OF THE UNMARRIED MAN IN THE TRADE UNION BALLOT.
[To THE EDITOR Of THE " SPECTAT011."]
THE POWER
SIR,—" It's the single men who will vote for a strike; for they have nothing to carry and no kiddies to feed. Our Association admits lade at sixteen into full membership, and they pal their bob a week. It's them that'll vote for a strike, and then expect more money.' These words were said by a miner in presence of other miners to the Labour correspondent of the Yorkshire Post. In the ballot recently taken the same voting power was accorded to the young man who had no family responsibilities, who had neither the power nor the desire to understand the issues to be decided, and whose feelings favoured rash courses, as to the man who had lived through a dozen strikes, who could estimate the chances and vividly realize the consequences of failure, and who had a family to maintain. Should the strike last more than a fortnight the young man will be dependent entirely on his father for the means of sub- sistence, yet he will vote light-heartedly for a strike, while the father's mind is distracted with the prospect of the early ex- haustion of his financial resouces, with the probability of the children's health being impaired through underfeeding for a long or short period, and with the -certainty of resuming work under the burden of a debt. The young. man, moreover, will speak with disrespect of the class to which his father belongs: " Old fogies who would carry their peace policy to the length of bringing wages far below the poverty line; we must cheek the employers up and show fight whenever our interests are at stake." Attempts are not now made to bring, under these circumstances, social ostracism upon the moderate class, but a sentiment of contempt may be spread which would have effect on the people who have not the 'strength to go against the current of public feeling.
Those young men do not consider that they should 'trouble their minds about the consequences of a disastrous strike. Even if the conditions of life should be too hard for families, they could live with some degree of comfort. In their own language, " Their cap covers their family, and they could emigrate if they regarded the reward of labour in this country as too low." Some of them do emigrate when the standard of living is lowered, but the bulk of them severely limit their mobility by marrying, and then, when their minds, in conse- quence of family cares, are filled with dread at the prospect of a strike, they condemn the system under which their votes are nullified by the _class who can, if they choose, run away from the consequences of their actions. Where a large class, die- regarding the merits of a dispute, carries out what is called a " bold policy," the result of a ballot cannot be regarded as an expression of intelligent opinion; and the opposing party, whether Capitalists or tht Government, might believe that though the majority was against them, the opinion of the intel- ligent men was really with them. A very slight acquaintance with industrial affairs would enable any one to understand that the present is no time for rash courses or ill-considered policies. If the miners should be impoverished by a strike they would be powerless in face of the trade depression which is predicted by competent authorities.
This defect in the Trade Union system of 'voting has long been recognized in Trade Union circles, but no influential Labour leader is bold enough to advocate a limitation which, it is believed, would prevent young men from joining the unions. A class, however, who, besides being well able to spare the Trade Union contributions, have not yet acquired the power of looking far ahead, are not likely to be deterred by an age limit which the community would regard as reasonable. With twenty-five years as the age limit a large proportion of this class would be disfranchised, and these would be the portion with the least experience of public affairs and the least power of foresight. This would not be the only inequality existing for the benefit of married members. A married man does not pay a largei contribution than a single one, but during a stoppage he receives an allowance from the Union in respect of his children. In view of the bearing of a great strike in the public interest the Government could reasonably assume the power of enforcing this age limit; and if the exercise of that power involved the control of the ballot by State officials, that would put an end to the abuses now existing in conngion with the ballot.—I am, Sir, &c., A Cevaasnaffa.
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