THE CLASS WAR.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 58, 19 April 1912, Page 4

THE CLASS WAR.

It is curious how middle-class people get angry about the statement that the world is divided into two classes, a statement which they deny with the vehemence of Refer, and almost with oaths and curses; yet in their speeches and writings their class bias constantly comes to the front. I remember our Lord-Mayor once saying to mc: "Rut perhaps you aro prejudiced, Mr. Alderman. 1 ' , "Of course, I'm prejudiced," I ro. plied. "Aren't you prejudiced!'" "I don't think 1 am!" lie said. "Of course, you are. We are all prejudiced, we cannot, help being so, our upbringing and training and stirroiuidings make ns so. What we've got to do is to allow for the'bias." lie insisted he was not prejudiced, but before five minutes admitted tho kict, though he'd tried to persuade himself if was not so in his ease. The Auckland papers, Liberal and Conservative alike, aro showing this class bias very strongly, and also exhibiting the same ignorance over the Mayoral election. They both tell how "an influential body of citizens" have requested Mr. Parr to be candidate. The both of them conveniently forget that the influence of the body of citizens is mainly the influence of their iinancial power, outside of which and without which most of these persons would have no influence at all. One paper says Mr. Parr's decision to stand "will give unqualified satisfaction to the community as a whole." Does this writer know (he cannot help knowing) that a very large number of the working elas'S are bitterly opposed to Mr. Parr being Mayors' Surely he has read of the crowded meetings of workmen, who think the present Mayor da's behaved very unfairly! These things matter nothing to a leaderwriter. He knows that it bus been customary for men of his class to kohl these positions, and ho has been trained ti think that he and his friends are the community. Su«h people as this wi'i, :.t have been hypnotised by training and surrounding's to bolievo that ' 'ih'- community consists really of their chxv . They have been persuaded by tl.J'ic environment, which has caused til-(vi to believe the lifeless and unnecessary dements of society are tho only one i which matter. The common wn'ing people who do. everything and wiiibout whoso work the "world would ■spe ■ lily come to an eaid, so far as humai.dy is concerned, aro not " the con ,aur;ity." They are just the common people; to be patironirod and 'flattered and cajoled at election times to ■•etc ft;r superior pi-jt'one. but on all

other occasions to be kept in their proper place. Sir Serine "cannot conceive of any reasonuble objection being raised" to Mr. Parr being remade Mayor. There you have it. He "cannot conceive. " I don't ln-li< ye he can. If would be contrary te all his [)io\ ious i lucking, he thinks, tor him to understand that tho v.i,iking (■!;:•■•.:, may objoc; to a mail being iioi't.- chief ciii/,(i! who so imlibcr.it! iy uses Lis pcsilinli on behalf of the master class. This wril'-r knows quite well that thousands ci working men and women do object io "dr. Parr, but like Gilb'ri's hero. "He can't think why." lie knows it is not true when he writes: ".Mr. Can lias retained the conhdenoo of his icliov,-mti/,ens." Hut he has been so twisted and warped, and is so fuiiy ehiss-coii:;eiot::i that he cannot help exprc.-.sing tilis cb:Ss cciiscousnoss, meaning that ;\!r. I'arr ha., retained tho e:.mii(iencc fi' the [easier class. This being so, the- siivaul class arc of no account wito ! he w riier. 0 thai w<.riving men may become so clear-out in their class-consciousness!