The Federation Preamble and Agreements.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 54, 22 March 1912, Page 5

The Federation Preamble and Agreements.

i With Incidental Reference to the Rejoinder of I the Inangahua SVliners' Union.

By P. H. HJCKEY

,■ I ui-.li t'j ~;ili!iiit., to "Tin , Workt'.r" ' rcul'M's ■.( l">\ iudi'h ii./iri Is ot titl1* ■\s;i<T.-'i i':nv of ;ij;ri''i , !ii' , iit.i" and how ; tli.'V til;i\ :l I!' , ', till- Ktwl(<r;itiO:i. 1 l.i'l iis cik' , tin* l'\Mloi':!ti>)ii pr<tniiibli> iliivil'. ('-'Hi',lll!i'l{ tli'TiMli 1-' a ll'<()^lU■tio n ill tin' iii'i'il ill that. or^ii.nisatiivJi j Wlli.-Jl Mill itll'l,l' til,' wholi' i>l tlilO IlK'lllj IxTsliip, ilioul'.l offosioii ;iii-ii', t-o make , : oiiiuiiHiii f:iusr' w iUi tln.'ir eoiiiraclos. J Rind <-;u i-i'iilly : ■•Triid' , -i unions foi-tvr 'a ,st itf ill' things uhirli allows ono set. lof workt-rs to Ir , pittod ag-Hinst aiiotln'i" IMt ot wiyrki'i'-i, tli.Tooy liclpiut; to div- ' lt-at one .ii!:ii.lii'i' in wage war.H." Is : that nn , . tin , wry state of affairs I have ' been iiruinu tb«' Fc'li'mtion lnwnbwsliip ;to avoiilr Jtcad furtlu-r still tho j N.Z.I , '.L. pivainbli': "Tlu'sc cuiiditKiiis cm be riiaiyi'd am.l dtit- i]iti".n''Sts of the j \vorkiii>;-(da.i.s uplu'ld only by aji ori (j;ai!!s;tt]on fonuwl in sucli a way that, jif tho !!<•(•■'wil-y arises, all its incnibors I SHAI.I, niiik' , an injury to ono an iv- ' jury to .ill." , Mark woll l\w HHAI-L. It is laid

; (bin n hero, dearly and ooix-isely, that Ino in'"!)? 'T or section of the led<'ra- r- : tion shall allow ynyt'hing to stand in ■ tho way of coi;<'ei U , What will J happen t<> our aa,re<>me!it.s thiw? It ! rot in heli, tli'v will be in its immei diatr , proximity. J''or tho reasons outliimd abo'.-i , , thi> |>reanil)li> noes on to ; sta-V : "•There!ore we d<v>in it nooesi Kiiry to organise and maintain the New ', Ze.ihwid I , '.'di■rut.ion of Labor."

' ] want .wi)f member of the Foderai ti'Jii to inform "Tin- , Worker" r.xidors J how w.» ai-A ffoing to act up to tho ! 'leclarod jiriix-iples of our oru;a.iiisiition i if «c intend to lv-inain 'loyal" to agreonients. 1 will again put the question I. submitted in a formor nr+icl": Will i w<l Ik> loyal t-o our class (the Kodorai tion.) or will wo be loyal to the op- | pressors of our class? J To mc th.Mi' is but one answer. I'll Ifilieic to th? I'Videratioii oven though I ! have been /vr-cu-ved of endeavoring to i have the orirmisntion "prostituk'<l to ! thi' nebul'Hi.H ide.ils by which Mr. Hie- : k>'v ,i|)j)'Mi's to bo euidtxl." Hiekey ; liajipi'iis to ha , .'" , read, studied, and is i euidVd by tih" Federation proamble.; he I wants t<> prevent the Federation lieint; turned from its ori<;mal ]>u.r]K>sp, the i purpose for -tthioh it was founded; h<? j wanU to pri'Vi'iit it being prostituted. I Can certain of his critics say tho same?

Sppakina; of this preamble wliieli the N.Z.]'.[,. has adopted, Eugene, V. Debs the world's fororaost industnalist, says :

"Tins meand actual unity of pui-posc and 'K'Uoii. It inoa-ii* tho C'Vd.oiiiK: solidarity of our cla-ss. It means tlv y;i'iov.lll'(» Of O.'i>* i-l til" eolUXTll of H'll, alld t-hid' fivjiii this tiiiK , forward craft diviiiiin i.s to be eliminated; that we are +o ™t and and win !'•/;■ all." I iiibscribo to that d.x;trin.>.

IVbs ar»iiin =;aya : i: f\>r'v-riain crafts 1j ;■;.• 1 l)\cv,:'vl\-<-* up ill (T;ift r<!;rr 'iiM'iits, and after having* dono this, they xrr at tiu> ir.i've.v of the capitalist; ami ■ivhon t!i"ir fellow uniojiists call upon i-li'fm for i.id, tlioy make vry rninvoniont oacus*! that t-hoy cannot lu-lji Lhom, that they must pre«'rve the sanctity of tho contract tii-ey hiivo niado with tho cmployor. This so-calh'd contract i.3 of vastly more iin - porta lux , than tho jobs, ny«, the vor , . lives of tho woi'king-mKi themselves." I i>■V-μ.', with Dobs.

I .of. u> .mv what otiiiT promiiK'iit iJidustriiili i's have to say upon the

ii'i.'sf.iori r,i \V. 1). Hay\vi)'id, t!:o bt'lovod of thn da:-s-iY)nsci-<;:is woi kor-i <rf Aworioa., and Frain.!; t;..;iii, in th it K!'l-:.f!id l«.iii!:l"t, "Jn-d'!-;!.rial (S.'K'ialism," say: " . . . .

Th" fr.i'r'.'it-'i-.t errors of craft unionism, of ap;reo:)M:nls with empli i \'or.s. Those agreements tie the hands of tii' , workers find prevent them fiv,:n for better condiii'mr,. Hut they do not prevent the capitalist frorii nil hi-, shop and turning the uorki'is into tho street whenever I)- , pleas-vs. Thero should Ih> no i:io:i!..s !iolv.r."i capitalists ami worlnTS which bind flu* workers t-o 11 i-i■ ir W')i'l:.'' I am with llaywcod and Ivii'iii in thi.i si";it'Oir,ont. Til!. , Iti.nuv'.'lnia Union states that my ull-ouui-':''? l 'v, - i'>'.i!'.l l'nrnish valnaMo t-vwkMitv in snpiinit of tho charge sd iii.en i:::\:!'.' that the i'Vtl',\r;uion of *~-J.i!i- i.-: !- ; ■i , a of r>2;i';i!'»i'' i -" .jest v. !i:it 1 \v::)it to sco it. A (\i ?.;;it:i!ors ivk'lltk'ssly ihrfj-.' 'I>l C.!l'il:ll!^)l. llrtyuo-od ;:;:d li,;ji■ ■; s.:v : "To-iluy 1 ntlt'.stri:..!. I'ni.ii.i'-.iii, whuh is ti'.e fnnn c.-i —1' : ;!y !■'!• '■';:■ ••u.; _ inr-ipall in *i{ the \\i irkiii'.'.-fSiis.-i." ;'':ri!u:r: " ro-vo'.uiii-iuiry in-!■■■-■ L j - ; ■ 1 t'.nini) is <.",•<>r :i'-:!\.-, ;ii\v;i\o li-;; n.jj;. 'i'iie i' • >* ?. mi).'!' , : , ! , . !:. : "ir oi;:a;'i;;;! ;.)]i i> in- by i.d ru'tirity." And what l.t !S -!.:■!- 'i.!n- Fe-1,.r-Mi.-,!, Rrov; and fl<inri.->h is thy fait ii:::' ii ohose contrition t'nn f-;.' 'i-.-i. ti(.:-i. Let that inn n-!.,u!i!r-d Just in proportion i-i its t)i r .'A-:'' l~i\\ will it bo powerful. But. if bound by the fettoio of "n;:TceiiK'nl,3," what ,i pili aide siiectado! A ginnt lulph'ss in Lilliputian bonds. \V. K. Tiautmalin, in a recent ljiihlicali.vn, writing on the subject uf inoiits, says: "liut actuated by t.hat se(rtari;i,n spirit the.se contracts are ecinsidored to be inviolable. Mot- u> much by the employers, uJio will break them iiuy time when it will Ik> t-o their advantage, but by the workers who are organise!, in craft; unions. Imbued with their sectarixn by tlm terms of such a contract they are in duty bound to protect the ijitore.s'.s o! the employers ii tho hitter should ba/ooou-

n\)v«>rsii's with other craft uiiioiis. Tims vhe workers eonscnb to being made traitors to (.lii-ir own class." >|ieakiiij4 ol a strike, Trautmami says: '''! he oon(rafts were tlie weapons in the* hands oi the capitalists by which thecraH union-i.-.ts were forced to wear the stigma ol stnke-brwikets. They woro made unioiscubs at the mniuenfc when <:hiic<tUhl action would have pulled tkiwn th-e. )lii,g of boastful, deliant triumph from the pal.-wes of thu Iwssos-"

Lot no similar tragedy overtake our membership. Never let the stigma of organised scabhery he launched against any section of the 'Federation. Hemc.mIvor though, if tlio contract agreement is to be regarded as sacred and inviolable, scabbeiy, organised scabbery, must of necessity follow.

Say the liiangahua officials: 'We venture to assure him (Hiekev) tliat his 'to hell with agreements' policy will meet with rnoro opposition than support. In fact, it' tlio assumption contained in tlio abovo quotation tie true. Mr. Hiekey may s.liorll> have the pleasure of finding himself tlio only really well-informed and cultured individual in (.he Federation."

If such dire calamity as is here predicted should eventuate, I at least will have the satisfaction of knowing 1 have, remained fast to the Federation from its very inception, and by remaining true to its principles be in the company of men like Debs, Hay wood, Trnutmaiim, Bohn and every other industrialist of note. Personally, I carebut little what majorities may think. 1 am used to being in the minority. If I wanted to ho in the majority, I could have been there long since, but Tnibli and Justice bold mc, and I remained in the Labor movement, and liko Fagaii and Crowley, I am with the minority; and within the minority itself I am still in the. minority, because I am a revolutionist.

1 think I have made it perfectly clear l)3 r this and previous articles that the Federation membership oaitnot be true to tho principles of tficir organisation if they do not adopt the Industrial Unionist attitude towards agreements ; that t-ho very kernel of the Federation which lies in tho words, "Members shall make an injury to oiw an injury to all," becomes at once a mockery and byword unless concerted action can be taken when necessary. This means smashing of agreements. Just a few words to my friends of Tuangahua. If I have accused them of something of which they wore not guilty, I readily w il'h draw that accusation. I have no desire to injure any person wantonly.

1 am asked by the In.anga.hua Union if I rely upon the. Press Association respeetiny: the movement. In reply, I ask: If the Inangahua Union read in (he whole of tlio public press a statement to the effect that a vote of censure had been passed upon it, that this alleged vote, of censure was used by '■apitalist hirelings for tho purpose of injuring those against whom it was supposed to hi'.ve bi.vn p:vssi»rl, and not a single contradiction appeared from it-3 alleged authors, would tho Union believe it? I say it would. More ''insufferable dogma." There was not a paper in New Zea.la.nd, from tho fictirrilous little sheet controlled by tho exrabbiter of Kwffon to the large dailies in the centres, which did not contain the paragraph in question.

Tlio officials of tlio lleofton Union must have known such to be tho case, but they romaimd silent, and tlio news went jijVld. Perhaps it would not b« denied no>v if I 'lα-:) d not dragged it forth. Knowing tho eirrunistanees, tlic hianpiahua Union <onld scarcely expect mo "to pluck ijmrniciH in tho ynrilr>i! of rhetoric and present them to those wlii) permitted to go forth nn-ehallc-n«;o<l a statement calculated nnd used to injuro mc.

I. must congratulate th' 1 Ileefton men upon the delectable phrases; with which they 'liavo regaled "Tim Worker" renders' T.hey aro comically elusive, ajid bear evidence of much do so scrutiny of Webster's Dictionary. Here aro a few slabs chucked at mywif:—"Violent abuse, and hysterica' denunciation," '•fi-ot-hy declamation," '-insufferable ■l!)!:;mal'isni," 'V.jror.-ani l,v assume," •''l'i'.'!iu-i\sf|i:o lliilin!'- , .::;]!-!-.-" "brokenvoiced appeal," "hysterical references," ,: iinwarranted vilupoi ation/' "nrostiAnvthiiif. , : I may have said in the arl.i'-ic t-o wliich the iiiaiiji-iiaia Union takes s:v\i ''y.V'-'.ii'.)!',, bavx! as it was np:u; nil alleged li;oii->n, .stands. Ji tlii- Union did not pass the le.-ohilion. (■■ho ari'H>K'.nt against it fall; but the ar Tun'iit advanced against a nnio-n wlm: is prepared to ding to its ,'uTeeniMii no milter what oicins. siili li'ildp I.) d. il:'> pediiiit.k: va])oriiii!-- of t-lio li'-u-.'■ lima Union to the coMiiary notwiflistandijiti. ] am sc-ri'y space <;O"S not permit mc to reply to many ;>< uliarly reasoned points raised by tho Union oflicials. To v.-.i'.ider wiLh them in In the musty days of tho nu'dieval perH, to investigate i.ho history of the S.i ■!::•]! devolution, would bo cMiivineiiii: To mo a sen!) is a. t'liir a, unioniiia.li' o«e more d.'t< sable still—and I shall not h/»siia!c> io apply the term ever, thouj, , ! it may let nut.t with the approval of certain union officials. /ii/;>in, I i-'oiild '-v-bmit that, oven though a sub-edilor, 1 shall vriUMvhat I beii ? ev> In bo tiHW, and when I need lessons in t-lie discretion up'-ossary for t-hat position will a;>i>ly to tboso who have d'-nionstratod their kruiwledgo of tJio w<irkintr-class muvomout. Tlio s:ig-