The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-11-25


Secretary OF the General Federation
of Trade Unions OF Great Britain.
Joining issue with the. prophets is
always a dangerous practice, and In
Joining issue with those who proph-
esy the early demise of the Trade
Unon movement Il incur more than
ordinary risks. Being in subsection
to no particular political party, I am
suspected by all Of them, and being
also exceedingly proud Of the part
the unions have played in raising So
c'ai standards, incur some of the
criticism which can attach to the
man,who proclaims very strong faith
In the value of, and the need for. the
purely industrial organization of men
and women. l.,
The most persistent prophets of
impending trade-unions dissolution
are round. strangely enough, amongst
those who. not being in the move
ment, have; for various reasons. at
tached themselves to it. The Jere-
miahs who utter lamentations over
the imperfections Of trade-unionism.
and who talk sorrowfully of it's grow
ing lfmita tons, are, generally speak,
ing, to be found amongst those who
nave risen, or who hope to rise,
upon the foundations laid =: by the
men who, made the movement pos
s1ble. The most doleful denunciators
of trade-unionism are often mem
bers of organizations which, being
outside the movement, still seek to
exploit it. It is the attitude, of these
outsiders which makes the task of
the optimist who is inside so very
difficult. Indeed, there. are many
moments in the: controversies with
these prophets of decay, when I
would gladly hurry the. whole crowd
down to Kishon's Brook and pass
Elijah's sentence upon them.
1t would be foolish, however, to
shut ones eyes to the effect of these
prophecies, or to the dangers which
threaten the. movement, or to the
fact that these dangers are more Sc
rious from within than from with
out. Internal disintegration. has al
ways threatened more gravely than
has outside pressure. Undoubtedly
there are dangers, some of the move
ment's own making, some that have
been made for it,; but there is no
need for hopelessness. There is still
plenty of virility inside the unions,
and they are still quite capable OF
doing for the workers of tomorrow
what they did for the men and wo-
men Of yesterday.
1t Is held by some that political
action will supersede or dominate in
dustrial economies, and that ques-
tons Of wages and hours and work.
ing conditions will be settled in
Westminster rather than between
employers and workmen acting
through their own associations. For
my own part, I doubt the possibility
of any political party. no matter
what its complexion or its .sympa-
thies, SUCCESSFULLY or justly and
continuously, dealing with these del
icate problems Of: work, and wages.
The, temptation to meet the. desires
Of the moment; irrespective Of the
wisdom Of doing So, would be too
strong for collective honesty; and
much too strong for; any group Of men
aiming at securing Or retaining po-
litical power. The people who claim
that all the Els we suffer: arise eth
er from her. dity o. environment and
are amenable to political treatment,
would, If trade-unions ceased to be a
living factor. push their theories to
the uttermost. and at no time would
they be likel.' to jeopardize political
Of individual responsibility. for con-
ditions that make for unhappiness
And yet; apart from the sense of
individual efforts. the tinkering of
the politician, plus the forces of
heredity and environment. would
only accentuate existing evils.
There are many trade-unionists
who strongly hold the opinion-and
it is difficult to escape the logic Of
their conclusions-that:t the success
full exploitation and control OF the
political machine. by the revolution
list, the socialist, or his less definite
ally, the nationalizer, would increase
rather: than. decrease: the necessity
for strong and Independent. trade
unionism. They hold also-and here
again it is difficult to escape the
logic of their. position-that, apart
from the trade-unionis, existing en-
couragements to the idle and I'M
thrifty would be increased by those
who needed votes to put them, or to
keep: them. in the. seats of the
mighty. There are many who believe
that. the. greater. the control of in
dustry by those who are outside it
and whose" main detectives are alien
to it, the more formidable and ex-
tensive becomes the power Of bu-
reaucracy. AS an .antidote to the
dangers and evils Of outside and bu-
reaucratic control. of industry and
commerce, the real trade-union
movement becomes a national ne
cessity. ~~~> 80 = - ..>.
Because: L believe in the national
necessity for this movement, take
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