In Our Opinion

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 33, 20 October 1911, Page 11

In Our Opinion

ICIINDLAY at Pariiell spent much v verbiage in adding to the confusion of things political and social hj advocating the appointment of a permanent board to investigate industrial conditions in New Zealand. He asked himself and his audience questions on "Why is living dear?" and toade out how mighty difficult it was to answer same—therefore a board to find the answer. All this leading nowhere, this complete nebulousiiess, is saaere playing at politics, is mere fudge. •FittdJay knows "what's wrong"; or if te doesn't, then why the deuce is he running for Parliament? What is Parliament for but to solve a country's problems? What do politicians exist for unless they have an answer to such ftueiries as "Why is living dear?" It *<bug<ht to be a Parliament's glory to deal with these matters, instead of referring everything troublesome to auOfcher body. The suggestion of a pea*irianent board to act with the Arbitration Court is really a plan to keep the .workers thinking something is being Slone; whereas with the most expert ? 'board" the workers would be no better off. Living is dear because the workers maintain the non-workers, and are slaves to production for profit. The devising of "remedies*" after getting $k>wn to causes sounds fair—but the interests of the board - creators feeing to keep things as they are, the the board recommends will fiot be "remedies," nor will the •■••causes' , it discovers be real causes. Socialism has already done what Findlay professes to want done.

!jA N instructive book could be -written )- on the psychology of headlines. headlines have a big power %£ suggestion, and those who write the lieadliiies know it. Not infrequently Are the headings quite inexact, and of- - 11&n. are they deliberately utilised to -jvrist. meanings and to mislead. A ' to last week's dailies pro-

vides an example of inferential falsity. The Auckland "Herald" came out with this heading and sub-heading respectively t "Sedition in India —Use of the Bomb." Ask yourself, reader, what you would conclude from such headlines —and now know that they referred to the sentencing of & journalist for writing a seditious article "on the etiology of the use of the bomb." Note that "etiology," which means "cause." It would hare been too matter-of-fact and too fair for the "Herald 5 'to have said "cause of the bomb." It makes a difference, you see.

A N excellent pamphlet on the Defence Act has made its appear-, ance at last. Wβ welcome its publication, and we trust it will sell widely. It is entitled "The Defence Act—a Criticism, " and is by C. R. Fiord. Thirty-two octavo pages in size, dearly and judicially written, the pamphlet meets <a want. Mr. Ford has done his work admirably, and his exposure of what the Act means in certain important respects will ram home the lesson of the propagandist, backed as Mr. Ford's analyses are by text of Act and Military Regulations. Christie and Co., 102 Hereford street, Christohurch, are the publishers of the able and fair brochure, which sells wholesale for 7s 6d a hundred. We should like to see anti-militarist leagues purchasing the "Criticism ,, in quantities a<nd selling at one penny per copy.

TP half what is being said about New Zealand's mental hospitals be true, the publication of "Valentine Vox" has been in vain. It sounds incredible, does the weighty accusation of the N.Z. "Herald," oven sustained as it is by evidence which crushes disbelief. The Auckland paper goes so far as charge that a victim at Porirua "has been slaughtered by the Administration." It refers to "the terrible condition" of the Auckland institution, and speaks of horrible scandals. For our part, we think it is time somebody justified this Dominion's boasted humanitarianism by dragging into the light of day the revelations of grave abuses which are alleged to have been unea-rthed.

£JHARLES EDWARD RUSSELL lias never been more slashing and smashing than in the September ' 'International Socialist Review," in which he tells "What comes of Playing the Game" and of the demoralisation and degradation of the Australasian Labor Movement. The article is an impeachment of Laborisin*too well-credentialed to be ignored oven by Laborists. Russell came to Australasia a second time to see things for himself, and what he saw was a Socialist movement killed by an imitation called Laborism. Of Australia he sums up: "I know of but one other country ill the civilised circuit where Socialism is so dead." The other country is New Zealand! Onoe this Dominion used to be told it was all Socialism —now it is to get a taste of being told that it has none. Wβ must remove Russell's reproach. Agree with 3vis conclusion or not, Russell's case as to the danger of Laborism to the work-ing-class is unanswerable. Heed also this deduction from England by J. Hunter Watts: "It is no exaggeration to say that" the Labor party has delayed for some years the advent in our House of Commons of a Social-Demo-cratic party. In other words, it has served the purpose which the political thimble-riggers who opened the doors to welcome its arrival anticipated it would serve. Laborism has proved in this country a stumbling-block to Socialism. Let our comrades of the new world take heed lest their feet trip where we of the Old Country have stumbled." Take, heed to our feet!— are we game enough?

"TVTEWS comes from America that whilst working on the McNamara case for the "Appeal to Reason," George H. Slioaf liaa been, kidnapped

and posßlßy w sltJ©g^--~B e ( M* written that he had sufficient evidence fx* $ldict Otis for tibe orime. He xrmb to his room one night, and next mornfag had disappeared. The landlady says she heard the sound of BOuffUnjg &np the Ball of a heavy body. Shoal , ® hat. badly iand a bludgeoja loaded with lead were found In the Ihall. The "Appeal ,, latest waj offering §00 doilao-s fiowird for leading to the whereabouts of its special OOi*liespondent (Shoaf) i>t positive evldenioe of death*

W . T. MILLS has accepted Scott 'Bennett's challenge to debate Ms "unity" scheme. He lias informed the press from time to time since that if Scott Bennett is not on 'liand on the dates mentioned the public wil] place its own construction upon the matter. The public will. Scott Bennett has not, at time of writing, received any word whatever from Mills. Knowing that Bennett was touring the South Island Mills forwarded his acceptance of the challenge to Auckland. If Mills is sincere in his desire to meet Bennett (and we believe he is) he should at least have seen to it that the letter would have reached Bennett in time. The blame lies with Mills, not with Bennett. The question at issue is too vita! for either side to endeavour to "score" by indulging in innuendo or sharp practice. Wβ want the truth. Wβ want to know the viewpoint of both parties that the differences whioh exist may be dearly understood. There are no two men better qualified to deal with the proposals than Bennett and Mills. In the meantime, we are quite convinced that the base innuendoes published in the '"Weekly Herald" and in a leaflet alleged to have been issued by the "unity" party, have not been published or issued with the cognisance or consent of Professor Mills. We feel quite satisfied that Professor Mills has too high a conception of the Labor movement, too keen a desire to arrive at the truth, to countenance in any shape or form the vindictiveriess of those who endeavour, before the debate takes place, to prejudice the public against such .a champion of the work-ing-class as Scott Bennett. We sincerely trust that the debate will take place; it will not be Scott Bennett's fault if it does not.

fTJHE spectacle of the representatives of the various Cooks and Waiters' Unions of New Zealand waiting upon the Minister of Labor and being snubbed for their pains was witnessed last week. These unions are composed of a section of the workers who are never noticeable for their virility. The Unions for the most part are merely looked upon by members as employment bureaux through the channel of which they are to seek work in the event of becoming jobless. And no attempt has been made to educate the to what unionism implies. According to the press reports each "leader" in turn "pleaded" ; some even "pleaded eloquently." But their eloquent pleading fell upon unsympathetic ears. Millar was sore. The very people he had tried to serve slandered him, so he said. After indulging in a little self-pity, he told the deputation that he "wouldn't do what they wanted, and that ended it." Is a request for economic justice "ended" simply because, a Labor renegade who happens for the moment to occupy' a Cabinet position says so? Wβ think aiot. It may end it and indeed will, as far as the "pleaders" aro concerned, but it certainly would not if an organisation of industrialists had charge of th'o matter. Industrial Unionism, by wheeling its forces into line, could seenre for th© most sweated trades deoent conditions right her-© and now. And they wouldn't indulge in any ."pleading" to Labor "rats" either.

PTIHE Federation of Labor has determined to enrol tho wiatersiders of the Dominion within its ranks before it is much older. An appeal to the wharf-workers has been issued, and Organiser Semple is on the job. The organiser says that since the rank and file of the watersiders have been disenfranchised by their conference, th-ry will be approached and given a voice in the matter themselves. Semple anticipates their entry into the Federation in about three or four months' time. The largest Unions are to be visited first, the truth regarding the Federation told, and a ballot taken. Meetings have already been held in Wellington, Lyttelton and Timaru, and it is a foregone conclusion that fn those places when a ballot is taken all will declare for the N.Z.F.L. The organiser will proceed north almost immediately for the purpose of addressing the various watersiders and it goes without saying that there, as elsewhere, when the -truth, is told the watersiders will embrace the N.Z.F.L. Auckland has alrea-dy moved in the direction Of taking a ballot upon the question.

Cervantes, the author of ' 'Don Quixote/ , died of kunger.