight-out trades union. To allow a Socialist union to impose its will on non-Socialists would bo rank tyranny, a gross desecration of Uio liberty of the subject. On the subjects of national defence and immigration the Premier pave short shrift to the oft-exploded arguments of the Socialists. They evidently want a stagnant ring-fenced country in which all law will v be "lawless" unless it is written in red ink. The injurious effect on industries by the ruinous procedme df short-sighted agitatois, in diminishing production, naturally compels tho Government to look to immigiation more and more for sound and sane men to maintain the supply of goodß for general distribution. "If depression is to be avoided the number of producers must bo increased," said Mr. Massey truly. Any denial of that <>b\ ious fact i<s sjrotesque. The Government really has to •save the Pi,eds against their own folly ; they ask for poverty in place of prosperity. Mr. Massey earned the gratitude of the whole country by his sturdy uommon-sense in reply to the fire' eaters.