The Farland Case

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 10, 12 May 1911, Page 5

The Farland Case

By " HERMAN."

LFor The Maokiland Worker.] A good deal of discussion has been, caused on the Wellington waterfront over the recent decision in the assault case, Farland v. Currio-. The qxiesion of interference on which, the Magistrate gave his decision seems laughable in face of the fact that in many cases of assault he has laid down, the opinion that an assailant must not take the law into his own hands no matter what the provocation. Farland was successful in wresting the concession of the us© of hooks from the U.S.S. Co. j and he rightfully makes every effort to maintain it. As a recent writer in the N.Z. "Times" said, it is a pleasure to see a Labour official prepared to tako a "crack in defence of the men who pay him." Tho lesson to be learned is plain— that workers must organise themselves to be able to refuse engagement until such men as his assailant are shifted from their position. The insult to tho official is a greater insult to the Union, and even at this stage of arbitration unionism it shows palpable weakness on the Union's part that the matter was not pushed. It shows the need of more class conscious militant spirits within the ranksj and, the sooner they get there or are bred there the better for all concerned. The poor weak creatures who did their master's bidding when told to put their hooks away in face of a .ballot on the question deciding to use hooks shows tho weakness oi -the organisation. In. some countries tlie writer has known. those poor things would be brought before tne Union and drummed out, but perhaps it would mean drumming th© Union out—here. What would be done to such a man as Farland's assailant is left to conjecture.