PEACE, PERFECT PEACE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 39, 10 January 1949, Page 4

PEACE, PERFECT PEACE

The memory might not be quite in gear, but does not one seem to remember somebody, not unconnected with the Government, telling the world at various times how happy and satisfied the New Zealand worker has been under the present regime? Then why, O why, is such a soullessly matter-of-fact document as the Abstract of Statistics allowed to be released for publication to spoil our pipe dreams? If we were not thus informed that the record sum of £162,369 was lost in wages by strikers during the nine months ended September 30, 1948, we might have been able to go on believing—if we ever did believe—that there was practically no industrial unrest in this land fit for heroes to live in.

If we were not thus reliably informed from, a source the accuracy of which is beyond question, we might find ourselves wondering that there should be any such thing as a strike in a country governed by a Party which.claims to have the workers’ interests at heart and to know the answers to all their problems.

Why is it that those very workers who put the Government in office should now embarrass it with frequent demon-

strations of their dissatisfaction with conditions tinder their chosen administration? Can it be their faith is failing? Can it be they are coming to believe the Tory tale that high prices have cancelled out high wages? Such heresy is indeed possible, even likely.