THE CASE FOR SANE LABOUR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2621, 18 August 1923, Page 1

THE CASE FOR SANE LABOUR.

PRINCIPLE AND TACTICS. To talk of “sane Labour” but a short time ago in New Zealand was to invite a sneer, if not an insult, from the Socialists who have wormed their way into control of many Labour Unions. Experience is, however, teaching the workers that distinction must he drawn between Labour that is rabid and irresponsible and the Labour that is sane and contractive.

In England the Red extremism that has been driving the workers towards communism by methods of political deception and spasmodic outbursts of industrial revolt, has produced a reaction amongst important bodies of workers. Rationalminded workers who have been driven out of Official Labour circles by bullying, trickery, and deception; or have retired in disgust, have recently been coming together and are moving to establish new organisations which willallow of greater individual liberty. There has been formed a “British Workers League'’ whose members object to being forced to subscribe to any political party they do not believe in, or compelled to uphold Socialist and anti-British propaganda that they are opposed to by conviction. This League movement is led in one instance by a working miner and in another by a railway guard. Already the League has many branches and a very large body of members. Its slogans are to free the Trade Unions from political control and to secure the settlement of industrial disputes and trouble by conciliation, arbitration, economic studies and other peaceful methods.

This movement does not suit the book of the communist and socialist agitators. The plan of the communists is to accentuate the class war by fomenting strife and turmoil in every direction. Recently the communists have been very active in handling the unemployed for their own party ends. They have created special organisations of the unemployed, not for purposes of amelioration, but to make the most outrageous demands and accentuate the trouble, with the object of creating general working-class revolt. The recent dockers’ strike is another instance of the Red-manufactured trouble. The Communist crusaders have been at work inciting the dockers to follow the mad course of disruption. Messrs Bevin and Gosling, the properly elected leaders, have been howled down by the inflamed mob. It is the old mad policy of “to hell with agreements” that has taken the crowd, inspired as they are by the false teaching of Red Revolutionary agitators, Against all such methods of insane revolt the workers, as rational beings, must contend iirmly. But a short time back we witnessed in New Zealand a number of instances of these seemingly sporadic outbursts. Irresponsible strikes were taking place in many parts of the country. There is more sanity being displayed at the present time and the workers who wish to sec their movement proceed on reasonable lines should make good the opportunity to suppress the circulation of anarchic ideas and put aside the men of such bent from all positions of power and leadership. It is refreshing to find the “Maoriland Worker” in a leader on “Trade Union Tactics” affirming that the observance of industrial agreements is good tactics on the part of Unions. We have written many times that such observance is good principle and a foundation for sane Labour to stand upon. We can congratulate the journal referred to on its advance; when the irritation strikes were taking place here and agreements torn in shreds it had nothing to say in condemnation, but in the ease of the London dockers it takes the sane view. Trade Unionism that leaves revolution to the theorists and dreamers, which concentrates in improving the workers conditions by stages of progression, which recognises the need for maintaining the stability of trade and industry is sane labour.

Labour that is loyal to its own undertakings is sane labour. Labour that, despite all incitements of the most rosy ideals, cleaves to the principle of individual freedom is sane labour.

lii the mass, we believe, the workers of New Zealand can be classed as sane labour. The Red Revolutionism, incitements to useless industrial turmoil, fanatical beliefs in class-war and class-domination are foreign importations to our shores and the workers will show themselves most sane in rejecting all such nostrums.

1 (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League).