LEAVING THE ALLIANCE

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2740, 31 May 1924, Page 4

LEAVING THE ALLIANCE

A SET-RACK TO SYNDICALISM. The Amalgamated Sciety of Railway Servants recently called off their strike on account of the fear of how decisions of the Alliance of Labour might affect the Dominion and themselves. The Society wa» now prepared to leave its members’ interests in the bands.of the Alliance. That was a wise decision, hut clearly it removed all reason for the Rnilwnyrnen’s Society being affiliated to the “one big union.’' Now, at the direction of the Gov orhment, the Society has disafiiliatod.'VV> would have preferred seeing the Society take that step on its own initiative since it had the very best reason for doing so. Tt no longer agreed with the Alliance policy of class control without regard to craft or service, conditions and interests, therefore it was apart from the Alliance even before it formally resigned. This withdrawal is somewhat of a setback to the cause of syndicalism, which the Alliance of Labour espouses. Some time ago wc publicly discussed the policy of this Alliance and then wrote: “The plan and policy of the Alliance is most cunningly framed for the purpose of carrying on a continuous propaganda of peaceful penetration into all branches of the Dominion’s activities; indoctrinating all wage-earners wfh the Communis! idea of proletarian control; consolidating all industrial organisations on a class basis, and finally, entering upon the taking over of all industries'and services of the Dominion.”

We have no reason to alter that statement to-day. Here arc the objectives of the Alliance as set out in its Constitution: —

(1) The organisation of the wage workers of New Zealand on the lines of class and industry.

(2) The collective ownership of the means of production and distribution and control of all industries by the workers who operate them in the interests of the community.

A CHALLENGE TO THE. STATE. Tt is beyond question that the policy of these objectives when applied to the State services (and their advocates class tin* railways, post and telegraph and other services as industries) eontituf.es a drvices as industries constitutes a dirthe Dominion. There cannot he control by the State itself through its constituted representatives and by a class who are self appointed. If the Alliance of Labour were to control then the Government could not, and if the Government is to he in authority, then no Alliance of Labour —or other alliance —has any right l<> dominate <>nr public services. Mr Tt. E. Comb, secretary of the I*. and T. Association, in pleading for ilie Alliance, said:—-“It might he that in some time of national trouble when the service was heart and soul with those who were lighting, the Alliance might order the officers to remain at work, and they would have to remain whatever their reelings."

.In>! sit, Mr Comli, but wlifit 11 1 <* railwaymen feared was that I In l Alliance mil'llt order them 1 o remain out of work. Some years ago we wrote on this subject : "Wliat is wanted on the part of the Government is notion, firm and delimit?; and on the part of the people that they will have no dealings with, any individual who upholds the AUianre creed of class warfare and revolution. The Government lias .now taken linn and definite action, as it did with reference to the I‘osl and Telegraph services. The people should make up their minds that it is not in their interests to have crowing np in mtr midst a form of voluntary organisation which challenges the constitution of the Stale, lavs down basis for class control o. the country and advocates principles which make for Soviet methods of Government.

The questions we put to the ( i\d Servants are these: Can the Alliance of La hour give you what it promises? Is it going to do it by a. lag strike, by political action or by physical revolution? If by political action there is no need for it as there are political parlies enough. If l, v the other method all hud better count the costs before giving any support to such tin Alliance. (Contributed by the X./ AN el fa 1 c League.)