BRITISH LABOR.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 November 1923, Page 3

BRITISH LABOR.

FIGHT FOB CONTROL. .MODERATES VERSUS EXTREMISTS. ‘LONDON, duly 19. The strike of the dockers in England, now happily ended, was of importance primarily because of the fact that it showed the strength of the communist : ... cm.,. r i)...<..: i , i...

element in Great Britain and tin lengths to which it is prepared to gt to capture control of the industrial unions of the nation. Here in England organised labour is commencing to pass through the phase whirh unionism in Australia has already passed. To-day the extremist is making a hid to gain control of the Labour movement in the same way and by the same means that the extremists sc tired < ontrol of Australian unions a few yen is ago. But the dilfei'enee here in that tile respon>it,!" .Cade s new holding ofriee, men for the most part, moderate, honotirah|e, and intelligent are aware of the trend of affairs, and are resolutely lighting against it. The dockers’ strike was a inanil'estat ion of the activity ol Ihe eommunisr. Unionists generally dejdored ir and nowhere did it receive public sympathy or support, yet this

and the fact that, it was against the oflieial ius[ t nations of the union, against the edict of the Federated Transport Workers' Association and though no -trike pay was available (and the English worker, unlike the Australian worker. ha- little by him in the way oT a reserve fund for a rainy day) shows the strength of the communist and his organisation and discipline.

During recent years there lias hoc i: a marked activity on the part of the Communist ,ri England and a not inconsiderable section ol the working class has been won over to the policy ol exticiiiism. That luis not been peculiar to England. Ii has occurred all over the world, but milch of the •:•••' 11 1 oi extremism in England, with its concoininittant of unrest Is due to the same eaii-'es as culminated in Australia during the war in the expulsion of the moderate lead-g's and members of the Labour party the intrigues of pliieescekers. Conditions here at present are had. The ee-t of living is high, unemployment i- 1 rile, and the housing position is had m the ex l rente. Naturally, dis-at isl'aei ii'ii exists, and it has been an easy matter for the Comniunisl to play upon the grievances and di-. oaten! of the woikers and thereby l’o-ler serious trouble. The responsible leaders of the unions, many of them men who have given their lives to the cause of organised labour, have not stood by idly watching the disseminai ion of the extremist and revolutionary propaganda, hut have streinum--!y combatted it- They have been handicapped to the extent that in seeking to louuleraet it they have been place I

I,n the position of taking the. employe! s' side. Yet. despite tills very serious disability, the great body ol ' organised Labour retains eeulidem e in I them and their counsels of te ;de::)C"!i. The trouble is. however, that the- supporters of the policy of modern! ion. as in Australia, have not voiced their condemn,at ion ol exlremi un. I'hev have inckcd the entlio-ia-m and energy of the Communists, they have not attended the meetings of their unions, and generally Oiey have neglected the affairs in which they aie so vitally interested. A union meeting is attended by a handful of rabid exticmisLs v!c> deelai'e for direct action, and the other uicml'iTx of lln> union then feel in duly hound to follow (hem. That i- what happened ill the doel.er-' si l ike, dcsoite ihe olliel.ils. and that is w hat is liappcning here daily, though on a smaller scale. It is job control, as it i- praeiiced in Australia, with lliej dillei cm e i hat il is not dune with t lie approva I of the union i l!i< ials. in the dockets’ strike Messrs Gosling an I Tilleit. M's.lk. -Mr lievan. ami other of tlm i esi olisihle ler d'-rs ol the

j union, took a determined stand and i condemned the -trike. t one time jit looked as if they would le overa helmed by the growing strength of the extremist element, "hoe slogan “no reduction of wage-" naturally \\ as mueb mote popular than their demand for the recognition of bargains and the-auction of eontracis. but when the sc ti e list i ess uf the pu-ilioii eummenecd to oeeemc apparent, public opinion asserted itself, and there was a rallying of I lie moderate sect ions, and the (Vim. niunists were forced to give way. After about a fortnight the bulk of the men d(* lured for peace, and then eomt. niced it scramble hael; for "ink. Thi- doe. ml mean the end of lb" si niggle for sui.reinaoy. Right through the ranks of organised labour revolutionaries. "ho are both running and tin-e] tt pu lons, are at work seeking, to white-ant the machinery of control. Labour to-day is on the eve of developing into one of iho creates! political powers in the land. It may not -crurc the reins of (on eminent lor some time, but eventually, observers declare, n is destined to succeed to powc; . This is the opinion ol inn-t of those who have made a study of the ruling political rowh 1 ions in England-, and by nn -t | enpie is accepted as a mat tin of ( ont-e. This accounts for the activity uf the exlremi-l. lie sees the way to power and position politically through the indiistiial orga nisa t ion of the unions, and he feels that new is the time to make his bid. On the industrial field Ibe manifestations of bis adivitv are the strikes and the constant ft jet inn between employer-- and employers. On the political side the sign-, though mi so nunkrd. an- there, and are shown in the revolt against moderation, the criticism of lie- leaden, aml the disregard for party discipline. Tic- haul • which the moderates are waging against tlie extremists is Icing rdmired by the gieat bulk of the penile, and support is fort beeming lor them from all sections. Whet "ill he the out: ome ot the struggle no one can -ay. hoi the imheations ate that to take tlie wind out of tlie sails of the revi jut'marics a- inne' i a- pe->:ihh, there - ill he a tendency on the part of the moderates to adopt certain points of the extremists' policy. Indeed, it istated that tlie motion moved in ike House of Commons by Mi* Phillip Snowden. the well-known l.iboiir leader, deploring the breakdown ot the capitalist system which has just been defeated alter a famous debate was merely supported by the British Labour Party as a matter of tacti.s. Here again there i- a similarity with the position m Au-tralia. At Brisbane the Red objective was adopted by the A.L.P. principally a- a top 10 the extremist . The leaders of the party and the whole of the undelete element v.esc opposed to it. but they accepted it. So it is with Mr Snowden’s motion. The model ate Labour members nre against it. hut they feel they must do something to meet the prni agenda >t the communist, and a- a matter of polities they voted tor it. By these who have made:) close study of polities, it is claimed that the big for power now being made hv tlie Communist element is doomed to failure because it has shown its hand too soon. There is much to support this claim, for the reason that although the cxtiemisT has white-anted the unions ami succeeded in getting into a position ni strength in the political 1 arty, his activities have so alarmed moderate Labour Opinion that it is afraid to trust him. I'nfortunately. however, economic conditions are bad. and with such acute unemployment, and inflated prices there must he discontent, and this always results in a leaning towards eottu. sols of extremiuH: