At Thursday evening's session of the Industrial Commercial Workers (Amalgamated) Union of South Africa, Mr. Selby Msimang (president) delivered his annual address. He began by congratulating the visiting delegates upon their labours at this the second meeting of the Assembly of the I.C.W.U. When they had first assembled together at Bloemfontein last year, few had guessed the full importance of this great and ever-growing movement. That conference had been a very important one in that it had been composed of several independent unions which had sprung up spontaneously here and there throughout the Union of South Africa. All these unions had professed practically the same ideals, with the same ideas and objects in view. The forces with which they had to contend had become so formidable that it was now essential to contrive and effect closer corporate association with each other, and so it was that the Bloemfontein conference last year had accomplished much in joining together various independent unions, with the gratifying result that a big composite union had there and then been formed.
What Had Been Achieved
They were again reassembled that day to review the work begun by that conference, and transacted during the past year. An account of their various activities during the past twelve months must be given, so that it might be seen what had been done, and what had been left undone. No doubt mistakes had been made, and some of these we might live long to forget, but such mistakes were inevitable with such a young organisation. "And yet, as an old Scotsman had put it," went on the president, "these mistakes give to youth the wit of old age. They illuminated the truth and taught us to know ourselves. Indeed, they made us realise our weaknesses, for the events of the last year should make us wiser. Now what was the naked truth that we have been compelled to see? A need for organisation. We have been often tempted, or was it mere force of circumstances and of economic difficulties, to force the issues when peaceful negotiations might have produced better and more lasting results. At such times when we might have concentrated upon organisation and mobilisation of those forces already at our disposal for the purpose of insisting upon our rights, circumstances had compelled issues which had lacked success by reason of disorganisation. There had been too many temptations to strike, and such strikes had been organised by people who were ignorant of the doctrines of Trade Unionism. These people were ignorant in regard to the great secrets of passive resistance. I will be failing in my duty if I do not warn you against the wild talk, which serves merely to rouse the passions of the people; at any rate, for the present.
Organise! Organise!!
"Our first duty should be to organise all non-European workers, wherever they may be, and to educate them and make them understand and appreciate the obligations falling upon them as workers in safeguarding the interests which are theirs and inalienable. Drive the point home that it is no fault of the employers to exploit them, but that it is their own fault and that they can only ward against exploitation by some distinct bond of comradeship.
"I am not at all blind about the pressure of the high cost of living upon our already poorly paid comrades, but the awakening that has been responsible for the formation of workers' unions should inspire courage and patience, and should prevent hasty councils. We must organise patiently and vigorously, and so make a speedier end to our present difficulties. If the workers are sufficiently awake they should demonstrate that wakefulness by endeavouring to bring about a solidarity of effort without which no strike or lock-out might succeed. If awakened we should be compelled to unite by the knowledge that every variation from unity is but a progression towards nullity".
There were other reasons, moreover, proceeded the speaker, for renewing their determination to bring all workers into closer union. There were two desperate forces to contend against. There was the European Trade Union menace, which was becoming too exasperating in certain respects. That Union looked upon them as a monster threatening to filch their patrimony. All over this country they could discover men with their hands in their pockets, playing the boss over sweated workers, and for which lazy job they were paid 20s. per diem as against 2s. a day paid to the actual workers and producers of the country's wealth. The waste in industry was, at present, larger than the power of production. It now remained to decide whether to accept the challenge or to ignore it, to extend a hand of fellowship or to reciprocate the insolence. Before they could do either they must organise.
Government Indicted.
On the other hand, they had the Union Government, evidently a club of incorrigible magnates, whose miserly hearts created a greed which Shakespeare had envisaged in Shylock.
They made such laws as would convert a Christian to Atheism. Study the laws for the distribution of land, the pass laws, the humbug of segregation. After a reference to the Native Affairs Commission, the president proceeded: "Politicians will say, 'It is all politics.' Let them say that, but I am convinced in my own mind that it is industrial propaganda organised for the deliberate purpose of reducing non-Europeans to a condition of economic slavery. Round about us we find a system for parcelling out lands for immigrants which ignores the vast population of coloured people. Go where you like, you will find non-Europeans being ousted out of land, industry, and even domestic employ. The badge of slavery, which has been christened a pass for the purpose of hood-winking the civilised world, has already been responsible for the exploitation of cheap labour. Still you hear M.P.'s agitating for the resuscitation of 'isibalo,' or forced labour, in the Union, in order, it is alleged, to meet the shortage of labour on the farms. Who can think of South Africa becoming a den of unemployment with her vast potentialities and unlimited resources? One great authority says: 'Wherever you see want and misery or degradation in this world about you, there, be sure, either industry has been wanting or industry has been in error. It is not accident, it is no Heaven-commanded calamity; it is not the original and inevitable evil of man's nature which fills your streets with lamentations and your graves with prey. It is only that when there should have been providence there has been waste.' This is exactly the position in this unhappy country of ours. There has been too much greed, too much Europeanism, too much prejudice".
Overflow Of Labour.
"We shall have," he continued, "to consider seriously the question of putting a stop to the influx of casual labour into industrial centres. There is no greater danger to the Union than the unchecked flooding of unrequired labour into industrial centres. Some towns were overflooded with labour, and as long as the supply exceeded the demand labour was bound to be cheap. Last year a resolution had been submitted to fix the standard wage for men at 10s., and for women at 7s.6d. To his mind the champions of the movement had not weighed their subject properly since they had overlooked the superfluous supply of labour. To get one-half of such a demand supplies of labour must be scarce. The sources of such a superfluity of labour were the territories and protectorates. It would be their duty to go out to these people and instruct them, and to persuade them to turn their hands to something useful and to make them realise the wealth lying dormant in the lands they occupy. They must be taught independence.
They must be taught a racial consciousness, and independence without instilling race hatred. Agriculture would seem to be a failing industry amongst the people, and this was one of the difficulties in the territories. Many men left their lands unfilled to go to labour centres where they were paid one-hundredth part of what they might have made out of their lands. Some drifted to towns out of poverty, or lack of capital. It should be their endeavour to keep these men behind their ploughs. If there was one sphere of activity neglected it was bound in course of time, to prove a drag on other spheres.
Barrier Against Coloured Labour
Proceeding, the President discussed the fact that many employers felt compelled to employ whites, although they would prefer to employ coloured skilled labourers. The European Trades Unions had created a strong barrier against coloured artisans. Some European Unions at the Cape had actually admitted coloured members, but such Unions were the exceptions which only served to prove the rule, and were probably forced by circumstances to admit the coloured man. In the larger Unions, such as the leather industry, the barrier was fixed. In those other Unions the insufficiency of the European workers had compelled employers to open their doors temporarily to skilled coloured men. Promotion by racial preference kept many a good and efficient man down. There were many coloured men who were now enjoying the privilege of admission to European trades avenues who would sooner desert their fellows than assist in lifting them to achieve a similar plane. They are carrying their selfishness too far, and are ready to argue to-day that two and two did not make four if their interests were involved in that question. They were responsible for the exploitation of their less fortunate fellows.
Disparity Of Pay Of White And Coloured
"Ladies and gentlemen," continued the president, "I fail to see why the scale of pay should be regulated by the colour of the skin. It was argued that the standard of wages should correspond with the standard of living, but that seems to me to be an absurd argument. Does it mean that because the bulk of the people are extravagant one should dance to their music or that if they expend £5 a day on drink and luxuries we must follow that example!"
He urged that a via media should be found. All classes of non-Europeans must unite under common principles and aspirations, and not descend to the status of unthinking mimics of Europeans. He appealed to all other unions to throw in their lot with the l.C.W.U. for the general uplift of downtrodden races and for the facilitation of such fortifying virtues as would induce them to assist, persist, desist and resist.
Continuing, the speaker said: "We are tired of things as they exist to-day and desire a change. Whatever has or is imagined to possess a power to produce changes in other things, or in itself, is a cause, and a good cause sustains more injury from a weak defence than from frivolous accusations. When holding October 23 sacred, we should also remember Johannesburg in 1917. Comrades, I ask you to join with me in paying respect to our martyred dead by rising".
The Bulhoek Affair.
"But these," he proceeded, "do not make the total sum of our roll or honour. Persuaded as I am by a deep conviction that if the Land Laws of this country were not as they are, and believing fully, as I do, that if Enoch Mgijima had ordered his proselytes to indenture their labour to the surrounding farmers of Kamastone or to give it gratis in the name of his Church, the killing and wounding of 400 natives would not have taken place. I cannot without shame ignore these men as if they had not suffered in the same cause and under similar reasons as the rest of our worthy comrades, who now lie buried in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg. It is not for me to pass judgment against Ngijima's teachings, but I think it is within our right to condemn any system of Government which encourages lawlessness and defiance to constituted authority. Man is not bound to confess loyalty to a tyrant. History has shown that the human soul naturally revolts against injustice".
"Russian workers had been forced to revolution in order to do away with Russian autocracy. Gladstone had declared that 'the proper function of a Government is to make it easy for people to do good and difficult for them to do evil.' Is this Government in South Africa making it easy for the coloured people to do good? All that was evident was a multiplicity of laws. With Ngijima's following they had fallen the victims to bad influences brought about by bad administration. The Acting Prime Minister had disappointed every black man in the country. The Government had adopted a policy of drifting whilst the coloured workers were smarting under irritating disabilities in every walk of life. There was no definite policy apparent. Black men were disqualified from all other rights and privileges but the right to indenture their labour for a pittance.
"Can we safely say—even supposing the 'Israelites' were wrong—that their mistakes were deliberate and without cause? The worth of a State, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it. How much are we worth? Perhaps we suffer for our own sluggishness, foolishness, selfishness, and want of co-operation, self-help, and all those other virtues which go to the full sum of national progress".