The Taihape daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1920. BRITISH COAL STRIKE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3618, 3 November 1920, Page 4

The Taihape daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1920. BRITISH COAL STRIKE.

With which is incorporated "The Taihape Post and Waimarino News ”

The great coal crisis in Britain is past; sane labour has triumphed over labour of the extreme kind; the tension is removed, and millions- of Britiish people breathe freely again. This defeat of extremism in Britain mea-ns very much more to the people of this Dominion than many would-.care to admit or give voice to. At least there was the strong probability that a great strike at Home would have been followed by a great strike here; what the actual result of both would have been can now happily, be left to conjecture. The true democracy British people will stand to, but, as stated previously in this column, communism of the Bolshevik type British labour, British democracy, do not need or desire and they will not have it. How near Britain, aye, the Empire, was to revolution can now be coolly contemplated. The conference of minersf representatives to determine the issue were evidently in favour of striking, and most of the miners themselves favoured ‘direct action. Reports state that a majority of the conference favoured revolution, and it seems that after it became - clear that revolution would be adopted, a speaker from the saner ranks said u All right then; if we are going to have a revolution let us go about it in a businesslike fashion, Name your Cabinet; the commander of your armies; decide whence you will obtain machine guns, and how you will maintain supplies or munitions.. Decide who are to replace the men shot down, and, above all, make' out a list of those you intend to hang, to prevent them hanging you.” This statement of what took place at the revolution or no revolution conference was duly reported in "The Democrat,’ ’ the Trades’ Union organ, and that journal states that the remarks reported had a wonderful steadying effect upon Mr Smillie, and determined the attitude of the conference. It was apparent some few weeks ago that the Council of Action party were -weakening; when brongnt face to face- with the awful programme and prospects of revolution the humane sheep began to cut adrift from the ruthless revolutionary goars, and the British Bolshevik crusade seemed doomed to failure. It is to the people of this Dominion’s best interests, and welfare that they should note that the setting up of a Council

of Action, either in Britain or in New Zealand, does not mean anything more than that Direct Actionists have made asses of themselves, besides inflicting an incalculable injury upon the Labour movement generally, setting it back indefinitely, but too surely. The Labour movement has not yet reached a stage of solidarity in this' Dominion, despite the silly, glib use of the term, and true solidarity of Labour will rentalner a misnomer until the revolutionary wing is clipped and rendered- incapable of mischief. Labour Members of Parliament who were called together to set up a British Council of Action soon realised i that they wem->being influenced by abandoned Bolshevikv fanatics; that while wars were' to be disallowed there would he endless war and bloodshed of the most revolting character in an internecine struggle, and Mr F. H. Rose and others, who were amongst the originators of the Council of Ac- (■ tion. within a few days only of its j birth, publicly denounced it as the | vilest and silliest project ever launch- ! cd in the name of Labour. Mr J. H. I Thomas, M.P., spoke earnestly, advising the miners against, the sin anff folly of revolution. He urged acceptance of the Government’s proposals for settlement of the coal trouble. He ‘ contended that the very future of democracy was at. stake, therefore the Conference must have the full confidence of the miners, and that it did not have. Mr 'Thomas went on to say. if the present leaders are useless let the men elect a new set. He would unhesitatingly advise that Government terms should be accepted. Members of the Conference, when brongnr to the point of launching a revolution, hesitated; they came of a higher civilisation than the Lenins and TrotsKys of Russia, and they quailed before* the mental vision of what a British revolution would be. They were true to the call of their kind rather than to that which can deliberately, and in cold blood order the destruction of hundreds of thousands of theTr fellow-countrymen, what for? That they may wallow in an orgy of luxuriousnesj and vice on the riches taken from their victims.. What has transpired in connection with the Brit-

ish Coal Problem should provide an overlasting lesson to Labour in New Zealand. The history of the Labour movement in this colony, from well prior to the introductions of the Knights of Labour, will discover that it broke the industrial ice under which the workers were- frozen; that it rescued the workers with all the powers of privilege ranged against it; that it continued to fight for decenr pay and living conditions for workers at a time and in circumstances that many present day ten pounds a week leaders would,not have.had the courage to face. That old Labour movement developed on sane, lound constitutional lines; it established the right to withhold labour in the attainment of its just ends, just as employers claimed the right'to withhold capital from 'Whatever industry they pleased. A proof of this is found in the chronicles of the great maritime strike, when a Parliament came into being that will ever be -known as the most beneflcient and progressive New Zealand Parliament ever elected. What has. the barnacle of Bolshevism done for Labour? It merely snatched the guiding strings from old, thoughtful leaders of the party, and the only thing new it has introduced into the 'movement is Bolshevism with its damnable ultimate, bloody revolution. Until these I.W.W. men fastened themselves upon Labour there was no whisper of revolution, and we have no 'hesitation in saying that the ineffably stupid introduction of revolutionary threat has been an injury to Labour right through, and we say advisedly that Labour’s freedom to advance in the future has to carry shackles which would never have impeded it but for the spirit of treason that has been preached and inculpated. As the Council of Action party has set back the most vital interests of Labour in I Britain, so have the silly vapouringa about Direct Action and revolution put back the Labour movement in this Dominion. Labour V power does not lie in Bolshevik boast and bluff; it can only be increased through the universal franchise, and every effort of labour should be bent in that direction. Why Labour', troubles about keeping other people out of Parliament instead of putting every ounce of propaganda into winning seats for themselves is Jbeyond intelligent understanding. However, the sensible determination of Labour at Home fn connection with the Coal settlement, should be fraught with much to concern New Zealand Labour, particularly the extreme section of it.