From the Reports.

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 1, 1 February 1913, Page 4

From the Reports.

The General Executive Board of the I.AV.AY. in their report to the

seventh convention, drew attention to the problem of financing strikes; pointed out that the growing tendency to involve larger bodies of workers in industrial struggles necessitates ways and means being devised to meet these conditions, and that tin; workers must learn to carry on the struggle without leaving the workshops. As' an answer to the lock-out, general strikes of short duration, repeated as often as necessary to get results, were suggested, the organisation must be perfected to such an extent as to cause the employers to lose profits. When leaving the shops to strike we must be

prepared to return with our organisation intact. A fighting or- < ganisation must not depend on financial resources. Open opposition will but serve to develop such qualities as will fit the workers to* accomplish industrial freedom, but friendship of the employers to any workers’ organisation means death

to it as far as the interests of the workers are concerned. Class lines should be kept distinctly drawn; there should be no alliance, open or otherwise, with any organisation not committed to the class struggle at the point of production only.

Reference was made to the fact that much time is being spent by capitalist agents in charging the I.W.W. with being committed to a programme of violence. The attention of the membership was called to the lessons of history, the * lesson being that it is not the subject class that dictates whether violence shall accompany its progress; it is the class in power that determines this. The programme of the I.W.W. avoids and minimises violence. The I.W.W. will bend every effort to make this programme efflOPmuipon the ruling class that, wa®ver form the struggle may t ice, »ve arc determined to continue ispline of all odds until victory is ni^mve d by the working class. If 1 Jm ruling class decide that vioivßce will be the arbiter, then we will cheerfully accept their decision, and meet them to the best of our ability; we do not fear the result. ’ ’ Attention was called to the danger of not taking the proper steps to safeguard the official organs. Centralisation can be avoided by a thoroughly intelligent membership. It was desired to impress on the membership the necessity for vigilance and unceasing energy in the work of organisation and education.