The Worker and the “Backbone”

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 5, 1 June 1913, Page 3

The Worker and the “Backbone”

A phase that has often appeared in the older countries is now developing in the Australasian colonies. A short while ago a general strike was declared in the City of Brisbane, as a protest against the Tramway Company’s foul treatment and victimisation of their employees. As everyone knows, a splendid victory and vindication of working class principles was on hand, when the übiquitous cockatoo. hypnotised by the capitalist papers, invaded Brisbane, and, together with police, batoned and bludgeoned the workers into submission.

The interests at stake in this strike were not the interests of the farmers themselves, but of a Yankee dividend-grinding company headed by the notorious Badger, and of the various monopolies and trusts controlling the food supply and transportation facilities in Brisbane and vicinity. During the big Queensland sugar strike the cocky again came forward to interfere with other people’s business, and though squealing; vociferously against the extortion practised by the Colonial Sugar Refining Co., he went in heart and soul to smash the sugar workers in their fight for humane conditions and more wages.

In N.Z., the Farmers’ Unions, with one notable exception, have declared that in the event of any industrial trouble they will be prepared to come in and scab until the workers are obliged to give in. The other day in Tiraaru the butchers went out on strike over non-union labour, and the noble cow charmer promptly placed himself at the boards. The waterside workers of the same town —a bunch of real Industrial Unionists—refused to handle scab mutton.

In came the farming element, who in their cloddish, clumsy way loaded the Zealandic, the Kia Ora and other tubs owned by the Transportation Combine. If the crews of those ships had recognised their class interests they would have taken a holiday also, and then their ships would have been taboo until the eagleeyed squatter boarded her and headed for the market over England side. Surely a hand used to guiding an antiquated plough would have a comparatively easy task in steering a 10,000-ton steam tramp towards Smithfield. But stay, why worry about the market any way; would it be necessary ? I guess not; there would be little eatable left when Farmer Bill arrived. There couldn’t be much trouble in “ taking the sun” or noting the stars, to a man who has spent a good part of his life in searching for ticks in a ram’s nether parts.

But let’s be serious. The farmers live in the backblocks, miles from strike areas; they are poisoned by the journalistic prostitutes of the capitalist daily press, by reading these papers they become imbued with the idea that the

workers, in fighting for better conditions. are attacking farming community. Owing to their isolation the farmers misunderstand the position ; they are gulled into coming strike-wards to do the dirty work of the big capitalists, who exploit and rob. not only the industrial worker, but the working farmer and the farm labourer. The farming community does not, as yet. realise that although things are prosperous for many of them just now. in a short time they will have to face three important factors which will eventually ruin the bulk of them.

First: There is the big shark companies such as the Loan and Mercantile, who are buying up and mortgaging all available land. Second : There is the prohibitive prices of freights, which steadily grow higher, owing to the elimination of competition amongst the various transport companies. Third and most important: The development of farming countries, such as China. Argentina, Russia, who in the near future will be competing with the produce of N.Z. To-dav N.Z. holds a large share of the butter market. . To-morrow China, making productive her millions of virgin acres, will capture the market.

N.Z. butter will become “Dull,” there will be no sale .for meat or wool. Farming will become unprofitable; the farmer will be ousted from his independence into the ranks of the unemployed army; lie will then begin to realise why men and women strike, why a world-wide struggle is waging between the Owners and the Disowned.

But as things are at present the Industrialist does not seek to conciliate the farming community, nor does he wish to fight them; but he wishes it to be distinctly understood that when the farmer scabs on the industrial worker, from that moment he will be treated as a social enemy.

If the farmer and his son are going to interfere, and carry on distribution and production, then the I.W.W. proclaims that it is the duty of the working class to go landwards, and look after the farms until their considerate owners return. Let the workers of N.Z., especially the unmarried ones, be ready to go to the country when the rustic comes in with his whiskers and big stick to smash strikes.

There is nobody with interests that the Industrial Union cannot tame, and the obstreperous cockatoo, despite his appalling egotism, will be no exception to the rule. If you do dirty work, Mr. Farmer, you will get a dirty deal. Stay at home and mind your own business, and you needn’t worry. There may be a few more Brisbanes or Timarus, but the working plug is beginning to THINK. Finally, if you value your stock, your herds, and your house, mind your own business and stay at home. — Spanwire.