CHRISTCHURCH COMMENTS.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 43, 5 January 1912, Page 13

CHRISTCHURCH COMMENTS.

Wage-slaves and their Masters.—Election Echoes.—Future Tactics.

Christchurchj from the capitalist point of view, is a splendid place, and tho only fly bi the ointment are those "Red. Raggers," who will persist in holding meetings in the opon air and telling those silly workers they are wage-slaves. If the Socialists would uecide to run a pantomime—say "The Forty Thieves"—we fool suro wo could provide all the stars from this village. ;vnd the fun of the thing is that one of the self-acknowledged experts in this line, has decided to have a run home to the Cold Country with his family for a holiday, aaid the poor wa2e.-slf.ves, who are rejoicing to think their master can' have a holiday on the profits they produced, decided to work overtime to get money enough to make him a special presentation, and all the other commercial robbers are to be invited to the benufeast on deaJhend tickets and ye good-natured w;go- ,- slaw if; to pay for it. As it was in the beginning is now, t-tc, etc.

But stay, things are not quite ro gloomy as all that, because some of thp slaves are beginning to examine their •hams and are fiiuTing out that thpy ire- so rusty they could easily get rid of thorn if they wanted to, aiid so the ■'Jeneml Laborers have decided to take •i ballot on the question of joining tin , N.Z. Federation of Labor, and if they letided so to do everyone may depend upon what will happen in tin's little township, because the laborers have always been the ones to lead and the other unions to follow. The Painters' Union is also a real live body, and we t'eol sure it won't be long before they lake a ballot on the same subject. I'hc president (Alf. Hart) is one of (he Labor members on tin? City Council, according to our masters' voice, i. n ., tho daily pro.ss ; but many of the workers say he is the only Labor member on that body, ami ho certainly ought to have been chosen n,s a parliamentary candidate at the la to elections, but Alf. plays the game square, and therefore was not chosen.

One of tho most uotiVeabl" tilings in foniK<-ti<)n with the late elections is the nbs< iue oi' blow from our Unity-"Uiu-],aljor Party over the smallness of 'he S-ooialisfc vo.te. These poojile, with ill their faults, liavc sense enough to ■:»m that the game played this Mine will not score < v<'ry time. The "iipiiali.st press never V.new there was i Pocialist staii(li))!4. f-:-:cc]>t when they advertised. No inenti-in was ever made i>y them of the fact, but now they imve to acknowledge that in spite of Conservative and Lilxral support to tho Labor Party they have only got two candidates in and the Socialists two.

Some of the Labor gang thought that >vo would become disheartened at the small vote cast in this city for Revolutionary Socialism, but they wore onJy a few of the "supers." The

principals know exactly why the vote was small and, like their masters, they fear us. Last Sunday found larger audiences assembled to hear the divine gospel of discontent preached, collections bigger than ever, and altogether the so-called set-back has become a revival in the ranks of the Reda.

I agree with Editorial "I" that the >york of the Socialist should be, for the next few months, getting ready for the Easter Conference. We should have the will of the majority clearly expressed on the question of political action. I must say I lean to political action for propaganda purposes. I do not believe Socialism will come by this method, but on the other hand we shall be greatly handicapped by "paternalism" if we do not get a few members into the House. I fear paternalism more than I fear coercion. Take the late elections as an example; if our enemies had come out to fight us, we should have scored, but instead they came out to prove what good fellows those Socialists are, but that it was impossible to get Socialism all at once, ec, etc. We were a bit misguided, and so on ; and these tactics scored.' — THE VAG.