TREACHERY.

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 18, 20 November 1913, Page 3

TREACHERY.

The employers are busily engaged at present in using the old, old trick —enticing the weak back to. serfdom by means of bribery and rewards. Mostly these are mere verbal promises—“ promises, like pie-crust, are made to be broken.” They take advantage of the uneducated workers’ ignorance of business methods in not seeing such contracts put down in black and white. The ignorant worker, like the young child, is trustful; business men trust nobody. In business every man is treated as a robber till he has been proved otherwise. Take a leaf from the employer’s own book, fellow workers!

Mayor Parr and the rest are talking grandly about the workers remaining 44 loyal ” —loyal to their exploiters, which means being traitors to their fellows. The only weapon the employers have to break the strike is to make you break it yourself. You do this by being “ loyal ” to them; and then they have the laugh at you. In the Maori war exactly the same trick was played successfully on the poor, simple natives. They agreed to cease fighting for their country and signed on 44 loyalty ” to a foreign Queen (treachery to their own) in return for certain land reserves under the Treaty of Waitangi. What is that Treaty of Waitangi worth to-day? Not the paper it is written on! Its provisions are daily ignored, and when the natives protest in their emasculated weakness, they are returned the insolent reply that 44 the times have changed.” We carl hardly pity the Maoris for the fruits of their own treachery to themselves, any more than we sympathise with the traitors who stole their compatriots’ places at Wailii. When we hear of these men groaning under the lash, we feel with satisfaction, 44 Serve them right.” “Be not deceived; for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” In the Maori war the crafty British made good use of tribal enmity to defeat the Maoris. They gulled the simple natives by fanning their ancient feuds, and then conveying them in their ships to slay each other with short-sighted ferocity. The silly natives glutted themselves in tribal blood, while the real enemies looked on, gloating at their own labour saved. In this way whole tribes were exterminated, and then when their race was sufficiently weakened, the real enemy stepped down and put the finishing touches to the scene. The Maori race has been all but exterminated, the rest are prisoners, and their land is being confiscated day by day under their helpless eyes. Exactly the same game is being played with us. The masters, a mere handful of physical degenerates, who dare not attack us themselves, make use of the morally weak as pawns to throttle the strong. When they have quelled rebellion by means of scab labour, they step down and sweep in the pool. The natives bartered their land away for a few strings of beads, a blanket, worn-out blunderbuss, or plug of tobacco. To-day uneducated women are being used to break a strike by offers of motor drives, flattery, fans and chocolate; incompetent men who at other times cannot get a job are being projiped up in positions and dazzled by wordy promises. Just for a time, until their end is accomplished, and then out goes the flotsam and jetsam again. 44 It is better to throw an angry dog a bone than kick it.” That is the policy of the masters. We all despise the miserable cur that lies down and fawns when it is beaten, and would give it an extra kick for luck. The dog that shows fight gets the bone. Remember that, men! — M.L.G.

[We would call our correspondent’s attention to the fact that workers have been tricked most often by what she calls “ contracts put down in black and white.” The remedy is to be found in closer organisation, and an alert, militant, rank and file —in the spirit and form of Industrial Unionism. What we get we take by the power of Solidarity. What we hold is held by the same means; not by getting if written down. —Ed.]