The Guardian And Evening Star, with Which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1028. MR. WALSH’S CONVERSION.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 September 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with Which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1028. MR. WALSH’S CONVERSION.

Thh name of Tom Walsli Ims beon associated for many years past with industrial unrest in Australia. He lias seen foremost in organising strikes among the seamen, anti he was for a long time the faithful ally of Jacob Johnson, who is still the chief obstacle to industrial peace in the shipping trades 7 of the world. But, says an Auckland paper, Mr Walsh lias now become convinced that ho and his colleagues have been leading the seamen in the wrong direction, and lie has had the honesty and the courage to make public recantation of his old beliefs. He is now closely identfied with the Industrial Peace Movement, and a few weeks ago he delivered an address to the Constitutional Association of New South Wales, in which he set forth at length the reasons for his change of faith and the grounds for the opinions that he now holds. It is impossible not to sympathise with Mr Walsh’s desire to better the circumstances and prospects for his fellow workers; and his references to the industrial conditions that prevailed forty or fifty years ago, and "the resistance which the workers met when they claimed even the merest decencies of life,” fully justify his enthusiasm for Labour’s cause. But he went on to admit that since the days when his opinions on tiles matters were first formed a great change has taken place in every civilised land. 'lt is no longer accepted as an indisputable truth that the employer’s sole duty is to enrich himself without regard for the welfare of the worker. Nowadays, says Mr Walsh, “any other view but the one that the workers are eo-partners in industry and entitled to the best that can be secured for them, is an anachronism.” Hence he now holds that it is "the solemn duty of both sides to promulgate the doctrine of industrial peace.” One important reason for the clinnge in Mr Walsh’s views is that he has been compelled to realise the slow rate at which permanent progress can be effected, and the impossibility of improving tile world by a sudden and destructive revolution such as Russia’s. Referring to his old belief in "job control,” Mr Walsh explains that bo once held that the worker, facing the responsibility of aiding in the organisation and management of industry, would strive to study and solve the great economic problems of the hour. But so far Mr Walsli can see no indication that "the workers are willing to sacrifice their pleasures for any such purpose.” Without education, training, and due preparation for their task the workers of Australia would fail as completely as the workers of Russia, and the greater part of Mr Walsh’s address was taken up with an incisive criticism of Bolshevik methods. It is unfortunately impossible to follow here the trenchant arguments by which Mr Waslh shows that the present condition of Russia is not simply “transitional,” but due to the ignorance and incapacity of the proletariat and the tyranny of their dictators. Ho regards the great Russian experiment as a hopeless failure, but lie is chiefly concerned about its ;>o«silile effects 117x111 his own country and people. • For the conclusion of Mr Walsh’s speech is a circumstantial an count of Communist intrigue in Australia and the efforts of Bolshevik emissaries to gain control of the indus trial situation so that they may force Australia to take "the Moscow road.” These propognndists says Mr Walsli, "have stated plainly that they are out for bloodshed and ruin,” and lie therefore appeals to the workers to counter the attack by aiding the Industrial Peace Movement. The workers should have “a proper voice in the control of industry, and a share in its prosyiority.” But granting this, the wagecamel’s should see for themselves that there is no hope for them in "an atmosphere of hatred and bitterness such as Communism generates. This is one of the most noteworthy public pro

nouncements of recent years in Australia, and those who are striving to foment industrial strife there will bo hard put to it to counteract the effect produced by Mr Walsh’s new profession of faith. It is an encouraging sign of tiie times that Mr Walsh has just been elected secretary of the Australian Seamen’s Union defeating bis old extremist ally Mr Jacob Johnson.