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POLICE STRIKE.
'The sudden resolve of nearly 1,000
•members of the Police Force to refuse
<duty came as a surprise to the Government.
This militant action by the rank
and file was even an eye-opener to the
Industrial and Political Labor Movement.
The oblation of the 'spies commonly
known as "spooks," who watch
the uniform men from behind trees and
doorways, was more than the men could
-stand. The Government found out when
too late, that the men were determined,
.and were prepared to sacrifice their jobs
jf necessary.
For some years past tlie police have
"had an association of their own, which is
not connected in any way~ with the
Political Labor Party or the Trades Hall
Council, whether the men could have
justified their action to the satisfaction
of their Association, there was no excuse
for the executive of that body to act so
traitorously to their comrades. To suggest
to the men to return to duty .when
the Government had already, through its
responsible Ministers, stated that the
men would not be reinstated is one of
the worst acts of treachery in the industrial
history of Australia, no matter
what can be said or proved against the
men on strike, the action of their own
executive will long be remembered as
one of the worst examples of a committee
who failed the rank and file in their
hour of need.
Many Trade Unionists are wondering
how the Industrial Movement was drawn
into the dispute. Our officials have
never failed to draw the attention of the
members of the police force to the fact
that they are part and parcel of our present
social system, and that they should
realise that their interests were identical
with the great mass of the workers. In
past industrial disputes the police have
always been used to defeat the workers
when fighting for better conditions. The
bad conditions and low rates of pay compelled
the police, as a last resort, to use
the weapon that has so often been used
by the workers from time immemorial.
There is a section of the Industrial
Movement who cannot understand why
organised Labor is supporting the police
in their present fight, when in past
struggles the police always rushed to
the aid of the employers under orders
from their superior officers.
The action of organised Labor is
simply the result of the advanced ideas
which have permeated the ranks of the
police force in the same way as the
thought of the great mass of the people
has progressed and developed during the
last few years. The attitude of the
younger generation towards Labor is in
marked contrast to that taken twenty
years ago. It is the same throughout
the whole field of industry. What applies
to the factory and workshop is
equally applicable to those, whether employed
as a constable in the police force
or an attendant in our asylums for the
insane.
Whatever may be the final outcome of
the attempt of the Government to victimise
those who are standing to their
comrades, one thing that should never
be forgotten by the police of Victoria is
that, in their struggle against the Government
and the Chief Commissioner
of police, the only organised section of
the community which rendered them
any assistance was organised Labor.
The batons which in the past have been
used on the heads of Trade Unionists
would just as easily crack the skull of
the constable when he is fighting to retain
his freedom. The recent trouble
should demonstrate to the police in
future industrial fights that when the
baton is being used on peaceful Trade
Unionists, that every blow given is one
against themselves.
The police have had driven home to
them the power of the "press." They
have seen, without exception, the great
"daily" newspapers speaking with one
voice in the condemnation of their
action. There was not one of the great
"dailies" which attempted to put the
blame on the Government or the Chief
Commissioner, who were directly responsible
for the continuance of the pimping
system. A public opinion was being
created antagonistic to the police. This
is easily understandable when over three
million daily newspapers were printed
last week. These were circulated in
every corner of the State. The biassed
reports and the scores of leading articles
formed a public opinion detrimental to
those who were fighting for better conditions.
The difficulty in placing their
side of the case before the public is the
same fight which the Industrial Movement
has to contend with on every occasion
in which a struggle takes place.
Many Trade Unionists may question
the action of organised Labor in coming
to the assistance of the police in the present
dispute. But what has to be taken
into consideration is the fact that the
recruit for the force is enrolled when
quite a young man, and as is well known
a large number come from country districts.
They, in the course of a few
years, respond to their environment, and
have in the past acted in the interests of
those who today are attempting to crush
them by taking away their bread and
butter, but whether the Government or
those who are backing them like it or
not, the police of the future will not, or
should not rush so hastily to defeat
those who are their only friends to-day.
One thing the police must recognise Is
that their only chance of securing justice
is that they are part of the &reat
working class movement, and must taKe
place in the ranks of organised Labor.
Many want to know how can proper
supervision be maintained withoutthe
continuance of the "spook" system.
Those in charge of the strike have suggested
to the Government that they have
no objection to supervision providing the
supervisors are in uniform. There are
many ways to ensure constables performing
their duties. It would be quite
a simple matter for "time" clocks to be
inserted in the "fire alarm" boxes in the
different parts of the city and suburbs,
this system works satisfactorily as far
as watchmen are concerned in many of
the business establishments. In fact,
the clock is far better than any system
of "spooks." In many establishments
the time clock is connected with the
fire brigades, and, in the event of a
watchman not registering the time
within twenty minutes of when he
should, the fire brigade immediately
goes to the building to enquire why the
"clock" has not been "punched." If the
watchman should go to sleep or be absent
for any other reason, the firemen
remain in charge of the building. Maby
of the leading business houses have
clocks installed, and the "patrol" watchman
has to punch the time every hour
or half-hour, according to arrangement.
Why could not some such similar system
be introduced in regard to policemen? .
The latest reports show that the Government
is to give increased pay to
the members of the force. Pensions are
also to be granted; so, whether the strike
was justified or not, direct action has
shifted the Government more quickly
than the years of "constitutional" agitation
by the scores of deputations which
have waited upon the different Chief
Secretaries during the last twenty years.
The wages of the police, even granting
that they receive seven days* pay per
week, is still less than the basic wage,
as granted by the Arbitration Court to
the unskilled worker. The State Government
is under the impression that
they can continue to pay their servants
less than a living wage, and with conditions
that would not be tolerated by
workers outside the service.
Whether it be police, warders at Pentridge,
or attendants at the asylums for
the insane, the same pimping conditions
prevail, the same old system of underpayment,
and in the case of the two
latter sections of the service, they are
compelled to work more than the recognised
standard of hours; so it will be
quite possible, at no future date, to see
these two departments thrown into
chaos as the result of "blind" administrators
of a shut-your-eyes Government.
Dr. Argyle, the Chief Secretary, stated
in Parliament that when he attended the
"police" social, he did not say that he
was opposed to the "spook" system. The
members of the force stat« definitely
that he did make the statement. Enquiries
made from the members of his
own party in Parliament prove that Dr.
Argyle did make the statement. One of
those "members" who heard him at the
"social," and then heard him deny it in
the "House" last week, was asked why
he did not get up and state that he heard
the Chief Secretary make the statement
He replied that he must "stick to his
party." And so the game continues.
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