By the Way

Whilst emigration agents and others persist in their endeavours to lure workers with their glowing description of the lands across the seas, the true state of things occasionally leaks out in the most unexpected quarters. In the “Odd­ellows’ Magazine” for October appears a letter from Canada, headed : “A Warning.” It proceeds :

“We, the officers and members of the Order in Ontario, wish to inform the members of the Order in Great Britain that work is very hard to obtain at present in Canada, and to warn them against coming to this country.”

The same old story of unemployment and poverty for those who do the work of the world.

Two most extraordinary placards were to be seen on the same day side by side. If the printer will oblige, this is how they appeared :

How true is the quotation : “He owns my life who owns the means whereby I live.” When the workers begin to think and to recognise this simple truth, they will commence to act, and to act intelligently. The S.P.G.B. alone points out the way of working-class salvation. Then no longer will our highways and byeways be made hideous with such incongruous specimens of the typographical art.

Mr. McKenna addressed his constituents a week or so ago, and during his speech he told his audience that “a number of measures advo­cated by Labour Members were passed by the Liberal Government, and said that those who called themselves the Labour Party were no more the Labour Party than he was. He had represented Labour ever since he sat for North Monmouthshire, and he would represent Labour until the end of his days.” (“Daily Mail,” 9.10.13.)

It is to be hoped that the workers fully appre­ciate the endeavours of this gent and his official party, including the tail end occasionally known as the Labour Party, on their behalf. In this connection it is worth while to remember that it was this Rt. Hon. gent who stated in the House that:

“There are now at the docks 8,000 men at work under protection, and I observe with some satisfaction that the Chairman of the Dock Committee of the Port Authority stated that the Port Authority had received more protection for labour from the present Home Secretary than they had ever received from any previous Home Secretary.” (“Daily Herald,” 14.6.12.)

It is unnecessary to quote more of the words of Mr. McKenna, to show that he has not represented the workers. All his acts go to show that he is in Parliament in the interests of the capitalist class, and “those who pay the piper call the tune.” Nevertheless, when Mr. Mc­Kenna says he is as much Labour Party as the Labour Party, he is well within the confines of truth. It is a very obvious case of “birds of a feather.”

THE SCOUT