Our Industrial Problems.
45
Now is the time for the community to
take charge and deal with both employers
ind employees in the same way, if we are
to avoid the chaos to which we are fast
rifting.
We have successfully held the employers
in check, and in the interests of the work-
ers and the rest of the community we must
hold. not so much the unions, as the de-
stroyers in them, in check also. .
The only possible solution seems to be,
as the Labour Party are too tied down to
act, for the Nationalists to prove them-
selves nationalist and drop calling them-
selves anti-Labour, and go to the country
demanding full power from the people to
allow them to pass such laws as will en-
able the community to hold the offenders
in check.
Any party with such a main plank will
find support. from many more unionists
than they expect, especially if they pro-
mise to safeguard the interests of the
workers.
Of cotrse, such a campaign would be
most strenuous for all candidates, and
there would be many rowdy mobs endeav-
ouring to break up meetings and prevent
speakers being heard, but what else can
be done?
The only alternative would be to
wait till things got so bad that the
peoplé would insist on their representa-
tives putting a stop to the suicidal actions
of the destroyers. This would be a dan-
gerous policy as the destroyers, if half the
workers were unemployed, instead of con-
fessing it was their fault would trump up
some case against the “Capitalistic Gov-
ernment,” and it is impossible to fore-
sast how the workers would take it—it
might mean a revolution. Further, this
would be a cowardly stand to take. The
writer's advice is: Do not wait till we are
an the rones. but when the irresponsibles
ead, counter every tune. MH any -section
ieclare anything black retaliate. Do not
je down to it saying, “What can we do?”
secause if we cannot do anything we
night as well get out of the country.
Of course, we can do something. We
san surely pass some enactments penalis-
ng whoever causes a breach of the Arbi-
tration Act be he employee or employer,
and if the employees are penalised compel
the employers to collect the penalty from
those penalised, so much from each pay.
There is really nothing to be frightened of
as long as we show some pluck, and don’t
let the vapourings and noise, and worse still
the shibboleths, of the howling pack
‘righten us. And they will howl when we
nsist upon the decision of the umpire
being final, as they howled at the idea of
-he secret ballot in tbe unions, as they
aowl at anything upright and honourable
ind anything constructive.
Before closing it would be a change from
he criticisms, permeating this article to
2xpress admiration for the splendid way
some of the Labour politicians, especially
‘he leaders of the State Parliaments are
jghting hard for the good of the workers
and the community génerally. No won-
ler Labour leaders die young! .
And would it be too arrogant to give
1 little advice to the charming gentleman
~ho at present rules Australia, viz,
“Stand up for the women, the children,
the workers, and all the decent people of
this great continent; roughen up a bit
and rub off some of that University polish,
and when these poor ignorant destroyers
make another onslaught on the commun.
ity, do not forget the warder’s maxim,
viz., “There is no use in fooling round
with dangerous lunatics: the only way to
guieten them is te give them a punch fair
on the Solar Plexus.”
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