POLITICAL INDUSTRIALISM.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2540, 8 February 1923, Page 4

POLITICAL INDUSTRIALISM.

ALLIANCE OF LABOUR TACTICS The One Big- Union of New Zealand, named “The Alliance of Labour,” is to many a very misleading body. It claims to be constituted solely for industrial purposes, but the examination of its objective, and its activities, shows most clearly that it is only using industrial means to political ends; these, also, of a very objectionable class. Some lit r tie time ago the “Maoriland Worker” said of its objective—“ There is no use in camouflaging the matter, the objective is political.” The I fact of the Alliance being a body upholding a policy of political industrialism should be kept in mind when consdering the various decisions this Red combination makes. Its objects are not to make settlements in the interest of the workers, unless these fit in with its avowed political motive. It does not aim at reasonable adjustments between em- j ployers and employed but at getting every possible out of the employer by force .of numbers and threats. In all the movements it originates we have to. think not merely of the immediate industrial proposals made but also of the political motives which actuate the_making of the proposals. ARBITRATION AND STRIKES. Does the Alliance believe in Arbitration? Judging only on the ground of its desire to name the workers representatives who shall act as member, and deputy member, of the Arbitration Court the public might conclude that it does. A closer examination will indicate that it really wants no Arbitration, except such as will strictly conform to its dictation. Its great readiness to threaten strikes is proof that the interest it has in Arbitration is purely predatory in character. The attitude presented is that of readiness at all times to snatch any benefits it can get from the Arbitration Court- and to abuse, if not destroy, the Court when it cannot keep on giving.* Does the Alliance believe in strikes? There again comes in the political motive. It has talked much of its: readiness to assist bodies of workmen, such as the seamen, on strike, yet has found it politic in general to act merely as a paternal adviser. From appearances we should say that it does believe in strikes as a means of coercing the public through fear. By now, however, we think the public are getting “wise to the game” and are not so easy to bluff into a panic. The general disposition of the Alliance is to support Arbitration and strikes alternately without attending to the fact that these two methods are the negative of each other.

WAGE CUT POLITICS,

. The reductions in nominal wages made by the Arbitration Court have been a veritable blessing to the political industrialists. It has enabled them to carry l on a perfect tirade against the Court and the workers own representatives thereon. Some most wild and distorted statements of the.actual facts have been presented by Mr J. Roberts, Alliance Secretary, up and down the country. The public is invited to believe that these strongly partiszan, politically coloured pronouncements of Mr Roberts are indisputable facts and that the Court decided if not wholly in prejudice, against the workers at least in total ignorance. To use the language of the shops “the yarn is too tall to get past;” the public has more, sense, than to accept exparte statements as pure gospel truth. The political motive comes out strong in the . Alliance circular appealing for a change in the workers representative on- the Court, where it says “‘Failure on. the part of the workers to make this change (ill the workers representative) can only be taken as an endorsement of the

past actions of the Court and an invitation for it to make further wages ‘cuts’ and to further mutilate the working conditions of awards.” To that the sitting member has made a dignified and effective reply.' STRIKE BALLOT BLUFF. _ The Alliance has just put through a ballot in support of a general strike. They do not want a general strike but they favour it from the political motive of forcing the Government to refrain from doing what it probably has no intention of doing. What we desire to draw attention to is that a grave danger attaches to this playing with general strike ideas and that the leading Labour men in England, from very bitter experience, have strongly condemned strikes for political purposes. Political industrialism is a I loaded instrument of destruction and the means of getting it off cannot be wholly controlled by an executive; that is wEat the workers have to consider. (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League.)