"UNITY."

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 33, 20 October 1911, Page 17

"UNITY."

. Sir,—Prof. Mills' unity scheme seems to mo like an attempt to unite <ril and water. Of what use is a federation if all the units of that federation eairnot act together if necessary? Any labor federation which permits affiliated unions to enter into agreements with employers (such agreements prohibiting concerted action on the job, /the place that hurts the employers' pockets most) is a federation only in iiame. It only serves to provide soft •jobs for parasitical officers (an unnecessary paid union official is as much a parasite as any exploiter of labor). It may be urged that such a combination as Mr. Mills advocates would secure fiolitical supremacy for the workers, tis impossible. We can put as many laws on the statute book as we like, but if we have not economic power to hack them, they are worse than dead letters. And economic power can be Obtained only by a union or federation pf unions whacJi retains their right to 'act on the industrial field. Solidarity is impossible so long as we cling to the C. and A. Act. The N.Z.F.L. (registered) is the only organisation or scheme of organisation in N.Z. which can ever gain economic power. Fake federations must come from time to tinie as the revolutionary union grows ; attempt after attempt will be made to keep the workers divided yet a little longer; they are useful! Experience is •*he only teacher. Let us concentrate on getting control of industry. W© will then soon have that economic power .without which political power is farcical and with which we do not need the parliamentary machine; we can ignore it. The only possible justification for political action is its educational value. It serves to prove to the that as soon as they make the best of men ..iB, privileged person he is of a different class. —I am, etc., ' Hiahbank. S- J. ROSCOE.