The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1919. "STAND AND DELIVER."

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1919, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1919. "STAND AND DELIVER."

The railway strike that is now dislocating all activities in Britain is but a means to an end. The prewar conditions, both as to pay and hours of work in thy Motherland were a disgrace to the country, but never again will the same, arraignment hold good. It may be that the memory of the maltreatment of labor is now bearing fruit in dangerous unrest, but the outstanding feature of the situation is the revolutionary tendency of "direct action"—the fetisii of tiic Triple Alliance, which is thus summarised by the London Times: "What Mr Smillie -and his colleagues are really trying to c'o is to upset constitutional Government in this country, and to substitute for it the tyrannous and sectional control of three trade unions." It is generally known that the Triple Alliance referred to consists of the Miners' Federation, with a membership of 851.000; the National Union of Itailwaymen with 450,000, and the Transport Workers' Federation, consisting of 31 unions with 250,000 members. It came into existence before the war, under the inspiration of Mr Smillie, and was designed as an offensive and defensive alliance in the'interests of the members of the unions concerned. It was a pooling of forces against capital and against the nation. Constitutional means for obtaining their demands is the last method the alliance would consider. Its avowed object is to prevent defeat in detail, by mobilising alt its powers on a given situation, and its motto is "Stand and deliver!" The demands of the British railwaymen are dominated by the alliance; they are political and not industrial; they have in reality nothing to do with wages, hours of work, the nationalisation of the railways or coalmines. For all practical nurposes the railways j in Britain are at present nation- J alised, for they.have been taken over and worked—at a great loss owing to the men's demands—by the Government. The truth is the alliance aims at being supreme —to coerce the Government by threats into obeying the orders of these revolutionaries. Acting together these three unions can by mere passivity bring the whole machine of life to a standstill. Force has no terror for them. For a long time past the alliance has been working up to a politie.il. revolution by means of a general strike. Like Germany, the alliance had perfected its machinery and was anxious for a trial of strength, and at last has thrown discretion to the winds and em- j barked on a war against parlia-1 mentary government. The challenge began before the war; it has now been taken up under circumstances that the alliance doubtless considers to be favorable. The paralysis of constitutional goverammt. &AUld be & c&kittto, $f vui>:

thinkable dimensions, not only to Britain, but to the world. It would take from it, says a competent authority, in this time of darkness and peril, the loftiest and surest lamp that human . experience has raised to light the path over the course of waters. In the | general ruin that would follow, every class would share, and none more than the working class, whose well-being depends upon a secure and ordered Government. To what end. is direct action directed? To assure that the wealth produced by all shall be available for common use—the institution of a co-operative Commonwealth. It is interesting to note that Mr Lloyd George when dealing with this crucial matter last August said: "On behalf of the Government, in all solemnity, I say that we are determined to fight Prussianism in the industrial world exactly as we fought it on the Continent of Europe—with the whole might of the nation." That is the fight which has already commenced, and on the issue depends whether the revolutionary direct action of the Triple Alliance shall be killed and the supremacy of constitutional Government upheld. Given wisdom in the conduct of the alliance no one could complain, for Labor has as much right to organise for common protection as capital—and as much need. No country, however, can submit to a policy of "Stand and deliver." In fighting the alliance the Government is protecting the people, and the country should respond loyally to the appeal for further sacrifices, so that the proper answer may be given to those who are aiming at its ruin, as they aimed at its defeat in war.