SYNDICALISM.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1104, 3 June 1913, Page 2

SYNDICALISM.

Mr Frank Morton, a wellknown journalist, writes as follows in respect to syndicalism : —“ The Syndicalist regards his conflict with the employing class as implacable and deadly, only to be ended by the complete extermination of the employing class. It is, in its present stage —this thing called Syndicalism—a system designed to smash, but making no provision to build up again. The Syndicalist dream is unthinkable, because it is an effect of prejudice and not,an effect of serious thought at all. The position of the Syndicalist theorist has been clearly stated. “ When you question me, I do not know it, but when you do not question me, I know it quite well.” Meantime, the Syndicalist fight is ruinous to the community and ruinous to the Syndicalists. The English Board of Trade Labour Gazette points out that in March, 1912, 24,279,500 working days were lost on account of strikes and disputes in the industries which sent in returns to that department alone. “The subject is a big one, be covered in any such brief note as this. It is nonsense to talk of Syndicalism as being as bad as Anarchism : it is a million times worse. The Anarchist holds that the community should not encroach on the rights of the individual : the Syndicalist demands that to the individual shall be conceded the right to dominate and imperil the community as he chooses. I sympathise with the anarchist; but I feel that the syndicalist is as mad as he is impudent. Of the impudence there can be no sort of doubt. These strikers pretend 110 care for the community, and they affect uo courtesy. The milk of human kindness has dried up in them. So long as their stomachs are full they dou’t care if all the world starves. Sensible people with an interest in politics will do well to give this mallei ihcir earnest consideration. In the etui we may have chaos ; Iml il is well lo postpone the evil day as long as possible, in New Zealand il is very plain whither we arc tending.”