union movement. Formerly, unions had tended to be small, both in terms of members and funds; control was much more effectively vested in the hands of the membership, and most of the funds were held by branches, or lodges. With the "new model" unions, high subscriptions were demanded, substantial friendly society benefits were provided for, and the policy of no strikes and cooperation with the employers (under the watchword "Defence not Defiance") was everywhere possible substituted for the old militancy. One economic historian, Arthur Birnie, said of these "new model" unions: "The typical trade union leader of the mid-nineteenth century was a man of cautious temperament and moderate restraint of trade.
A hesitant Liberal Government pursued a contradictory course. Following the Minority proposals, the Trade Union Act of 1871 legalised the status of trade unions and accorded protection to their funds. But in another Act passed soon after, the Criminal Law Amendment Act, the clauses on picketing and intimidation left trade unionists as vulnerable to criminal prosecution as ever. The contradiction was pointed out in a document called the "Digest of Labour Laws" published in 1875 by the TUC: "A strike was perfectly legal; but, if the means employed were calculated to coerce the employer, they were illegal means; and a comCOUNTY OF DORSET.
Dureärater Disaron Prbreery 99d. 1ng1. THOS. DADE.
C. B. WOLLASTON, HENRY FRAMPION. JAMES FRAMPTON. RICHD. TUCKER STEWARD WILLIAM ENGLAND, WILLIAM R. CHURCHILL, AUGUSTUS FOSTER.
JNO. MORTON COLSON.
4. HIM, PRINTEM. COMSHILL, DORCHRATAN
A number of delegates from Oxford Claimants Union (organisation of people claiming Social Security) were refused admission to last week's Conference of the Liaison Committee for Defence of Trade Unions.
A credentials committee member justified his refusal by explaining: "The C.U. is not a bona fide trade union"-i.e. recognised by the TUC. The delegates' protests were brushed aside by the bureaucrat who said: "I have enough problems, look at those wreckers". He pointed to the various Marxist groups selling their publications. "Don't you give me any more, I shall have a headache before the day is out."
The C.U. delegates offered to buy him a bottle of aspirins out of their social security benefits but he would not budge. The Stalinists, like their right wing friends, have no programme to fight unemployment so they prefer not to acknowledge its existence, otherwise they might all get headaches!
The Zionist rulers of Israel resemble more and more the man who tried to quench his thirst by drinking salt water, only to find that this made him even thirstier. Two special prayers were recited in all Israeli synagogues on the eve of Passover. One asked the Almighty to secure the "liberation" of the Jews of the Soviet Union and the Arab world. The other gave thanks to the Holy One for having allowed the Israeli Army "to liberate the historic homeland of Israel to the west of the River Jordan as well as Jerusalem!" Why didn't anyone say Moshe Dayan was God's gift to the Arabs?
Talking of Israel, it has been announced that Menachem Begin, leader of the neo-fascist Gahal, will be touring these isles next month. Coming issues of the Mole will carry details.
GOVERNMENT BY THE RICH FOR THE RICH Lord Crowther, on a visit to Hong Kong from Britain, remarked "I would like to do some research into how a country can manage to be so prosperous and busy with so little taxation. There may be some ideas we (in Britain) can follow." (SCMP, 5.3.71)
Lord Crowther, there is no need to do any research on the causes of Hong Kong's prosperity -they are almost self-evident. The government and the rich pay out next to nothing but reap the rewards of cheap labour; e.g. 1. No free education. 2. No national health service. 3. Worker exploitation (only 6 days' holiday a year for most of the working population, and a 12-hour day is common). 4. Inadequate social welfare. 5. Inadequate public housing (over 500,000).
These are the things which make Hong Kong fat and happy. When Lord Crowther speaks of the prosperity of Hong Kong he does not mean the people of Hong Kong but the rich few-the rulers, the government. The papers in the last few days have been reporting increased profits for a large number of firms. And is it the people who run these firms?
No, of course not. These are some details about some of the directors, the "people" who run these firms, and the profits of companies, in 1970.
HK Telephone: profit for 1970 after tax was $53 million.
Directors: G. R. Ross, temporarily appointed to Executive Council; P. Y. Tang, EXCO. HK Land Investment: profit $51 million (19% increase on 1969).
Directors: S. S. Gordon, Exco; Y. K. Kan, Exco, Legco; M. A. R. Herries, Legco, temp.
appt. to Exco.
Dairy Farm: profit $17 million ($3½ million increase on 1969).
Directors: Chau SikNin, Exco; G. M. B.
Salmon, Legco; J: D. Clague, Exco. Star Ferry: profit $2 million.
Directors: H. M. G. Forsgate, appointed member of Urbco; G. M. D. Salmon, Legco;
M. A. R. Herries, Legco. molenils Hutchison International: Increase of 14% given on share dividends.
Directors: J. D. Clague, Exco.
HK Electric: profit $55 million.
Directors: G. M. B. Salmon, Legco; Sir Trun Nin Chan; Y. K. Kan, Legco and Exco. This is obviously the lesson Lord Crowther wants Britain to learn.
Free Hong Kong.
Any illusions that the British Army is in Ulster to "keep the peace" were frighteningly shattered for one Scottish journalist who was in Belfast recently. He was on the spot when an Army officer very nearly provoked a riot out of nothing with his loud-mouthed arrogance. There was a minor car crash at a darkened street corner in one of the most inflammable areas of the city. No one was hurt and the small crowd which gathered after the bang were beginning to move back to their homes. But they stopped when they heard the roar of approaching Army Land Rovers and waited to see what would happen.
One patrol arrived, took a quick look at the situation and sensibly faded into the night when they were assured that no blood had been shed. But a few seconds later another patrol turned up under the command of a fine publicschool-type First Lieutenant. He drew his revolver, called on his heavily-armed men to follow him, and elbowed his way through the crowd. He could barely hide his disappointment that there were no bodies needing to be swept up. Question: But he turned back to the journalist, who had stayed on the fringe of the crowd, and said in piercing tones: "Have you heard of Danny O'Hagan, the petrol-bomber? Well, we dropped him at that corner over there." The situation, for those who need to know, was that a largely Catholic crowd in one of the tensest areas of Belfast were having the name... occupation. The crowd edged nearer to the lieutenant and made extremely menacing gestures.
But the officer was not to be put off. He pointed to some nearby high flats-"That's the worst place in Belfast for snipers," he said. "There could be some of the bastards up there just now taking a sight on us."
By now the crowd were properly incensed, and only decisive action by a corporal prevented a full-scale riot. He suggested, respectfully, that nothing was to be achieved by hanging around, took the journalist by the arm and led him back to the Land Rover. The officer, deprived of his audience, had no excuse for staying and regretfully turned back to join his troops.
The journalist had by now seen all he wanted to of British Army tactics. From this, and other incidents, he formed the impression that between raw boys and bone-headed officers, there are a few non-commissioned officers who are preventing the Army from making complete fools of themselves.
Normally there is no clear evidence of how riots start. It would seem, from most newspaper accounts, that crowds of people just decide to throw a few stones at the troops or are paid by the IRA to throw a petrol bomb or two. The truth may be quite different.
Some young man from an upper middle class home who failed to find any other kind of work for his under-developed intelligence, might find himself amongst a few Irish savages. He might treat them like dirt and find that, unlike the well-behaved savages of former times, they did not take to the idea. And before he knew what was happening to him, he might be in the middle of a battle. Perhaps that's what "keeping the peace" means to the British Army in Belfast. Note: this article is taken from an excellent paper published in Glasgow called The Word. We urge all moles in Scotland, and even points south to have a glance at it. Enquiries to The Word. 3 Morav Place Glasoow-S1. The House of Lords debated Robert Owen the other day. Naturally the Tories decided that he had been a man of "enthusiasm and kindliness", but that we must look elsewhere for "constructive policies for the 1970s". But it was Lord Greenwood, of Aldermaston and Aden, who made the most disgusting speech. He talked about "the nobleness of his aims, and the greatness of his achievements", but judged that "in some respects Owen was foolish and unrealistic."
You bastard, Greenwood. Owen was a utopian, but a revolutionary, socialist. The ideas which led him to create the model community at New Lanark were consistently materialist; he believed that environment determined human nature. Those same ideas led him on to reject capitalism, understand the class struggle, and take the side of the working class. It was then that he lost his former admirers amongst the moneylenders and landowners. His materialism was mechanical and one-sided, which led him to a fruitless utopianism, but everything he did was consistent and principled.
The Greenwood, who gathers his ermine around his fat arse and criticises Owen, for years masqueraded as a "left". At the first opportunity he jumped into the Cabinet, taking charge of the last futile attempt to beat the people of South Yemen into submission, before moving on to preside over slumlordism from the Ministry of Housing One hour of Owen's life was worth immeasurably more to the world working class than the entire lives of the whole gaggle of Greenwood and the other philistine "Labour" peers.
Question: What happens to women in Belfast who appear in public wearing combat jackets and carrying hurley sticks?
Answer: That's a gross violation of public order, they are whipped into prison right away.
Who was the young woman photographed recently in Belfast wearing a combat jacket and firing a sterling sub-machine gun, while British Army officers looked on approvingly?
Answer: Her Royal Highness Princess Anne. Did any reader see this comrade being arrested on the Vietnam demo., Sat. April 24th, at about 5.00 p.m. in South Audley Street (just after leaving Grosvenor Square)? If so, please contact the Mole. SPECIAL FLASH Belfast Republicans have asked the Mole publicise the spate of intimidation which British Army has been indulging in over t few days. Jeeps have been careering rour Lower Falls stopping people, sticking the against the wall and searching them; this to be selective,, with known militants co for special attention. British soldiers bro the McKelvie Club in Ross Street and wr it, trampling over the Irish National Flag the Starry Plough, in a clear insult to Soc Republicans.
This is probably the Army's reply to t Fleadh (festival) which the Republicans nised in the Falls in opposition to Ulster during which they operated a pirate Wor Radio station, which played Irish folk m and gave out Socialist and Republican pr ganda, while the forces of the Crown loo in impotent rage at people enjoying then in defiance of the might of British imper THE NIGHT CLEANERS 32-page booklet on the cleaners campaign and its importance for cleaners, for women and for the Background information, analysi interviews, illustrations:
15p + postage from London Soc Woman Group, c/o 182 Pentonvi Road, London N.1.
Copy typist, transcriptions. Reasonab rates. Ring Pat Masters, 01-340 7031 CBS-TV'S MII WALLACE RAN SPECKLED BIR AMONG THE NATION'S BES UNDERGROUN NEWSPAPERS Make your deck payable to the Atlanta Cooperativ you are a student or Gl. Post Office Box 54405. Atla Ga. 3030% I vou are a student or Gl. please note t name of your school or base 210.-
----- pull-quotes -----
British Army Boneheads in Ulster