310 Sofar, thedecision afectsonly 12membersof the N.U.P.W.atoneof the Board's tramwaydepots.The Anotherencouragingfeatureisthelackofwidespreadan- tagonismtowardsthesquatters.Afewbureaucratshave talkedofregulations,afewToryeditorsoftheneedforlaw andorder,butthemassofthepeopleofallclasseshavebeen veryfriendly,whilemostofthepresshavereportedevents withobjectivityandtheleft-wingpapers,fromLiberalto Communist,havefeltthewayofthewindsuficientlytogive moreorlessopensupport.Manyoutsidershelpedwithtransportandinotherways,whilesoldiersinwhosecampssquat- terssetledinsomecasesusedarmylorriestocarryfurniture. Innocaseshaveordinarysoldiersshownanythingbutcon- sideration,and,amazingthoughitmayseem,eventhepolice seemtohavebehavedwithrelativesympathy.Altogether,this hasbeenagreatdemonstrationofspontaneousmilitancy amongthepeoplesuchaswepoliticalcommentatorshadgiven upanticipating,and,incidentaly,avindicationoftheeficacy ofnon-violentdirectactionmethodsinforcingthehandsof governments. IF THEsquatershavedemonstratedsuchanencouraging spirit,theoficiallabourmovementshowsfurthersignsof decadenceandofatendencytocoalescewiththestructure ofgovernment.ThelatestdevelopmentistheagreementbetweentheLondonPassengerTransportBoardandtheTrans- portandGeneralWorkers'Unionforaclosedshopamong certainsectionsoftheBoard'semployees.Thesituationin theLondonPassengerTransportBoardisthatmostofthe empolyesbelongtotheT.&G.W.U.,Bevin'sownunion, whichwasoriginallyorganisedasa"revolutionaryunion"for theunskilledworkers,andwhichhassincebecomeoneofthe mostreactionaryEnglishunionsinitsattitudeofcolaborationwiththegovernmentandtheemployers.Butsome5,000 oftheL.P.T.B.'semployeesbelongtoanotherunion,theNationalUnionofPassengerWorkers,whichwasfoundedin 1938afterthebreakawayofanumberofbusmenwhowere disgustedbythesel-outoftheT.&G.W.U.intheLondon busstrikeof1937.TheN.U.P.W.concernsitselfwithindustrialissuesonly,andclaimstoeschewpoliticalentangle- ments.ItthereforedoesnotbelongtotheLabourPartyor T.U.C.andhasrecentlybeenattemptingtoformanorganisa- tionoftheeightysmalunafiliatedunions.Apartfromits industrialline, ithaslittleincommonwithrevolutionary unionismlikethatoftheoldI.W.W.,asithastheusual structureofsalariedpermanentoficials,etc.,butitsvery smanlesmakesitrathermoredemocraticinpracticethan suchmonolithicstructuresastheT.&G.W.U. Theleadersofthelatterunionhavelongbeenaimingat thedestructionofitssmalerrival,sothatthewholeofthe roadtransportindustrycouldagainbeorganisedinoneblock. Atthesametime,theoficialsoftheL.P.T.B.wouldbe pleasedtoremoveatroublesomesmalunionandtonegotiate withasinglelargeunionwhichisalwayswilingtoreacha compromiseandwhichformanyyearshadnotbeenknown tosupportasinglestrike. T.&G.W.U.atthisdepotrefusedtoletitsmenworkwith theseN.U.P.W.membersunlesstheyjoinedthebiggerunion, andpaidfinesforhavingleftitpreviously.Themenrefused, onthegroundsthattheyhadarighttojoinwhateverunion theychose,andtheL.P.T.B.,onrepresentationsfromthe T.&G.W.U.,suspendedthemonMay27th.Nowtheyhave bengivennoticeofterminationofemployment. Thisisobviouslymerelyanexperiment,astheT.&G.W.U. hasalreadydecidedtopursueaclosedshoppolicyfortherest oftheL.P.T.B.'semployees,andalsointheprovinces.Moreover,theatackonsmalunionslookslikelytocommencein otherindustries.The,Miners'Federation,withtheCommu- Bibilotecauinobilanco polities nistArthurHornernewlyelectedtotheSecretaryship,has decidedtoappealtothenewCoalBoardforaclosedshop decisioninitsfavour.TheManchesterShipCanalhasjust givennoticetotwelvemenforrefusingtojointheNational UnionofRailwaymen,andanumberoflocalauthoritieshave broughtinclosedshopresolutions. Theclosedshopprincipleinindustryhasalwaysbeena mistakenpolicy,sinceitinterfereswiththeindividualfreedomoftheworkerandturnsintoanactofcompulsionthat solidaritywhichcanonlybeeffectiveif itisgivenfreelyin thespiritofvoluntaryandwilingco-operation.Inpractice, ithasincreasedthecentralistanddictatorialtendencieswithintheunionswhichhaveenjoyedit,andthedangerismore patentthanevertoday,whentheT.U.C.unionshavebecome partofthemachineryforadministeringindustry,andwill useanyadvantagetheycangaintostrengthentheircontrol overtheworkers.Thereisnolongeranyquestionoffighting companyunions,whichwerenevermuchusedinEngland. TheT.U.C.unionshavenowmadethecompanyunionun- necessary,andthisiswhatthemassoftheEnglishworkers havestillfailedtorealise.Thedrivetowardscompletedomi- nationoverindustrybytheT.U.C.,inaliancewiththeMinistryofLabourandtheemployers,goesonapace,andwhat emergeswillbeanEnglishversionoftheLabourFront.Any newindustrialmovementofaradicalandmilitantnaturewil havetofighttheoldbatlesoveragain,onlythistimenot merelyagainsttheemployers,butagainstthetriplealiance ofemployer,unionandstate.Itisatragicfactthattherank andfileoftheunionmembershavenotrealisedthis,and,in manycases,actualycarryonstrikeactionfortheclosedshop withoutunderstandingthattheapplicationofthisprinciple todaycannotfail tomilitateinfavourofindustrialdictatorship. AMONGthepoliticalparties,themostinterestingsituation isthecrisiswithintheI.L.P.(IndependentLabour Party).ForsometimenowtheI.L.P.hasbeentroubledby internaldisturbancesoverafiliationtotheLabourParty.Most oftheoldermemberswishedforreunion,andatthecon- ferencestheirvoicecarriedtheissueagainstthemoreclearheadedargumentsoftherevolutionarylibertariansectionled bymenlikeF.A.Ridley.Therepeatedrejectionsbythe LabourPartyoftheI.L.P.pleaforaffiliationcausedmany memberstoconsiderrejoiningtheLabourPartyasindividuals, andasignofanimpendingslideinthatdirectionwasgiven bytheresignationofFennerBrockwayfromtheeditorshipof the SocialistLeader andthePoliticalSecretaryshipofthe party.ThedeathofJamesMaxtonaddsafurthercomplicatingcondition.Maxtonwasoneofthoseraremen,likeLans- bury,whosemtogothroughalifetimeofpoliticalworkand yetremainuncorrupted.Maxton'stalentsandhisstandingin theLabourmovementofthe1920'ssemedtomarkhimout forleadershipandhemightevenhavebecometheleaderof theLabourPartyifhehadnotalwaysbeensoconcernedto defendanycausethatseemedworthy.Hewasagreatfighter forfreedom,andananarchistcanpaynobetertributetoa politician.Maxton'spersonalinfluencewasverygreat,and thereisnodoubtthat,notonlydidhedrawmuchsupport tothepartybyhispersonalrecordandamiability,but,more thananyother,hepreventedthedifferencesbetweenthe moderateandrevolutionarysectionsfromdevelopingintoan opensplit.WiththedeathofMaxtonandthedepartureof Brockway,itseemslikelythattheI.L.P.willbreakup,the moderatesdepartingintotheLabourParty,andtherevolutionaries,'undertheideologicalleadershipofmenlikeRidley, adoptingamorelibertariananduncompromisinglinewhich wilprobablyinvolvetheminatleastatemporarydeclinein numbersandpoliticalinfluence.
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