The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, March 9, 1912. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1017, 9 March 1912, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, March 9, 1912. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

It is highly satisfactory to see that Professor Mills takes a sane view of the industrial crisis and that he denounces syndicalism, which so many of the lesser lights among labour-leaders are doing their best to promote. The professor says: “The insanity of syndicalism, the absurdity of the strike as the sole, or even the principal, weapon in industrial warfare, must be abandoned by those who would speak for labour, or the Labour movement must abandon utterly and for all time such dangerous and disorderly leadership.” This puts the case in a nut-shell and forcibly. The idea of unionists outside the union directly concerned joining in every particular strike, and thus upsetting the whole industrial fabric, and causing inconvenience, distress and injury iu the whole community, is monstrous and not justifiable on any reasonable ground whatever. Professor Mills continues: “I do not claim that a strike can be avoided, but I do claim that either it can be avoided and justice be obtained without a strike, or else a strike can be undertaken in absolute confidence of victory for the workers. But neither of these can be settled by warfare of the current sort. A hearing can be secured for the real workers iu an organised and representative manner. It must be secured. * A responsible body of workers determined to make bargains, which, when made, shall be observed, can be created. It must be created. The present representatives of both sides must act sanely and justly.” These passages from Prolessor Mills’ speech contain the counsels of peace and prudence, and are worthy of more than passing attention.