The Press Wednesday, April 11, 1917. Breeding-Places of Sedition.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15872, 11 April 1917, Page 6

The Press Wednesday, April 11, 1917. Breeding-Places of Sedition.

Ph© strike of the minors engaged in ihe Stat© Coal Mines calls for the careful consideration of all loyal citizens of the Dominion. It is true that the has spread to tho other mines, ' but there are reasons, as we shall proceed to show, why 'the public are specially concerned in "what we may "fairly term .tho seditious outbreak of - tho men engaged in tho mines started tnd financed by the State. This particular form of Stat© enterprise ■was started for two reasons. First of all it was said that the State could control the production and distribution of necessaries better and moro cheaply than by the co-operation of individuals. Secondly, wo wore told that it was an important step in tho direction of industrial peace, so that the din of warfaro between the worker nnd capitalist would be no more heard in tho land. Unfortunately it has failed in both objects. If all the cost of the enterprise charged in the 6ame way that the cost of production is charged to and by a private company, it would be seen that financially State coal-mining is a failure. There should be charged to the expense of running tho concern the time and trouble of the Ministerial supervision, cost of Start© letters and telegrams, and a due share of offico rent in the Wellington Government building. If these were all debited, if a royalty h?d to be paid, and if full depreciation, etc., were also charged, it would be seen that if the enterprise were a private company,, the shareholders would <gei no dividend, and the company would have to be wound up. There has been no gain financially to tbe consumThe retail ptico'of coal is higher now. than it has ever been in the history of "the industry, but it can bo got ; as cheaply from coal merchants as from Starte - retail shops, having regard to

tho various differences of quality. "\\ hothor buying tho product of the State mino or of a private mine, the consumer has to pay tho increased wages -which tho miners have been drawing, and ho has also to pay for their "go slow"-'policy. If, as we submit, there has been no gain financially from the State Coal Mines, has it been shown that the Stat© enterprise has brought industrial peace and contentment to the employees? The present strike gives an emphatic answer to that question. It is not pretended that any dissatisfaction with wages, conditions of labour, or hours, has led to the strike. Tt is, in fact, a civil war meant to force the Government to yield to Germany. it has not boon proved that behind it, as there, was said to bo behind the I.W'.TV. agitation in America and Australia, there was German money, but that it- is a movement against the people of Now Zealand and of the Empire cannot be denied. "What do tho strikers aim at? They wish to see all industries that requiro coal crippled or stopped. They know that coal is necessary for onr transports, for our railways, for our varied industries, and they wish to sec these paralysed, one End all. The disloyalty of such a proceeding docs not requiro to bo pointed out. Nor is this the first occasion on which disloyalty has sprung from the same source. From their very inception the State Coal Mines have been the breeding-place of disaffection, and tho focus of syndicalist and "Red Fed" intriguo which has been such a curse to organised labour in this country. Even if it could be proved that the establishment of the Stato Coal Minos has kept down the retail price of coal a shil-

ling or two a ton below the rate at which it would havo stood under private competition, tho reduction would havo been very dearly purchased when we consider what a loss the country has suffered by tho great strike of a few years ago, and all tho sabotage, and "ca' canny" tactics as tho "fons et "origo mali." "What, then, should be done? We think the Government ought at once to close down tho State Coal Mines, and clear all the miners off tho ground. Secondly, if it has not already done so, it should order coal from Japan or elsewhere, so as to be independent of New Zealand supplies, at any rate until the employees in the privato mines have como to their senses, and doclined to bo led any further into disloyalty to the Empire by the Runanga traitors. Thirdly, the Government should press on/flie work of utilising our water power for the development of electric energy. This State coal enterprise must cease. It has failed, and the miners must look for work elsewhere. Those who are of military age and physically fit should, as they aTe called upon under the ballot, be drafted into camp. The labour of the rest could be absorbed by the farmers. Their wages will probably ue not more than half of what they have been getting in mining, but if farm workers got as much for their labour as "the miners did, our wheat, oats, meat, milk, butter, and cheese would have to be largely raised in price. If some hundreds of miners were diverted from mining to agricultural labour, it would be beneficial to the community. Tho present State Coal Mines, at all events, must be abandoned as a State enterprise, and the present is a very fitting time for the Government to give effect i to this resolution. - 1