KICKING OVER THE TRACES.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1921, Page 4

KICKING OVER THE TRACES.

The latest phase of Labor evolution in the Motherland shown that the rank and file are disposed to do as they please without being controlled by the Union executives or the leaders. This means that the men are hankering after independent and direct action, which would be another step on the perilous descent to chaos and triarchy. The Sunday Times states there is a growing feeling that subterranean movements are afoot to rehabilitate the Triple Alliance by direct action from the workers’ ranks. Another cablegram indicates there is also a growing feeling among the rank and file of the railwaymen and transporters to scrap executive control in favor of joint action for a strike; while Mr. Cook, a member of the miners’ excutive, declares that the miners will have nothing further, to do with the Triple Alliance until it is re-organised “so that the men at the bottom are able to rule it, and not the men at the top,” and that any offer of official help will be flung back at them. This talk may be merely a display of bad temper, or it may be serious. In the former case it will die a natural death when the strike is settled—possibly sooner. In the latter event there ean only be one result, namely, the substitution of action by impulse for that of mature deliberation; the ascendancy of mob law and a direct blow at. law and order. The way in which agitators have swayed and inflamed the workers in the past was an evil of large dimensions, but .if there is to be no executive control and decisions are to be made on the spur of the moment when men are worked up to fever heat by the fiery words of any irresponsible extremist, the outlook will be charged with revolutionary action and British industries will be imperilled. The only possible construction to be placed on the threat of the workers is that they will not listen to reason, but will take a short cut to compel compliance with their demands. Admitting that Labor leaders have not always acted in the interests of peace, but have often used their power to stir up strife, there have always been some who kept their heads cool and ultimately patched up a peace that served at least for a time. Apparently it is against these staunch friends of Labor that the revolt is launched. The tail now wants to wag the dog. Tn one way this may be regarded as a logical sequence of the doctrine of Bolshevism which has been freely imbibed by the younger section of the workers, who care not whether industries are wrecked so long as they can assume the role of Caesar, from whose fiat there is no appeal. It may be assumed that the majority of the men of this class have no family ties, so that the starvation of wives and children affects them not. All they are concerned with is being free from control so that they may step jauntily along the road to ruin. It is well to know where. Labor is trending, so that preparations may be made to meet the advance of the revolutionary forces. Without doubt .the position is seriouefbut it may lead to a broader conception on the part of sane Labor ites of the dangers whereby they are surrounded and the need for defensive action. Neither unionism nor the Triple Alliance can survive a blow like that which is now threatened. Probably that might prove a blessing in disguise. One thing is certain, and that is, no Government could for a moment tolerate mob rule such as the irreconcilables propose to institute.