BY ALL MEANS—THINK.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 December 1921, Page 8

BY ALL MEANS—THINK.

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT, TARANAKI WORKERS’ COUNCIL. (To the Editor.) Sir, —Tn a report on the Waterside Workers’ held recently in New Plymouth, Mr. J. T. Scott, President of the local Workers’ Council, makes reference to the Welfare League which affords us the opportunity of reciprocating. After describing how the visit of the big-wigs of the Waterside Federation has produced a “shaking of the dry bones,” he adds,, one result is that the local worker is doing what the Welfare League suggested som'e time ago to him, “Think.” Mr. Scott is wrong if he thinks that we advised the New Plymouth workers to think, as if they had never done so before. Our advice . was to everyone, and not merely to a particular class of people. We are confident that the workers of Taranaki think just as much and as clearly as do others elsewhere. The advice repeated by Mr. Scott is, however, good for everybody,. and we say: “Yes, think, by all means, think.”

Here are a few things that might be thought over carefully. Messrs. J. Roberts and L. Glover are preaching that the workers should take over and control th£ industries. This would mean boss jobs for the leaders unless there was to be a state of anarchy. How do these leaders run the business they have in hand now? Take the Conference. Half the number of ordinary business men could have done the work in two days that these delegates took eight (or was it ten?) to perform. May it not be that the public prefer The present business control to that of Messrs. Glover, Roberts and Co., because those in charge are better workers, show less wastefulness, and are plainly more practical. Take the present coal-mining trouble. Mr. J. Roberts explained the “Alliance of Labor” cart-wheel plan of complex organisation as comprising single unions, district councils, national unions, industrial federations, departments of industry, and a central economic council. As a piece of mechanism it looks just about perfect. What about the power tliat is to direct? Just now the miners have their own Federation, and also the Alliance of Labor, yet we find each single union taking its own course,, and whether the Miners’ Federation or the Alliance of Labor is directing. nobody seems to definitely say. May it "not be that local economic conditions and the power of individual minds is not being fully estimated by the grandiose scheme of mechanical idealism set forth by Messrs. Roberts, Glover and other'advocates of the “one big unionism.” Ts it n6t clear as daylight that these ‘‘industrial unionists,” as they call themselves, are imbued with the Prussian idea that all they have to do is to create a tremendous power which will bring the changes they desire by force of numbers?” May they r.-.i be quite wrong in thinking that force can take the place of reason? May not the big machine, with all its complexity, prove futile in comparison with a few clear-thinking minds inspired with the conviction that indiV ■ I ali'V is worth preserving, and organisation no substitute for the factor of enlightened personality? Let us think clearly and broadly; and, above all, may we avoid dreaming that the worship of some set phrases,, or the most beautiful word pictures of revolution, is thinking. As a help to plain, straight, clear-mind-ed thinking we would recommend Mr Scott, the workers of Taranaki and both capitalists and workers everywhere, to read carefully a book written by Mr. W. A. Appleton. secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Great Britain, entitled “What we Want and What we Are.” , , .. Let us suggest that the workers should do some thinking over the matter of how the funds of the large unions are being spent. We have one example before us of a N.Z; union, the financial statement of which showslncome £8800; management expenses, £ooUU. it commenced the year with a credit ba. - anee of £l6OO. had a revenue of nearly £ll 000 and finished with £BOO, which shows £1.1.000 gone in one year. This is not guess-work, but is from the published balance-sheet. Wc trust there are no other unions to show such financing. The example quoted shows there is need for the workers to think. —We are, yours, etC ” n.Z. WELFARE LEAGUE.