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CARTOON - LABOUR PARTY I MUST DISOWN ALL KNOWLEDGE OF THE OBSTRUCTIVE ASS

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Ben Strange

1921

Subcollections

Overview

This hand drawn black and white cartoon features a black steam train racing down a track towards a man reading a sign while holding onto the reigns of a donkey or ass which is standing on the railway track and looking at the approaching train with some alarm. The text written on the sign is [STATE ELECTION / TO BE HELD ON / THE 12TH / MARCH]. The text on the front of the train reads [PROGRESS] and the text on the side of the donkey/ass reads [SOCIALISM]
In the foreground on the left if a laughing kookaburra perched on a broken tree stump. Ben’s signature is in black to the right of centre.
The caption that accompanied cartoon when it was printed in the Western Mail on 3 February 1921:
The following are extracts from a leaflet which is being circulated in the West, and bearing the imprint of the Trades Hall: These are symptoms of the approaching end of the wage system. We can easily produce abundance of everything necessary for the needs of the people, but if we cut out the triple cancer of rent, interest and profit which is feeding on the lifeblood of industry. Either an organised revolution by the workers of Western Australia or an intensified form of industrial strife, leading to eventual bankruptcy, unemployment, riots, civil war and chaos. Which do you prefer?
LABOUR PARTY: 'I MUST DISOWN ALL KNOWLEDGE OF THE OBSTRUCTUVE ASS.'

Historical information

Large scale unionism started in Western Australia in the 1890’s due to unionists from overseas and the Eastern Colonies coming to WA for the gold rush. Further, the number of workers in trades, the newly expanding railways, new industries and the goldmines made for a favourable environment for unions to flourish.
In the 1920s Western Australia was undergoing an economic downturn due to the after-effects of World War One and a dramatic fall in world wool and wheat prices which made up the majority of the state’s exports.
In the early 1920s Western Australia was slowly recovering from the economic impact of World War One. The State Government assisted the expansion of the agricultural industry by constructing a railway network that opened up new farming areas around the state. Rising wool and wheat prices also helped to improve the economic health of the state.
1921 though saw a sudden spike in the unemployment rate from around 5% to around 9% and it continued to rise in 1923 to over 10%. Unemployment and rising rents in the Perth area, due to more people moving to the city in the 1920s, was also causing social stresses. At the same time industrial jobs which had strong union associations were also growing providing opportunities for unions to grow and demonstrate their strength.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-33-AK1999.64

Material

Ink

Paper

Pencil

Keywords

West Australian - Newspaper

Western Mail Newspaper

BIRTWISTLE Ivor T Mr L/Cpl

STRANGE Ben Mr

State Politics

Year

1921

Statement of significance

HIGH
The Ben Strange cartoons are historically significant as they depict many key figures linked to the history and development of both Western Australia and Australia. Political figures who regularly appeared in his cartoon’s included John ‘Happy Jack’ Scaddan, the Premier of Western Australia from 1911 until 1916, and William ‘Billy’ Hughes, the Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923.

Primary significance criteria

Artistic or aesthetic significance

Historic significance

Social or spiritual significance

Comparative significance criteria

Interpretive capacity

Rare or representative

Well provenanced

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