I.W.W. DOCTRINES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1222, 19 March 1914, Page 4

I.W.W. DOCTRINES.

What New Zealand has been saved from by the smashing of the "Red Fed” movement may be gathered from the first issue of a ucw newspaper published in Sydney under the auspices ot the Industrial Workers of the World. "Remain on the job, and study sabotage. It pays you. Damn the boss.” This is the interesting injunction, copied verbatim from the first line of the I.W.W-’s journal, "Direct Action,” an organ of industrial unionism which preaches its own doctrine with a vigor and outspokenness which cannot be mistaken. "The labour struggle,” it announces, "E primarily and essentially a struggle tor industrial control. Industrial unionism, therefore, is the just and only requisite.” It goes on to say with cheerful frankness that the working class and the employing class have nothing in common, aud propounds the not unfamiliar doctrine that between these two classes a struggle must go on until the woikers of the world organise as a class, take possession ot the earth and the machinery of production, aud abolish the wage system. This is all fairly clear, but "Direct Action” enlarges on the point. It is argued that the centring of the management of industries into fewer aud fewer bands makes the trade unions unable to cope with the evergrowing power of the employing class ; that the trade unions foster a state of affairs which allows one set oi workers to be pitted against any other set ot workers in the same industry, thereby helping to defeat one another in wage wars ; and that the trade unions aid the employing class to mislead the workers into the belief that the working class have interests in common with their employers. The Sydney mouthpiece of the I.W.W. contends that these conditions can be changed, aud the interest of the working class upheld, only by an organisation formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries, it necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making au injury to one an injury to all. The Labour politician is condemned alongside the capitalistic press, and, in language similar to what was used about the time of the VVaihi strike by some of the Red Fed. leaders, the workers are informed that—- " The Bible thumper dins into our eais the damnable teachings of Christianity, a religion suitable for, aud adopted to, slavery, in which meekness, servility, aud obedience to superiors are held up as the highest attributes.” The working mau is urged to know, amongst other things, "that working two hours for yourself and six for the boss is a very bad habit also "that au international civil war is inevitable sooner than we expect, and that a national strike in Australia is certain within 12 months.’' The manner in which "Direct Action” refers to itself is quite on a lar with its references to other matters. "This paper,” it explains, "is written by slaves for slaves. So long as we are understood by the workers we do not care whether or not critics criticise, friends approve, or enemies revel in denunciation. We drop our h’s in conversation, our composition is faulty, and our pun.tualiou abominable, but fel-low-slaves will, nevertheless, understand our message. This is not meant to be- au apology. It is merely a roundabout, but, we hope, a polite method or telling would-be critics to go to IT —l !”