Ke Aloha Aina, Volume XXXIV, Number 32, 29 August 1919 — The New Freedom [ARTICLE]

The New Freedom

TKe Loeal Labor Pilikia 1 The exnplQyep pf Honolulu appear to be m the as Eip Van Winkle, thjit classic creation,of who we«t-to eleep for a long number of years, and upou īag discovered tliat 'm,ost everything wlych he had fore falling into his dpep slcep hael'heen changed Having been rudely a\vakened from their slunjber by phstic demand, uj) by e£ually emphaiie action, workers for the right to organi?c and the rscognition organizalion locaHmpīoyers metftpKorioally xaise thejj|H to hcayen and de_c!are | that ncvaire]--neyaire!~-will to such deniands\ , Vf Kever" ~is a migity and—oh, well, we shaīl sce, The loeal morning organ uf the cmployei'B Ihiow&H over wha_t it regards jus the cxtraordinary and unaeeoāl action of the men, and tries ,to reasou \yitU tl*e striking wjH along Eueh lines as (speaking about the go-called "SemH "W.hat.ia he to,yovi?", . . "V\'hat willyou when you hav(; no pay euvelopeH ena of the week?" frefluent]y 'r,epeated _with variations, "Whv should you dept ive your children of bread, an<H wives of dresses?" "You can't gain anything by yoiir demands," etc., et&H The whole truth in this matter of the discharge oH Kerwin, lately a macliinist with the Catton Neil Co. is th9 was fired solely and on!y because it vvas discovered that EuH aboveboard and in broad daylight, urging upon his fellowjß ers the need and importance of organizafion. There was nj| underhanded or surreptitious in Mr, Kerwin's qH from the mainland, wheie every tracle and occupation, ev|| that of janitor and dav laborer, is closely organized, and H ing the benefits fhat qome to ihe such orgH tion, Kerwin could not understand the' stmnge conditionH obtāin h(?re, and so, exercising his uiidoubted right and prafl tive as an American citizeii, he'set about the attempt to ,9 ize the worl£ers in hk= espeeial line of wprk in Honolulu, jB Por sucfi benevoleni ēfforls he is termed by the loeal iw ing paper, a selfish agitator, and demagogue, who is thi9 only of his own interests, etc. f ctc. No fault has been found Kerwin's work (he was regarded by his employers as a firs| worker); his crime lay solely in the ēfforts whieh he organize his fellow-workcrs. And for this crimc he. was and his employers were_&o desperatelj r anxious ,U> get rid e that he was presented with a first-class passage to San ! <āsco. over the heads of a waiting list of about 150 wou travellers! . ? Naturally, and as was to be expected, Kerwin refused deported so expeditiously, and just as naturally Kenvin's fe workerB refused to permit him to be sacrificed as the hoj example and as the awful warning of what would happe iother sirnilar offenders. And so these workers have gone o\ [a sympathetic strike, the only object of whieh is tho re-ina iment of Kerwin, and with such re-instatement the right o, workers to organize. . .j Th® moniing paper may sāve its tears and its bemoa| about the terrible things that are, going. to happen to the i ers. The men have behind them the strongest and most p< the worM; to ihe wiyes and chiids tbeee men (ai)out thejfate ,of whom the u moming sheet is a, heart-broken) these foved ones are the biggest argument q why the men should ljiold ,fe?gether &ftd,msist upon their„ and unquestioned fight of organijsation for their own bfi ment. ' " We venture to predict that withiQ j^e.ne^t.£ew, ftS fioon as the Catton, Neil people h,ave had time to get. eyes opened wide nough—Mr. Kerwin will he re-mstated f " the strike will be oflF. And that such a strike should have «ecessary at the present day is a poor compliinent to tlie in gence and foresight of those in control of the Catton_ Neil w On Organization In this matter of prganizat;ioii fp| ssi£-j>gpt£ction i whyjl regarded as a crime for the plaln worki§g man to try to b|j his position through organizatipn, while the college-bred J the doctors, the dentists, the lawyers, etc y regard organiz« as a virtue, indispensable and highly cominend&ble? In jj professional m§n like those mentioned j3rgfttūze for tlieir |j protection, even if are gnly tvys> of Aem to QrganizeJ if there is only one, he organizes with iyiōself, These professional meu will aot stand for any blackleffl scabs among them. The di£Eerent professional bodies fix * minimum fees to be .exacted, and anyone accepting lower | than the minimum, or vio!ating any of the other accepted e| <**» di£ferent professions, promptly finds hin)jtf>]f on Uie q siae looking in rather than on the inside looking out, / And while these yarious professjons (bless ihem!) so| times gouge us, it cannot be denied that |&qy.are"thorqu«hly j tified in organizing fqr their own betteonent and protectj They are merely obeying the first law of nature, whieh is preservjition, and, being weil-paid and happy, it is to be | sumed tliat they will give better service, aud aceomplisli m along the lines of progress. i The professional man organizes because he has brains sense enough to know that organization is his onh' protec| and his ultomate salvation. " The working man is kept from orgaiiūing, either bec«j he has not enough brains itnd seuse to luiow tiie value of coo| ative e£fort, or because l\e is terrorised or led astjray by interes empioyers who profess love for him, while permitting him ve m shacks and tenements, the while they themselves 1 in palaces ? and drive aroimd in luxurious autoiaobiles. One ri may hv e m the pretty and enchanting tiower gardens of and iife and sip from the petals of i«oist red roser the ehok nectar of joy md happiness; while the othex s tlirougli pova Lf!n °} 10 live > ueai' to hii», among wo^ a?id and rotWnness. •! L. ū.\\u preache-l to. or*ers of thi3 Terntory the abs{>>lute need of organua'Jon \Z y a !T at a 1 iii bettmng their eondition. The !tnmg that ean now happen io kval workers is to pemūt disa »on ana division among themselves~~Uiat is plaving the ē »*y s game; while the best thing thay»n eome to Ihe \>orker }*f and absolute uSuiimit> of ahu for the ,of a eonmiou puipo^o.