VIOLENCE IN STRIKES

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1925, Page 4

VIOLENCE IN STRIKES

MR HAVELOCK WILSON'S WARNING. CLASS WARFARE WRONG. LONDON, August 7. In "My Stormy Voyage Through Bile. Vol 1..” Mr Havelock Wilson describes the initiation and building of the National Sailors’ and I'iremen s Union, of which he was the founder and now the president, Mr Wilson relates many interesting experiences ol his early years at sea, and then passes to his trade union and political adventures. 11 is criticisms and conclusions are trenchant. Trade union officials, he says, are, " horn and not made. An official ol a trade union must .... remember that he is an official and a servant of the union and not the union itself.” He utters a. signlicant warning against violence : " Among the men we would often find, especially when we were engaged ill a strike, a certain impatient type of man who, not being satisfied with the ordinary progress of a strike, would suggest and press for more loroible methods, stub as the use ol dynamite and other violent and dangerous tilings There is no doubt that this class of man still exists, and I hope that the young men. eager and anxious as they may be to make progress, will be warned against them.” THE INNOCENT SUFFER. Mr Wilson is quite definite on the question of capitalism. Deterring to disputes which have Irom time to time arisen on the non-unionist basis, he says that many innocent people on both sides have bad to suffer from lack of discipline itt the unions, and contin-

ues : " Of course, the speeches delivered by many speaking on behalf of Labour at present aggravate the position, and ! ask myself the question: How can we expect the growth of trade unionism, and collective bargaining, and. Itirlltermore. collective responsibility, when it is declared from public platforms that our policy is to encourage class "aland the destruction of the so-called capitalist system, it wo ask in the next breath that employers should refuse to employ none hot union men? Are we not asking the endpoyers t 1 commit' suicidel have called tin* attention of many Labour leaders to this aspect of the question and I have been somewhat startled by their am-wet s. They have told me that this is an expression ot "bat they call pioii- opinion." or "eyewash." this inot honest, because it is deceiving thousands of our workmen if we declare for a class war and we really don t. believe in it. We are compelled to explain in some way or other "by it is necessary to have a class war. and tb-‘ only way to sustain such an argument is to preach the gospel that brands the employers as sweaters, robbers. and autocrats. To be logical and advocate the destruction of the capitalist system, il is in my view necessary to sa\ that under capitalism there is nothing but oppression lor the workers, and that we must substitute for capitalism a singular state of afiaits to that which exi-ts in Russia io-tlay. I have lir > doubt that the Socialists honestly believe in the theory ol class war. but many of us who have had just as much experience as the Socialists ill tiles' matters are inclined to the belie! that to substitute Socialism tor the preseiii system would be simply to change our lie*.si's fioiti .private to -Late employels. This theory lias never anpealel me, por vet do I believe that li opera! - to the great bulk of the working men who have taken the time l > think the matter out for themselves. I Kill sure it does not appeal to that section el workmen who are thoroughly in favoitr of the principle ol trade unmii-h-m and cdleetite bargaining." In a foreword to the hook Sir Walter Huifiman. the shipowner, pay- a in bate to Mr Wilson’s " striking personnli'.y am! the logical working <u his acute mind."