FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1912. Huntly and its Lessons. Federation Fights.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 87, 8 November 1912, Page 4

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1912. Huntly and its Lessons. Federation Fights.

We candidly admit that it goes mightily against the grain to accept as unavoidable tho temporary settlement of tho lock-out at Huntly. That under the circumstances there was wisely nothing else for it does not in any way make the settlement more palatable.

ize terribly urgent chief lesson of recent.developments is the hopelessness of effective, efficient and successful unionism in Now Zealand with the working-class so fatuously divided, spiritless, misinformed and unmanly. Tho wage-slaves of Capitalism to begin with, next the sapped servants of insidious and invidious arbitration, and theui tho sport and plaything of pimps, renegades and strike-breakers—what in God's name is to bo done with a unionism so bereft of class-consciousness and so lost to all sense of independence and solidarity as not to understand their stupidity, ignorance and treachery':"

Of tho unionism in this Dominion that within the Federation of Labor is numerically outclassed by' about ten to one, while over the boundary line of all unionism is a working-class host threefold the strength of the allegedly organised. Comparatively speaking, experience shows the uselessness of Disorgan-

isation, and so unionism—as Organisation—has generally operated for the. advantage of tho whole class, despite tho larger numbers outside the ranks.

When, however, wo got a unionism such as is in New Zealand, with the vast bulk of it merely made unionist by State machinery and using that machinery for scliish and sectional interests alone, reckless of tho cause and tho .class, why then we are laced with a situation to make the real unionist Grieve and' i«o create sad lamentations at the plight and tho peril.

Thau the Huntly case we do not suppose there has been a clearer or more

glaring and impertinent case of victimisation in this country's history. Victimisation is always with ns, wo know, hut th© rascally victiniisors seldom act with the effrontery of i'lm Tanpiri Coal Co. directorate and bullyiii;i:ly and without conscience or cunning show the. iron hand so aggressively and without any compunction or consideration. Eloquent of hoiv the directorate, despised and estimated New Zealand unionism wa« I licit- act of deliberately advertising to the world that tho union executive at Huntly had to be sacrificed, by tho uion in' they could not longer work. Wo repeat that act so barefaced, arrognnt. and contemptuous has hardly been known, and ucer committed where uiiioni-un had simnk and manhood.

To the undying rrcdit, of Hie Huntly minors, they resented the dictation and opposed the sacrifice-, and wn have no doubt the militant, unions of the Federation (whom wo with good warrant exempt from those strictures) applauded

them and were prepared to strike with them—but unionism as a whole., arbitration unionism, Labor Party unionism, did it feel outraged and was it ready light:-' Nay—to it the idea of righting seemed funny, so sterilised of all principle had it become.

Instead it sent its emissaries to Huntly to strangle if possible the Miners' Union, and to sneak behind the tine union there and get formed a scab union to be recognised under the Arbitration Act and comply with the directors' instructions. Invective is wasted on arbitrationists of this kidney, but find for us if you can a, more dastardly piece of spying treason in Labor records?

With arbitration unionism and directors' tyranny hand in glove, consider the tragic handicap in the combat! Consider the helplessness of straight unionism—giving almost extravagantly to maintain two big centres engaged in battle with the bosses—and engrave deeply upon mind and heart the rottenness of working-class organisation, actually effected way back in the past by fools or knaves who saw salvation for workers and employers alike in arbitration, ignoring completely the fundamental truth that owner and slave could only finally arbitrate to the further debasement of slave and added aggrandisement of owner.

To advert to our opening contention as to the chief lesson of the trouble, itis certain that the one and sure hope for the working-class is in the Federation of Labor struggling onward and upward "until the unions have been awakened and aroused and flock to its standard. It is obvious that with one organisation against scabbory and another for it Solidarity is impossible, and therefore the necessity of the time and the only guarantee of success in tho future lies in the continuous exposure of "leaders" degrading even arbitration and in their absolute annihilation as working-class representatives.

Aspects of the Huntly lock-out inviting treatment are the directors' statements and chairman's pronouncements. The spectacle of Mr. Alison posing as trades union champion and apologist of tho Solidarity of Labor suggests the tongue-in-cheek confidence-acts whereby the unwary and tiio credulous have time and again been cheated and defeated ; but many unionists think it is grand to have so big a boss so feelingly interested in their welfare, ah! ah! Alas!

Unionism would be holding its splitting sides at the Alisnnian preachments about having tho support of all rightthinking people in seeking an arbitration union and compelling employees to join it (incidentally toeing to hell tho Federation of Labor and tho agreement made with it) if unionism had sense and spine, for the chairman's strutting would seem so exquisite a jest —but, by' all the powers in hell, the preachments are taken seriously! Let us weep. Well, well, the Ilunily men have resumed work and the, executive fwho ought to be long honored.) /re sacked and another scab-union is registered— making a quartette of ib.ein—and what may happen no man knowr-th: still, we have the hope that rather than be colleagues with palpably bogus and scab unions decent unions will more speedily "pull out" from the contamination of the Arbitration Court, and thus the quicker cud the last shield of senbbery. Then, with all unions in one organisation, doing things collectively in their own power and strength, unionism will indeed bo freed and win renown. Mind, no fault is to be found with tho miners of ilunrly for returning to work, nor with the Federation council for.so advising. With tho Waihi and Reckon fights on, with Auckland (General Yaberers routed, with F.arangahako (Talisman mine) closed down, wiili Kiripaka. and Huntly loeked-out, a

thousand move men on the funds could not be supported. Moreover, oilier reasons a - rcvcdi'd in o'er columns bad to bo considered.

Dealing with Huntly, Mr. Glover's last secretarial letter states: "The employers, through their satellites (members of tho United Labor Party) arc almost .frantic in thoi- endeavors to

form a scab union. They have been going round during tho past fortnight under police protection, and with the assistance of some engine-drivers of tho same calibre as those at Waihi who formed a scab union, getting names from amongst the Maoris and those whom they considered somewhat weakkneed favorable- to forming an Arbitration Union. The union aiiirms that they have met wiili iiUlc success." benign Labor Party v.hoso strikebreakers have plainly intimidated the boasted national executive of big names into acquiescence 1 The news from Iviripaka is that the manager lias paid the men oil and informed them that there is no more work for them. Scabs are to bo emplojcd, all(1 doubtless Mr. Thos. Walsh will be in evidence. Saturday's "Times" thus reports this Labor Party secretary's movements: "Mr. Walsh, arbitration organiser, arrived last evening (at W r aihi) and reports good progress at Huntly." Also from it« Huntly correspondent: "Thp organiser of the new union has received intimation from the Minister that tho registration of tho new union will be put through shortly." Huntly having resumed coal production, there was left no excuse for the Talisman proprietary to continue "closed-down," but we would like to know why Mr. Massey's Government (which includes Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, friend of Wellington workers!) didn't compel this proprietary to abide by its award and work its mine. The "short-age-of-coal" fiction no one took seriously. It is clear that tho employers can give "days off" wholesale and still have legal protection, but one "day off " taken by employees forfeits all their legal rights under arbitration. We cannot close without once more testifying to the admirable militancy of the victimised workers of Auckland, Kiripaka and Huntly, and commending them to the good offices of thoroughgoing unionists everywhere. They have this consolation—they fought and they kept the faith. Of such stuff comes all advancement.

We shall yet see the day in New Zealand when presumptuous employers will be compelled to recognise the organisation of the unions, when coercive employers' edicts declining to treat with the Federation of Labor will bo neither forgotten nor forgiven, when Toil shall be united in One Big Union economically omnipotent and standing

erect.