International Items

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

International Items

The Confederation of Labour, France, a few* months back, turned down political action. Labour organisations in America are refusing to dabble in politics, and large bodies of workers in other countries are slowly but surely realising the futility of political action by an industrial organisation.

On January 2nd the railway engineers ’ executive, at a stormy meeting in London, were pushed out of the room by a provisional ..executive and some of the members. Not long ago miners at Home reduced the wages of some of the officials.

These are manifestations of the growing interest of the “ rank and file” in union affairs. The younger generation of men are showing a marked tendency to take matters more and more into their own hands, and refuse to be dictated to by leaders.

The acquittal of Caruso, Giovanni tti and Ettor, “ The second victory of Lawrence.” is a triumph for industrial unionism and another win for the I.W.W. The tactics of the employers were dirty in the extreme, both during the strike and in connection with the tr'ah but working class solidarity, and that alone, won both victories. “ Open the jail doors and close the mill'gates” was the battle cry of the corkers; there is not the slightest doubt that if the employers could have sent these innocent men to the electric chair they would have done so.

The latest published statistics of the British coal industry shows that on an average six miners are killed and 150 injured every working day. -f- Government White Paper ’ -