EASTER CONFERENCES AND THE FUTURE OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 61, 10 May 1912, Page 4

EASTER CONFERENCES AND THE FUTURE OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT.

Tlie Eiistci; coni'-' ciiccs are over, and we can look at •;• ;:■ with the dnsi ;.. little settled ;u; : , itli clearer vision. One thine; j s cc, ■',;>>■ the Labor forces will certaiulv In ':■ ■ • t.<»r organised and bettor united th-;n cv»r they have been in the past. To;; is so much to the good. It is idle, how;-' ,'i , to shut our eyes to certain dim< ■■■.:. : -s. The Unity Scheme has dr• •;■•. ;>e!> its "objects," is'o. 5 of wim. , ..le very verbose, requiring more '..,- • hundred words to say what coc. ~ ■. said in the one word Socialism. :■, Hilly expressed ia twenty words, ■! . after sonic beating about the !•■■;■ •. ,-ay "In short, the moans of p-.:-.',. tion, distribution, and exchange s:..'; be socially owned and operated wii- ■-. profit and for the common good <>• :\" However this may be wrapped .■• it can have only one. meanina- S ..;! -en. It would bo i,u- : ;iin;.r, to know why the. word Soeialo-". is so carefully avoided. Most of < he men placed on the executive have wowed their faith in Socialism, ani! i cv :ire men of sufficient intolligenci •■-, know tihat anything short of Ki»;'H'" is of comparatively small mo■:.■■■!' K-pei-ience has shown that ■ ' •'"■ paliiatnos sained aro specdih -allowed up by increased cost of I • ■■<•. new inventions, etc., which inen-i-" the power of tho exploiting da-'- ''ben- seems to be only one pallia• ■ -. ■ which is a real economic gain '•" ''•• worker, and that is tlie shortening •>' hours. However, the r -t\ Conference is, if only somewhat, v., :>nly. committed to Socialism. 1( i - ''.rMmr committed to absolute indopemi- •"■.' of both the- old political partie,- I'noii its adherence to theso two p'o- "s depends much of its future iniluem-e and power. If it puts 'either of hese aside for any temporary advantage, it is doomed. Whether the l.elvir Party likes it or not, there is a Party which daily adds to its numbers, and whose influence and pn"i--- is fur beyond its numerical si ice •'■ ''omchow and, some time, and '' •• sooner the better, all those v,ho In ! ; eve in Socialism as the regenerator of society will havo to come together. Tho question as to how we are to reach the goat is an important one ; but the question of rc-ieliing the goal is moro important. Personally, I am a strong belhwer in direct, action, but I am an equally strong believer in political action. I am also a believer in ilie power and use of the boycott, and think that this may prove one of the most effective forms of direct action and equally elective in political action. If tho workers can once be united all things are possible to them, and they can use one. two. or all throe of the weapons I havo spoken of with marvellous effect. Yv'iUi unity on tho part of the workers, they will control the whole of tho means of life in N T ew Zealand before we reach tho year 1920. Tf divided, the workers will remain in the wilderness for ever. Wo are "11 agreed there must be •"litv. Let us all agree to try our >■- i to brine: it about. The first real ~-.■■:■> must H' l a clear and definite .•..,.+„.>.,w from the Labor Party as 'o N rve-iit'on. Is it out for Socialism? 1' on Socialists must join hand's with •!• I: it is not out for Socialism, '-'■oeial ; «ts should not join hands with i*. I ct us have no mistake about this. 'f the Lahor Pnrt.y decides that it •; onfvxsed to Socialism, the Socialists will still he oomDclled to help the ..„.r.,w<! of the Lahor Party in every >.r n ,T,r]r> tnev have with tho master--!t»« md wo yhall still he their most • fl'"''tive helpers*. Tor tis have this plain, unequivocal -tntenvnt• "The T,aW Party Btands '•■- Socialism." and most of the present docilities will vanish. It should never be forgotten that

a Socialist cannot help being a labor man in the i.u b e.st and fullest sense, but it is pots.i;ie for a man to call himself a Laoor man and yet be an anti-Socialist, .wany people don't understand tins, ma a lit~e reiieeiioiv will show tout it is true. fliomas hurl, Jolin \\ilso.., the late Ben i'ic:-:aiu, .ma many others did a magnificent work in founding and lorming miners' unions l Britain, but evei-v one of them was opposed to Socialism. They did nou understand. They formed unions, and when asked why they wanted the men to unite. said: "To light tho masters." When, however, an election came round, if the candidate profess;:,l himself a Liberal, though he was a colliery proprietor, they itakod the pica who paid their union money to fight this master to vote for their bittoiest opponent. To send . man to parliament when at tho same, time the men who sent him had to pay a cliecksveighman to see that ho did not rob them at the pit top was an absurdity, but Labor men who were not Socialists could not see it. It is only when tho workers becomo conscious of tho fact that political parties have ouiy been a mako-boiiovo, and that the real division is not Liberalism and Toryism, but the capitalist class v. tho working oass, that they become Socialists. Large numbers see this to-day, and their numbers increase daily. It is useless to talK of unity of the porkers on any of' er basis but that of class-conscious unity of the workers. There is no other safe foundation. If the Labor Party accept this foundation, all other minor matters can easily be settled. But we must be quite cicalas to how wo stand. Amongst the mom be: -. of the executive there is the name of Air. Arthur Withy. I know Mr. Withy in England, where he was a strong and avowed anti-Socialist. Has ho changed these views? If not, why do we find him an the executive of a party which says it stands for social ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange? If Mr. Withy is in favor of this, I for one will gladly welcome him on our side, for he is a doughty fighter; but if he is still opposed to this, what is he doing on the executive, of a party which declares in its favor? However, we Socialists have need to rejoice. Labor is moving and Lahor is uniting, in different sections as vet, but it is uniting and organising. When the workers understand, they will find there is no possible road to their emancipation except Socialism. In the meantime, let every Socialist do his or her best to make moro Socialists, for when we have sufficient Socialists we shall get Socialism; and if our neighbors and workmates are not Socialise it would seem to bo our fault. If we can have the assurance that tho Lahor Party stands for Socialism, there appearc to he no reason why at the next Easter we should not have a party which shall unite all the Socialists into one solid body, carrying everything before it in the coming years. Hurrah for reul uiutyl