Direct Action and Politics.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 71, 19 July 1912, Page 14

Direct Action and Politics.

FITZGERALD'S VIEWS

At tho weekly mooting of the Socialist Party, held iii tho Ring's Theatro on Sunday week, Mr. J. Oarr presided over an audienco of aboil £ 400. Mrs. Cameron, acceptably sang "The Dear Little Shamrock." Tho lecturer was Mr. 11. M. Fitzgerald, whose subject was "Direct Action, Political Action, and Milwaukee Mills." Mr. Fitzgerald said his remarks would be a justification "-of both direct . action and political aou'on. The pliraso "direct action" had been brought into.voguo by tho American, organisation known as tho Industrial Workers of tho World. In its narrow interpretation it was a purely anarchist cry, but actually direct action could bo both industrial and political. As used by the anti-parliamentarians it proceeded upon tho assumption that the two economic classes of society were each ail entity, a unit, a solid phalanx. As a matter of fact, tho capitalist class was rent asunder by a conflict of interests' arid the working class also. This, however, did not minimise tho class struggle—-nevertheless it was indisputable that capitalists and workers alike wero divided into sections. Among tho capitalists there existed land and industrial capitalists. Mr. Massey might bo said to represent tho former and Sir Joseph Ward the latter. Among the workers there wero thoso who adhered to superstition, and also tho unemployed, the army, and tho police. In a general strike for taking over the moans of production these sections would bo for the maatojr class. As a means of emancipation from wage-slav-ery the general strike would be found a trap. At the same time, by virtue of the commodity strugglo botweon capitalisti (the buyer) and worker (the seller) strikes wore necessary in resisting encroachments and bettering conditions on the job. If the workers did not fight industrially and politically they would bo Btarvod back into slavery. Strikes were inevitable under capitalism. And here it was required that they should understand that all action which vested power in representatives was political, and thus industrial action was also political. Even tho I.W.W. was a parliamentary body, aa it vested power through representation. The speaker proceeded •to give a skoteh; of the evolution of parliamentary action, and said that the evolution indicated the growing strength of tho working-class. In dealing with Professor Mills, tho lecturer's contention was that Mr. Mills stood for tho master class, and gave such ideas as direct action and eabotago an application they did not warrant. The Socialist Party did not stand for sabotage, and was not a syndicalist organisation; and this applied to the Federation of Labor as well. In New Zealand the workers could use the ballot to return to power their own class equally with using it, as they did, in the interests of the mastor class. lb was time that the workers realised the necessity of a combination of political and industrial activities rts tho terms wore generally understood. The rational satisfaction of man's wantti was within reach, and tho 'human race would be happier and grander when man's material needs wero assured.