PRACTICAL POLITICS FOR THE PEOPLE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1143, 6 September 1913, Page 3

PRACTICAL POLITICS FOR THE PEOPLE.

EVOLUTION V. REVOLU-

TION.

An Appeal to Wageworkers and Employers, to Capitalists and Professional Men, to Exploiters and Exploited. [By George Fowlds.] IV.

That Professor Mills’ characterisation ot the aims and methods of the Industrial Unionist—the Revolutionary Unionists as they ought to be called —is not overdrawn, is clear from the following extracts from the Industrial Unionist, of July Ist last, published in the city of Auckland s—■

“The Timaru District Farmers’ Union, which was instrumental in the procuration of scabs sufficient to break the recent strike of the Watersiders down there, held recently its annual conference, when a ‘remit to the Dominion Conference was adopted to the effect that the Union take steps to organise emergency committees, as was done at Timaru, to secure labour (scabs) to meet a waterside strike at any port.’ ” THE GENTLE ART OP SABOTAGE. “The farm labourers of N.Z. must feel charmed by their master’s confidence in their trustworthliness as scabs. The average bumpkin’s intelligence hovers around nil, we know, and he has little or no time to improve it; still, he might be directly helped along the road to disillusionment; That there’s many a slip ’tween cup and lip might well be remembered by rebels on the wharves, and the scabs will not forget it. And if the farmers find it indeed imperative that they invade the wharves, and thus destroy tjhe striker’s chance of making a decenter living, then the strikers may also find it indeed imperative that they invade the holy sanctuary of the woolshed, the barn, the orchard. Many an old swagger has, by an innocent reference to hot sun and dry grass, transmitted a cocky’s scorn into a feed and a flop.” A POWERFUL ARGUMENT. In the adjoining column I read : “ Searching sabotage would prove a powerful argument in educating the N-Z. and Australian cow-thumpers. “Many of the latter are ‘strong i’ th’ arm and weak i’ th’ 'ead. “A little of the above tactic, judicisusly applied by nomad proletarians, would prove as electric in driving farmer scabs ‘back to the land as does ginger in driving a worn-out horse to the sale. 3 “The attitude of the I. W.W. for the small farmer is rather one of sympathy than otherwise because the latter is overworked and much exploited. “It is withheld, however, from strike breakers, ...

“Quite a classic literature already exists upon the subject of sabotage. “No branch of industry has yet been discovered where the searching tactic has not been applied with phenomenal success. “It the boss should happen to read down this column, he should, by the time he reaches this paragraph (the end), have a vague feeling, that we are after his hide.” MIGHT IS RIGHT. Again, in an article entitled, “Might and Surplus Value” “The workers are now, in every country, beginning to repudiate ‘striking at the ballot box,’ and are striking at the source of Might —surplus value, wherein the might ot the Master Class is stored. . . “Every strike, victorious or otherwise, is a step iu the right direction, as it checks the accumulation of surplus value—reserve power. “Workers! Get businesslike ! This is surely a business proposition, and remember, like all business, it' has no fancy ideals, no ethics save and except those that pay bast.” And under the heading, “French Syndicalism, The Confederation General du Travail,” we are told that — “ Strongly educated, rendered always more conscious, the workers augment the power and revolutionary intensity ot the Proletariat by means oi revolutionary gymnastics ot action.

“This conception of the movement inevitably brings forth a state of struggle that translates itself to a series of uninterrupted strikes. “Then there is the boycott and sabotage which the worker can use, though Mess’eurs the Capitalists, of all categories, condemn them vehemently. Strikes become mote and more generalised, and the whole action and propoganda of the Confederation is to perfect the means of making a general strike, and this has been ratified by successive congresses that have been held for the last ten years. . .

THE REVOLUTIONARY CATACLYSM. “The General Strike appears as the supreme effort, the last revolt of the Proletariat to obtain their emancipation. The day when any power, no matter which, is incapable of resisting the complete and unanimous holding up of production, leads inevitably to the revolutionary cataclysm, the prelude ot the transformation of society. “Such is the aim and objects , and methods of the C.G.T. as set f fortji in the rules and explained by members.’’ Immediately below this article appears the following extract advertising a work by the writer of the article. I commend the extract - to the attention—the careful attention—of the Trade Unionists of New Zealand

TRADE UNIONS IN ENGLAND. “On the whole, carefully con-

sidering all the points in favour of the trade unions and possibilities of them coming together, we industrialists have come to the conclusion that their permanent mending is well nigh an impossibility.” —E. J. B. Allen in “Revolutionary Unionism.”

Or turn to the “Industrial Unionist” for June Ist, sampling each page I find : —■ Page r. The withdrawal of the efficiency of the railroad service, by the railroad clerk misdirecting the loading bills, and freight handlers putting wrong tags ot destination on the cars, may cause a confusion hard to untangle, even partial paralysation.” ADVICE TO RAILWAVMEN. “Happily, our railways servants take no stock in such pernicious teachings; but in an adjoining column of the same paper a writer dealing with the recent trouble at Timaru, says : “Just here I presume to offer advice. Whenever such a strike take place the railwaymen should be appealed to, and the message of class solidarity put before them. Even though they do not respond to the call it would let them know what is expected of them, and it would give the few militants in the ‘service’ a chance to drive home the message of revolvtionary industrial action. These railwaymen must educate themselves before we can hope to win industrial fights.” Page 2. “Canadian railway construction workers, notwithstanding the fact that their conditions were good, comparatively, started an aggressive strike, to exercise the strike muscles, so to speak, just as the athlete goes into training. The French workers have committees for studying the strike, stirring up strife and putting ginger into the movement —they get after the boss.

“But see how docile we are in Australasia. Isn’t it about time we became the aggressors ? “Let's get alter the boss.”

Again :—“lt is time to stop fooling and drop that ballot box, nose counting theory and get down to some real propaganda work.

The self reliant rebel will not be deterred by the abusive adjectives hurled by interested labour leaders who cannot tolerate having their theories challenged. Page 3. A warning to “Farmer Scabs” (again with reference to Timaru :

“But as these things are at present the Industrialist 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 . . . 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. het the workers ofjNew Zealand, especially the unmarried ones, be ready to go to the country when the rustic comes in with his whiskers and big sticks to stnask strikes.

“There is nobody with interests that the Industrial Union (the Revolutionary 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 Brisbannes 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.” Page 4. “Right” and “Wrong” : “ They strike without a grievance to show their power, return to work without an agreement and indulge in sabotage, a term and practice springing up in France, where the workmen threw their wooden shoes (sabots) into the looms. They respect no contract. As one of their'leaders said recently, ‘As to whether a thing is right or wrong makes no difference in our plan.’ Their plan is to revolutionise the present industrial system. —Juliet, 1.L.L.” And this sort of stuff is published with approval in New Zealand, where we have adult suffrage !