The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 17, 1919, Page 8

“HITCH YOUR WAGON TO A STAR”—EMERSON ¥ pPOL7 77¢ 0, N . AEAvENS x’q‘ Y% —Drawn expressly for the Leader by W. C. Morris - For many generations our boys and girls have been admonished by the phrase, “Hitch your wagon to a star,” coined by that great, American, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson meant that we could make life better if we reached out:toward some big constructive ideals. Even if we could not attain the ideals in the next six or twelve months, we would, by hitching to them, pull ourselves up out of the ruts. The application of the saying, therefore, to the organized farmer by Cartoonist Morris is particularly appropriate. The farmer has gotten off the old wagon seat and the old nags he has been depending on are going to have assistance. Mrs. Farmer, too, has caught the spirit. Perhaps the prospect of better conditions for ’hose boys of hers who are growing up, adds to her happy expression! She wants it tied tight. — et What of the Future in New Zealand? Toilers Reorganized and Ready for Final Battle With Special Privilege— America Must Link Australasia With Coming British Democracy The last of a series of 10 articles by Mr. Mills, be the only genuine labor movement, and putting Nevertheless five Labor members were elect- well-known writer and lecturer, author of “DE- in most of its time and spending most of its reve- ed. Other members of parliament voted with MOCRACY OR DESPOTISM,” on “New Zealand nues in fighting the other four. the Labor group but the leaders of the old Before the War.” After a two years’ unity campaign as a national Liberal party and of the Tory administration . . organizer employed by a joint committee made u formed a coalition, reorganized their cabinet BY WALTER THOMAS MILLS ofgrepresentali’;ives frg’m tJhree- out of the four olé and have refused to permit any elections since T MUST not be understood from these organizations, and after conferences without then. "A general election is long overdue. the foregoing articlesdin this . number, and finally after three national conven- series that labor had been en- tions which had misearried, the movement was at LHINGS WORTH , tirely misled, and in fact made last successful. There was-organized a single na- WHILE a party to the abandonment of tional body with authority to act in industrial dis- The Australasian colonies in the little more than the policies which had prevail- = putes and another single national body with au- a haif century of their development, have given ed in New Zealand from 1891 thority to act in political nominations and cam- o the world many lessons of the gr,avest impor- el i to 1901 under a labor govern- paigns, but both organizations were composed of -tance. They have shown that transported convicts % i ment. In this closing article of practieally all the trade unions and the political ang imported paupers, and the children and grand- e i this series I want to call attention to the innumer- organization of both trade unions and all the other children of these convicts and paupers, have proved Y i1i- able divisions among themselves and to the years 1abor organizations which had before attempted to themselves among the most useful aI;d most pub- L t1i of hopeless strife which went on among the work-’ aect in behalf of labor at the elections. . - lic-spirited- of all the citizens of & self-governed > ing people ‘as the result of this betrayal of the The programs adopted would have been entirely country: o policies of Balance and Seddon and to show that satisfactory to the men who had made possible They have shown that the exercise of-force in R the fruits of these earlier victories so long with-- the labor administration in the ’90s. order to create an unnatural monopoly of natural B held are at last within the reach of labor. ¢ The “result was that there was immediately a2 yesources has only hastened the destruction of all s £ These ‘divisions among the workers were directly unified labor movement to re-establish the power monopoly and in no instance has it been able to £ Bl promoted by the big interests, public offices were of labor in the government of New Zealand, but gq intrench monopoly as to render it invulnerable.: 4 51’ filled by appointment with well-known labor lead- not‘in this case in an alliance with any political They have shown, in every .instance where tht; ers and. every such leader’s voice silenced under party in any way answerable to the big business nation has undertaken the work of the producer & eivil setvice_rulgs. Laws were enacted to compel interests. the banker or the merchant, as in railways trans: fou all workers in given tra(‘ies to become members of The new erganizations entered immediately portation, banking, packing houses, hometb’uilding, | their unions and the union dues made payable by into the most open, frank and fraternal alli- storage and marketing, that the savings are very P ] a court attachment of the workers’ wages. ' The ances with the labor movements of Australia. . great and that the social and political results are o unions were largely officered by men entirely ig- Three weeks after the adjournment of the final the best; that the nation as a guardian and as a e norant of the general purposes or programs of unity convention, the new movement elected pioneer makes an end of many needless hardships, *.r») ' organized labor and easily influenced by politieians its first member of parliamedt. Three months - gives the best possible security against accident, : ?’ )| speaking in theiname of labor, but acting under later it elected anether. These were by-elec- disease and old age, and finally that after nearly 7 2 Jthe direction of big business. tiang made necessary by the death of members a half century of experience with- the levying of = A« ‘¥ THE UNITY of parliament. In the following general elec- a tax on unimproved ground values, the idea has 5 (i CAMPAIGN 3 5 .\, tion the war had already broken out and big taken a stronger root tfan ever and promises ulti-.° A i : ¢ business made its contention that it must be mately to become the only tax. 5; *'I went to New Zealand under an engagement returned to office and that democracy in New As to the future: New Zealand is 15 days nearer 3 with what I had supposed to be an organization Zealand should make further surrenders to the to San Francisco than it is to London. Geograph- {§ representing all the trade unions of New Zealand. despotic interests in New Zealand in order to ically Australia is nearly as large as the United i I-found on my arrival that there were five differ- make effective warfare against despotism in States: It may be that the colonies recently taken '§ ent national- organizations, each one claiming to Europe. - - Cre Sl (Continued on page 14) : : b T T T S R T S e