BEN TILLET.

NZ Truth, Issue 128, 30 November 1907, Page 8

BEN TILLET.

Tells the Truth-About Australia's Agony.

The Cruelties of Cut-throat Capitalistic Competition.

Great indignation: was expressed somewhat recently m the Australian Senate because of a letter that had been written from Australia by Mr Ben Tillett, m which he told the truth about the social conditions prevailing m Australia, and declared, m picturesque language, that the hearts and lives of the people were broken by the conditions prevailing there. Some of the Labor members of the Senate said that Tillett had only told the truth, but plutocratic politicians like Senator Best, the Vice-President of the Exenutive Council, declared that what Tillett had said was a gross libel on' Australia. The truth is, of course, that we have precisely the same social system m Australia as the people of Great Britain have, and consequently we suffer from the evils that are inherent m that system. Competition for employment, competition for profits, with the weakest driven to the wall, knocked down and crushed, are part and parcel of the capitalist system, and the system of producing wealth m Australia is essentially as capitalistic as the British system. Mr' Tillett not only wrote the letter that excited the indignation of some Senators and won the approval of others, but he wrote an article for "Reynolds's Newspaper" of a similar character to the celebrated letter. article referred to, being worthy of reproduction, .is here reproduced :—

A NEW COUNTRY— OLD PROBLEMS. My voyage out was most interesting. A .splendid ship, the Essen, Federal-HouMer line, a genial captain, and almost perfect appointments, made ocean travelling almost a luxury. I should have enjoyed the voyage much more but for the fact that many hundreds of immigrants were on board, some of them leaving mining districts of Scotland and Lancashire to try their fortunes m a new land, already .with its surplus population of unemployed.

Vessels even over 10,000 tons appear to be quite small m view of the developments --of modern shipping, and these mighty Leviathians can bring, besides a cargo, 125,000 carcases of sheep— the sheep themselves marching m single file woivld cover the length of nearly 100 miles. This ensures to Australia not only a tremendous meat trade, but a wool trade of a magnitude hardly measurable. This effective transport is, indeed,, a modern miracle m view of the fact that the engines will thump way week on end without cessation, forcing a tremendous tonnage of water aside, a displacement amounting to 100,000,000 of tons. After all, the steamship is the example of accumulated knowledge and invention, and, looking back upon the voyage, one feels -really as if the thing were too simple to wonder about, and yet m this new country with its glorious skies, its dry air, its perfect climatic conditions, its vigorous people, all the Old World problems are working out their bitter destiny as m any of the down-trodden countries of the world. Combine and syndicate monopoly hold possession m shipping, meat, wool trade, and the mining industry. All the old world results are being expressed m an urgent unemployed problem. Sweating, low wages, high prices, are prevelant to alarming extent. The season work m the wool trade is prearious, the sugar industry being m particular a cause of great hardship to . both white and colored labor. Some effort is being made to grapple with the latter problem, helped by a subsidy, which of necessity must fail, as it relieves the employer of any anxiety as to the result of his crop.

The old age problems — "old at 40," competition between the smaller traders — have reached suicidal weakness, and Australians are having the immense Harrods' and Whiteley's stores m the vast block of buildings controlled by Mr Sam Hordern. The monopoly has stuck its talons deep into the vitals of Australasian industry, and there is but little possibility of closer settlement operating m a satisfactory manner to open up the oountry. Already the best lands have been alienated by grants under the most questionable conditions. The agricultural possibilities of Australasia I are as yet unexploited. The small farmer is under the heel of the merchant, and is able to work with very little hope of reward commensurate with his services.

THE "GOODY, GOODY" TYPE. There arc miners working a "tribute" wlio arc "permitted" ,to develop mines without a single cent being paid to them for wages, while they are forced to work their regular eight hours a day, bearing all the expenses of explosives, implements, etc. The principle applies whether the "tributing" miners strike lucky 'in a month or a year. They are still under bond to work ; the consequence m the BaMarat district, is that there is a good deal of misery, and the g-lutsome stories ot the possibilities of gold-getting are quite outside the mark. The "Sweating Boards," while conferring m some cases manifold benefits, are yet Boards upon which employers are able to exact their mandates. There is no effort made to gauge the possibilities of trade to pay. higher wages. In one case a manufacturer, a usual "j&aody-igoo'cly," "temperance," "thrifty" type of man, has exacted the harshest 'conditions m o, poisoned atmosphere for workpeople, Baying m some cases less than 30s a week, which is about the value of one guinea at Home, and has religiously opposed any investigation into his statement re profits, because of possible exposure. He is the type who entertains largely— is a "philanthropist. ' Ke is an immensely rich man, and represent, I am sorry to say, the smug and sleek humbug, only too evident pmong- Australian employers.

The Industrial Arbitration Acts have been neutralised and nearly destroyed by the lawyer element, -who have entered into industrial controversy to the exclusion of the main matter of interest— that of settling disputes, Cases under investigation are protracted at enormous length, awyers' fees amounting up m the

meantime. Some of the discussions are most amusing as they are made by the Judge, who is frantically anxious to have the proceedings of the Court with all the usual legal nonsense, and my experience, m listening to cases tried, is of utter astonishment and disgust, a lawyer having stuck, leech-like for his thirtyguinea fee for the day, and one who has squabbled with tie Judge over a single word, and thus the interest of good work-folk became a' matter of hilarity between the Judge a.nd ,the barrister.

! In view of the legal enmeshment, there is a serious coal "lumpers' " dispute now m progress. The "Lumpers' " Executive was called upon to accept a form of TaS Vale law responsibility. Upon their refusing, they were locked out, and have been looked -out (at the time of writing) for the last thirteen weeks. I have never . seen a more heroic defence made than these men are making at the present moment. Side by side with the dispute, class bias is so strong and the law so corruptly administered, that ' men cited for/murjder are allowed to work as Wack'legs, and two persons under charge [for "criminal offence" have been let oft, while the blacklegs are permitted Jto carry and use firearms, so much so that even little children have run [great risks of getting shot by the idfunken armed ruffians who enjoy the [protection of the police and the law officers of the State. It has "m it all the alleged viciousness of the American system. ,

CLASS HATRED. I mention this to indicate how iar the colonies have gone m the direction of class hatred and malignant ministration. So far as the politicians are concerned, they may be termed useful ; but there is an absolute lack of initiative and too many factions, the better type of labor man .doing all the work, and carrying on his shoulder the type who perfunctionary carry out their duties for the mere emolument they receive, without any intelligent convictions or'desires to serve. I find there is a lack of the old vim and spirit, aid m its lace there is posing a la statesmen, and a profound disregard paid to enthusiasm and new thought and enterprise. The Labor' party here fias immense possibilities. Some 'of them are under the 'heel of the farmers, who are notoriously Conservative and selfish. The old style of bridges, roads, and railway politics is m vogue here" as vigorously as ever..- With the baser principles of great political issues left out' of account, Australia has had reflected m her mind £he worst characteristics of your Colonial Conference at' Home. :■ The more earnest men, the intelligent workmen, are seriously Questioning the value of such a Conference, inasmuch as • no matter relating to domestic legislation m the direction of protecting producers and workers is touched upon. The gen-eral opinion is that Mr Deakin's position did not repre- j sent the more vigorous thoughts or spirations of political Australia. I also fail to find any incipient interest among the workers m Preferential Trade. Some effort was made to disparage Churchill at the time the *pcech was made. I think that the. Australian Labor Party owe a debt of gratitude to Mr Deakin for that speech, as it appears to have set them to think more of "their own strength than 'heretofore- As they practically hold the key of the situation, it will be highly amusing "to watch , developments of the Federal Parliament. ■ . ;

The press have most elaborate articles on everything m general and nothing m particular, although the johher appears to he m process of growth, aoid land scandals and the "idog m: the manger" policy of the owners of a vast unexplored and unused land:.

In tlie northern territory oE the Continent, European m extent, the Japs are multiplying and will constitute a serious menace to ""white" Australia, hut as there appears to he neither care nor interest amons the people, who lack the foresight essential to effective statesmanship, I am of opinion that these northern territories will for a long period re- t main idle. •

PLENTY OF UNEMPLOYED. There axe plenty of unemployed, plenty of poverty among the working classes, every social antUdomestic discomfort possible which penalises those who do the hardest work. Th£ back-blocks, sheep shearing, cattleraising, as well as mining, are each and all conducted under very exacting and arduous conditions. Trade Unions are pretty effective, Socialism is taking root, and political life would be more advanced if greater control were placed upon those making politics their livelihood. It is pitiable to think so vast a continent as this should be m the hands of so few. They are already turning out millionaires by the dozenall the potentialities of the country are either selfishly used for a vicious circle of monopolists, or aie surrounded with- such legal protection and collusion with law officers as to prevent fertile resources going to the .neople for use and development.