Optimism, Unity and Solidarity

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 3, 1 April 1913, Page 2

Optimism, Unity and Solidarity

Every movement, great or small, which is likely to promote industrial solidarity of Labour, must have the endorsement and assistance of militant industrialists, but if the recent Auckland Opera House meeting, addressed by Basis of Unity leaders, foreshadows what, may be expected in the near future, we * confess that, though we have sought diligently, we have no I discovered much to be jubilant about. In spite of the under-current of apologetic challenge to the pure industrialists which has been so noticeable in the speeches of the representatives of the scheme, the suddenness of the change of front in the leaders, the conflicting views expressed at the above-mentioned representative meeting, and the very visible tendency to extol Parliamentarism, evinced by the general tone of* the speeches, do not justify the remarkable optimism of the leaders, much less encourage a discerning* industrialist to expect any considerable advance in industrial solidarity as a result of the fusion.

One speaker, who has often, with emphasis, declared himself a revolutionary Socialist, and just as often pointed out the danger of connecting the industrial organisation with the. political, said he could find no possible fault with the scheme, and was there to endorse the Basis “ as a Socialist;” that we must “ have the Socialist objective or leave the whole matter alone;” yet the platform is to “include the usual legislative proposals of organised labour in this country, including a consideration of wages and hours,” etc., and the political party is to be composed “ of unions and local branches,” and while the same speaker condemns paternal legislation he peal's to advocate a movement to oust the Massey Government—presumably because it has not been paternal.

But another speaker said “ we gain nothing by putting Massey out and putting ourselves into the clutches of a Liberal party.” He was highly optimistic, too, in declaring that “ never again shall a strike be lost through one section failing to come to their help.” The most optimistic speaker of all was the one who declared that in six months it is possible to give the whole International Movement a striking example of One Big Union; that although there are political action lunatics and industrial action lunatics, provision was made for both so that every body could come in. Optiprfsin, ip the attempt to any project, has a very value until it leads to an exaggerated idea of our own

strength, then disaster, or at least disillusionment, follows. It, as these speeches imply, the coiilerenee represented half the organised workers of New Zealand, and the said* half are urging the socialisation of wealth, then the education of the New Zealand workers lias advanced marvellously during the last few months.

We have no reason for hoping thill the Opera House predictions art* not justified, but we fear that these optimistic views can only be. held by those who, not being actual industrial workers, only come in contact .ith officials, local leaders, ele., and therefore cannot accurately judge present working class psychology. It is reasonable end ugh to export, particularly in view of the later developments in the Labour movements of other countries, that the leaders claiming to be industrial unionists would have made a determined attempt to make the best of the position by striving to keep the 'industrial “ wing” distinctly clear of politicians and I Vrlia.uientarianisiu. but this is certainly not being done. If‘it is true that ‘‘ economic determinism lias brought New Zealand workers together,” and that, as one of the responsible leaders said, there must be a “fusion or marriage between industrial action and political action, then Ihe same force is rapidly making tor divorce whenever such marriages have taken place. Maybe it is inevitable that working class organisation in New Zealand shall go through the doublewing phase oi evolution. hi. so. then the direct actionists can best hasten the inevitable disillusionment by pushing on with their propaganda from the outside, lor a genuine industrialist can no moie wholly endorse the basis of unity , as it stands, than he can fail, when occasion arises, to east all factional feeling to the winds and throw all his energies in with any industrial organisation engaged in actual conflict. with the enemy, as well as keep oil with lvis efforts from within to lay a Inundation tor solidarity.