The Two Federations.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 16, 23 June 1911, Page 10

The Two Federations.

THE EMPLOYERS AND THE

WORKERS.

VIEWS OF AN EXCHANGE

It is a treat and it is encouraging to read in a Dominion paper sucn an article as we read on "Industrial Unionism or Sectional Unionism" m a recent "Goldhelds Advocate," Karangahake. Where miners and shearers congregate as centralised factors it's ratner inspiring to find the papers, generally speaKing, antagonistic to the agitatory and emancipatory unionism. We haA r e found an exception, and we are mighty . glad to print an excerpt from it: .

"The employers have led the way, and while Labor, as usual, has been w*asting time in arguing the m»-.-_r out, have quietly set to work and organised their forces into a solid body. This body has for its object the promotion of tho interests of the employing class, viz., to squeeze the maximum amount of labor out of their employees at the smallest possible cost to themselves. It is called the N.Z. Employers' Federation. It has executive otncers, salaried secretary and permanent offices. The affiliated bodies work together in perfect harmony, and if at any time one of them encounters trouble, it receives the support of all the others. It has no need of a paper to spread its views, as it has the press of the Dominion acting as its mouthpiece. In addition, it has secured the co-operation of members of Parliament to devise cunning legislation to cripple the unions' power of taking the offensive. On the other side, opposed to this powerful combination, was the impotent factions of individual unions, with neither aim nor object, until the N.Z.. Federation was formed. This organisation represents a higher and truer school of unionism. It recognises that the principle of the btndle of sticks applies uo un-.-iis the same as it does to individuals: •United we stand, divided we tall, its advocates claim that sectional unionism has no more chance of fighting organised capitalism «£ban the wage-earner did the employers before forming themselves into trade unions. If the workers were half as wise as the employers the Federation would now be in an unassailable position.''