--- title: The Labor Call (Melbourne), 'The Same Old Enemies', page 6, 14 September 1916 url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/labor-call-same-old-enemies-1916/ description: A Labor newspaper page headed 'The Same Old Enemies', arguing against conscription ahead of the 28 October 1916 referendum. section: Collection --- [Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/) **Content note:** Anti-conscription article that calls employers, pastoralists, Tory parties and named politicians 'ruthless enemies of Labor' and uses 'Shylock' for war-loan lenders. This object is shown as it was published. [Why](https://propagandaarchive.org/about/#as-it-was) [![The Labor Call (Melbourne), 'The Same Old Enemies', page 6, 14 September 1916](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/labor-call-same-old-enemies-1916.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/labor-call-same-old-enemies-1916.jpg) # The Labor Call (Melbourne), 'The Same Old Enemies', page 6, 14 September 1916 A Labor newspaper page headed 'The Same Old Enemies', arguing against conscription ahead of the 28 October 1916 referendum. Tells: one list of employers, pastoralists, 'Tory' parties and press, named politicians and 'the military' is labelled 'ruthless enemies of Labor', 'robber' and 'nefarious gang', and wartime price rises are placed on 'Big Business'. ## Text on the object Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked ``` The Labor Call Sept. 14, 1916 [page number] 6 The Same Old Enemies. HOW THE CONSCRIPTIONISTS HAVE REVEALED THEMSELVES. For a time in some unperceptive quarters the conscription issue was slightly confused; but it is confused no longer. Now the Australian workers know what conscription means by simply reviewing the personnel of its advocates. THEY HAD THEIR CHANCE. [...] "They had the opportunity of voluntarily giving their money as the workers were giving their lives. They had the opportunity of keeping down prices" WHAT THEY DID-AND ARE DOING. "[...] had the brazen callousness to demand a high rate of interest from the nation for the temporary use of their wealth" [...] "read Federal Treasurer Higgs' Budget speech, or, rather, that part of it relating to the war loans, and figure out what Shylock's interest bill comes to a year" [...] "if Big Business was a robber before the war-and it was-it is from 35 to 40 per cent. a more greedy robber now." THE ADVOCATES OF CONSCRIPTION. For advocating conscription to-day are all the factors and forces that in the past have been the ruthless enemies of Labor. The Employers' Federation is advocating it. The Pastoralists' Union is advocating it. The Chamber of Commerce are advocating it. The Tory political parties are advocating it. Iceberg Irvine, Joe Cook and Willie Watt are advocating it. The Tory press is advocating it. The fatted fossils of the Legislative Councils are advocating it. [...] The military are advocating it. In short, all the inherent enemies of Labor, and all that Labor stands for and aspires to, are vociferous in their advocacy of the continental curse. ENEMIES ALWAYS. "[...] has been remorselessly opposed by this nefarious gang." THE WORKERS KNOW THEM. "They know Iceberg Irvine, the arch-leader of the conscription plot" [...] AND KNOWING, THE WORKERS ACT. "Thus we find the workers organising on working-class lines to register their hatred of conscription. Thus we find the unions speaking as with one voice. Thus we find the political organisations of Labor uncompromising in their hostility." [Carlton Ale advertisement and Melbourne Technical School advertisement at left; not transcribed] ``` Read from the committed image; passages in [...] are elided where the transcription gives selected lines, not the whole article. Spelling and punctuation as printed. [← The Filipino People, August 1916, p. 6: 'The Man Who Embalmed "Fitness"'](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/the-filipino-people-man-who-embalmed-fitness-1916/) [The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), page 12, referendum day, 28 October 1916: 'He's sticking to you to-day, will you stick to him?' →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/daily-telegraph-referendum-day-yes-cartoon-1916/) ## Using the same techniques - [Passional Christi und Antichristi: the emperor kisses the pope's foot (leaf 'Antichristus')](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/passional-christi-antichristi-emperor-kisses-pope-1521/) (Electoral Saxony · 1521 · Name-calling, Card stacking) - [Anacoana fut pendue sans raison (engraving in Le miroir de la cruelle et horrible tyrannie espagnole)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/anacoana-hanged-miroir-tyrannie-espagnole-1620/) (Dutch Republic · 1620 · Fear appeal, Name-calling). Content note: Engraving of a hanged, bare-breasted Taino woman, burning huts and people being killed by Spanish soldiers. - [Ondersoeckt de Geesten, ofse van den Duyvel syn, of niet (the De Witt brothers as devils)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/ondersoeckt-de-geesten-de-witt-devils-1672/) (Dutch Republic · 1672 · Scapegoating, Name-calling) - [The Highlanders Medley, or The Duke Triumphant (A Loyal Song)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/highlanders-medley-duke-triumphant-1746/) (Great Britain · 1746 · Name-calling, Transfer) - [The North Briton, No. XLV, 23 April 1763 (John Wilkes), opening page](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/north-briton-no-45-wilkes-1763/) (Kingdom of Great Britain · Apr 23, 1763 · Name-calling) - [The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/revere-bloody-massacre-king-street-1770/) (Province of Massachusetts Bay · Mar 1770 · Name-calling, Card stacking). Content note: Hand-coloured engraving of bloodied dead and wounded colonists after soldiers fired on a crowd. - [Marche du Dom Quichotte moderne pour la deffence du Moulin des Abus (March of the Modern Don Quixote in Defence of the Mill of Abuses)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/dom-quichotte-moulin-des-abus-1791/) (France · 1791 · Name-calling, Transfer) - [Sans-Culottes, feeding Europe with the Bread of Liberty (James Gillray)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/sans-culottes-bread-of-liberty-gillray-1793/) (Kingdom of Great Britain · Jan 12, 1793 · Fear appeal, Name-calling)