Flings at Things.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 76, 23 August 1912, Page 1

Flings at Things.

The "N.Z. Times." The discredited Liberal organ of Wellington. . Now a piebald production of professorial pretensions and plutocratic proclivities. Tried to "bamboozle" (a pet word of its own) the workers into the belief that it was a genuine dyed-in-the-wool, warrahted-not-to-come-out - in-the-wash champion of their interests. By the engagement of Professor Walter Thomas Mills as editor of a daily Labor Page. Cannot mask its real nature under the cloak it has so recently donned of professed friendship for Labor. "The clothes are the clothes of Esau, but the_ voice is the voice of Jacob." These be your friends, 0 Labor 1 It showed the cloven hoof in a dirty, dastardly, despicable par the other day. Accused the Federation of Labor of being bombastic and bankrupt in money and honesty. Laid the foul charge that the Federation had "bamboozled" the workers of Australia into contributing to the strike funds. And was diverting the donations from the purposes for which they were intended and appropriating them to keep the organisation alive. This from a professedly Labor journal. The bitterest capitalistic paper in the country couldn't have made a fouler or more venomous accusation. But Secretary Glover silenced the scurrilous sheet. His second, letter was a crusher. Now we know the real significance of the phrase "out of joint" when coupled with the "Times." The "Times" was decidedly "out of joint" when it recovered from the knock-out blow delivered per medium of Glover's missive. Read the correspondence elsewhere printed in this issue. The "Times" champion of the workers. Bahl Take a tumble, toilers. _ _.„._* _*- . - * - • The Massey Government has announced its policy. You allknow that, of course. The Government has stated its determination to do things. The Dominion is in for a period of unexampled prosperity. Everything in the garden's going to be lovely. For the life of the present Parliament at least. But if every promise of the policy is performed, how much better off will the workers be? At the expiration of the prescribed parliamentary period Bill Smith and Jack Jones, working-men, will still get up bright and early. And go to work bright and early. And keep on working early and late. And keep on living in the same kind of shack. And keep on wearing the same kind of clothes. And keep on eating the same kind of grub. And keep On having the same kind of boss. , And keep on shelling out the greater part of their wages to the same kind of rentlord. And keep on paying exorbitant prices for food and fuel. And keep on writing letters to the papers about the cost of living. And , and and . Why? Simply because the Massey Government, any more than its predecessors, does not want to touch the capitalist system, and will not. That's why. * « . * We mentioned the capitalist system. That's the system which allows one man to own the tools or the land which other men have to use to make a living. To adapt the words of Ralph Korngold, an American writer, the members of the Massey Government all believe that the worker should be RIDDEN, and that the capitalist should do the RIDING. If they differ at all from the members of previous Liberal Administrations, it is on the question of HOW the worker should be ridden. What kind of saddle and bridle the man who is doing the riding should use, and what kind of spurs he is to wear, or whether he is to wear any spurs at all, or just merely use a whip. That is about as much as their friendship for the working-class amounts to. But the working-«lass is getting

tired of the whole blamed riding business.: i That is why it has organised tha Federation of' Labor and, the Socialist) Party. These organisations maintain. thafJ the working-class was not meant to ba ridden at all. . They declare that the working-class is going to buck off the rider and tell the riding roasters to go to tbe devil. And it is I Speed the day. _, * * ' ■ The other day. Commissioner Jay. Beg pardon, Hay. Of the blood and fire S.A 1 . Opened his mouth to say a say. Or rather to give vent to » donkey's bray. Summarised the aspirations of the rising generation of Australian workmen as "Six hours a day, four quidi ft -week, and three sweethearts." They must, he said, combat such ideas. Not so much a bray was this cay of Commissioner Hay of the S.A. when if is looked into. "Six hours a day"—what's wrong if with that? Nothing! "Four quid a week"—what's wronjf with that? /" Nothing I "Three sweethearts"—what's wrong with that? Nothing I Nothing wrong whatsoever only for the innuendo of immorality attached to* it by the jrv of the S.A. No harm in having sweethearts — scores of 'cm —if they are treated honestly and honorably. Lucky the workman who can. Siava" three of them. Writer is one of the poor unfortunates who cannot get one. He's not envious, and doesn't be* grudge his fellow-workers their good fortune. He wishes 'em joy and hopes they'll' all have a real good time during thd days of their evanescent youth. Three sweethearts! The more the merrier.: Let 'em orl kuinJ