Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1923 DISEASE OF ANARCHY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2657, 10 November 1923, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1923 DISEASE OF ANARCHY.

FOR the last three years the N.Z. Welfare League, in common with certain loyal societies in Australia and elsewhere, has been urginggreater attention to Hie disease of anarchy that very unfortunately is a real fact in our midst. It is presented in various guises—as Labour, Socialism, Communism, and a general demand for freedom beyond all restraint. The chief symptoms of this disease is a mental repudiation of the unity of the State, an assumption of class right of domination and a disregard of the authority of established laws, This disease can show itself at times as deadly in its effects as any physical epidemic which we have to contend with. At. its height, life, properly and human safety become but the mark for destruction to be swept away in a holocaust of devilish passion.

We have found that apathy, indifference, and ignorance, stands in the way of a full recognition of this grave danger in society of to-day. “Oh, you are exaggerating; this is a mere fad; our people are far too law-abiding; the danger may he real elsewhere hut not with us.” Such are the excuses of reputable people who want to do nothing. The same dilettante utterances have been given voice by the apathetic good folks in Australia as well as here. Apparently there must he something violent and exciting occur before onr people wake up to real earnest thinking.

Til the beautiful city of Melbourne the. violent and exciting has just taken place, with a vengeance. Who would have thought it would occur in peaceful Melbourne —in the State of Victoria usually regarded as the most, stable and loyal of Stales. It, has come like a boll from the blue. For a time mob-rule with ils usual accompaniments of rapine, plunder, assaults, crime and widespread law defiance, held the city in its grasp and even proceeded In such lengths that. Senator Pearce announced: “that (lie Stale Government intimated it was unable to cope with the lawlessness.” Yes, it came about, very suddenly Imt let us not imagine that the outburst arose as a mere accident. The revolt against authority in this instance is, after all, no more than a symptom of the disease of anarchy now fairly prevalent in our social constitution. Just as disease germs may he in cur physical constitution and little attention he given until they manifest their presence by disturbing symptoms, so it is with the disease of anarchy in the body politic.

The action of the police in striking and thereby leaving the city to the control of lawless elements was, we fear, not an occurrence by itself. Mr Tom Walsh, President of the Seamen’s Union, addressing the striking police urged them “to meet

force with force” and presented the falacious doctrine that “the Government was merely the spokesmen of the Capitalist class.” If such a speech, at a time of tumult, is not criminal it ought, in the interest of public safety, to be classed as such as early ns possible. It is in this false representation of Government, as merely the spokesmen of a class, that the criminal teaching of anarchism is conveyed. We find, however, that socialist Labourites are employed very often in filling the minds of onr people with this dangerous conception. The wage earning class are being taught sedulously that the Government represents their enemy and that it has no authority in reason for governing. As a result of such mischievous teaching, law is being looked upon as an imposition and something to be ignored whenever it gets in the way of their desires. In a lesser degree than that exhibited in Melbourne, a body of the West Coast Miners here are exhibiting their contempt for the law of the country. Though their Unions arc registered under the arbitration Act they flatly refuse to work under an Arbitration Court Award. Five mines are stuck up and, seemingly, the Government of New Zealand can do nothing. Meanwhile Labour politicians and others encourage these miners in defying flic law of the land. What the people of Australia and New Zealand have to wake up to is that behind the symptoms of strikes, restrictions and rebellions, is the actual disease cf anarchy. That disease is being cultivated and spread by the. poisonous teaching of Labourite-Revolu-tionists. Cloak their intentions ns they will the truth appears constantly that this school of socialist malcontents, by their teachings of class warfare and their denials of State authority, are breeders of an impulse towards anarchy that, unfortunately, has become altogether too widespread.

The lesson of Ibis police strike in Melbourne is that all citizens who value ordered liberty and the safety of life and property, should lay aside their passive attitude and join in fighting the disease of anarchy by opposing in every way those who disseminate the false teachings which are its source.