NOTES FROM KAITANCATA.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 58, 19 April 1912, Page 10

NOTES FROM KAITANCATA.

Arbitration v. Federation.—lnteresting Views. The controversy o.n tho question of Arbitration versxis Industrial Union methods ounie to a head to a certain extent tho other Saturday evening. Those who were in favor of arbitration were erroneously of tlio opinion that they had a majority at their back to support the formation of a union to work under the I.C. and A. Act. They called a meeting, therefore, in order to give effect to what they thought wore the wishes ol a majority of tlio mine workers here. However, the result of the meeting clearly showed that, whatever the miners as a whole thought on tho question of Federation versus Arbitration, they certainly were not going to do anything that would result in the partial wrecking of their Union. There is not the slightest doubt that nrany of the leading spirits thought that tho N.Z. Federation of Labor had very few supporters in Kaitangata; but, as a matter of fact, at thi« particular meeting, out of lho 50 who were present there was a most decided majority in favor of Industrial Unionism, there being just about 16 who preferred arbitration. Now, to give many of these men their due, when they found that they were udE'Evcn in their estimate of t'ho feeling in regard to tho formation of an arbitration union, fhey declared that they would go no further with the matter if a majority of the workers hero were against tlie proposition. Figures, and especially ballot, figures, are sometimes deceptive, and many of the supporters of arbitration thought that there was a majority of workers in favor of arbitration in Kaitangata, because at tlie late ballot about 9-3 voted against cancellation and only 88 for the proposal. They never took into nu'vJoration "that there are about 2,"i0 members of the Union here, and of this local only 183 voted, leaving some 67 vE.c. from one cause and another, never !■■■<pressed any opinion on tho subject. Another thing that is also

known is that several who voted againet cancellation, did so by mistake, so that, from ono cause and another, it is quite evident that the supporters of arbitration were not aware of the real feeling of the men at Kaifcangata on the step that was contemplated. There is, however, no doubt that now the situation has been made plain to them, most of them will loyally fall in with tho wishes of tho majority, because, after all, we are comrades, and arc all struggling along to do our best in tlie interests of our class. If we are so foolish as to start fighting with one another on the question of methods, we must go to the wall j whether wo like it or not, wo must, if wo want to win, submit to a measure of majority rule, and show a united front to the employers. Then, again, when wo find that wo have very little to show in tlie way of benefits from the Arbitration Court during the last lo years, surely we can wait until next July and test whether we cannot do much bettor without the assistance of the Court. Our award will then expire, and we will then be in a position to judge by results. We havo only to wait three months, and if, after that, it is not conclusively proved thafe we are in a better position to agree on the rate at which we will disSose of our labor power, them it <11l o quite soon enough to talk of tho imaginary benefits w© have derived from arbitration. If we lose anything by adopting tlie methods of Industrial Unionism, we will be the first to do so since the Federation has come into existence. Even at the worst, if we were to gain nothing but our independence by cancelling our registration, it would be a big step forward. Why, in spite of tho fact that we are such a law-abiding people, it is common knowledge that the minors here would never have submitted to medical examination. They would have struck beforo tliey would havo allowed any such thing to come to pass. Well, if tlio medical examination had been attempted hero and a strike had eventuated in consequence, the Union would have been liable to a fine of perhaps £200, or perhaps the individual members would have been fined anything up to a tenner. That is ono of the risks wo have escaped from. In tho present state of politics we do not know but that we may very soon get into some othie-r tight corner from which direct action alone can save us. So, therefore, now that we have got our freedom, we should stick to it. We are not a comparatively small union of 500 units, but, on the contrary, are as a union a unit in the most progressive and alert industrial organisation in New Zealand. Such being the case, surely we do not want any antiquated law to loan up against. Are we not strong enough to stand on our own feet? Why, why is it that we workers do not use our powers of thought a little moro? It surely ought to bo apparent to anyone that, if the workers were doing a. foolish thing for themselves by forming an industrial organisation like the N.Z. Federation of Labor, then tho capitalist press and tlio employing class would bo tho last to even whisper that the workers were making a mistake.. In polities we take all that the Tory papers say with a very largo grain of salt. Wlien they support a budding politician, it is quite cuough for the most of us to deny any support to that individual. We realise that the policy of the paper is directed in tlie interest of tho class it represents, and any public man, public body or organisation that is likely to hurt the class the paper represents is certain to incur the hostility of that papor. We know that —it is a fact that is seldom questioned in politics —yet we find workers, men who are no doubt genuine so far as they can see, quoting something that some capitalist paper has said in condemnation of tho Federation. These same men will believe what the papor says about the Federation, hut they would net listen to anything it said on politics. quite appreciate the fact that the paper's interest in politics is not theirs ; but they forget that the same fact applies in industrial matters. To a worker who studies the signs of tlie times it i» quite snfliciont for him to try and find out what mistake the Union or Federation lias made when he sees the capitalist newspaper praising it up as being a body of reasonable men. However, there is little danger of ever seeing much gush in thoso papers about our Federation. Th-ey realise— ah! how well they realise—that the Federation is out to try to better the conditions of all the workers in New Zealand, and tihey further see that the Federation is likely to be sueeossiu', too, ii)' the object it luis in view. To better the condition of the workers certainly means the lessening of the proliis of the idlers. Tho Federation is under no illusion about industrial matters; it knows that by iiM'ieasing wages alone it will not roae.lt tho desired goal. It looks forward to the d-ay when, as a result of education and organisation along industrial lines, we will evolve the. industrial commonwealth. In the meantime, we have got to so act that too muEh of Ihe value of our applied labor power is not filched from us. Tlie capitalist clearly sees that tho Federation will strengthen the position of the workers, so therefore he condemns it; and now the fact is dawning on some of the workers for the first time tluit what disagrees wiih the employer is not necessarily a proposition to be avoided by tho working-class. However, thore is no doubt but that after our little brush here, and our little controversy, the air will clear; wo may get a bit heated in the moment

of argument, but after it is all over wt will be able to settle down and do om share towards tho emancipation of our class. Our Socialist Party is moving along quietly. Wo aro doing nothing r&sb yet; our propaganda is limited mostly to distribution of literature. After we got a good dose of that into tiio home», the Socialist Party of Kaitangata wiD be second to none in Now Zealand. A» yet there are many here who look on a Socialist as something almost unclean, but that is only because tbejj havo wrong ideas of tlie objeot wo are aiming at. Let them onoo get the truth and they will be with us, and then our little town will be a bet-tei plaoe to live in, mentally and other, wise.—SPECTATOR.