THE TROUBLE IN THE MINES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 403, 12 January 1909, Page 4

THE TROUBLE IN THE MINES.

| The opinion of Mr! 0. P, Skerrett on the Workers' Compensation Act, which we print in another s columri, will render i intelligible the reluctance of the mineowners to treat the Government's ignoble surrender to the miners as a sblution of the difficult; problem with which the Act has brought thorn face to faco. Such is the clumsiness and short-sightedness of the Act that even after the public's.money has; been converted into a fund for placating obstinate workmen thoro remains a perilous liability which the employers' 'dare not assume, arid which wilj remain; intaftt regardless of any' action that the Government may. take, regardless of any impropriety or. illegality short of the repeal. of v tho Act by Ministerial edict. This, however, is a remedy which the Government, however anxious it .be to resort to it, cannot apply as easily as it applied it in connection with, the strikes of last , year, when ..the Arbitration Act was-suspended. In the meantime, while the public is pondering upon tho ignominious 'failure of the" Government's abuse of its powers, we may call'attention once more to the fact that the Arbitration Act is concerned in this affair. What steps are to be taken to ascertain whether the situation' in the mining industry is a strike or a lock-out ? Is the unfortunate' Arbitration. Act to' be 'treated once' more as a dead-letter ? Surely the Government should , at'least pay its Act the courtesy of a test ?" Even in its agitation tho'Government might find time to save the Arbitration Act from exposure as an imposing fraud, as a'fraud it must be if it can 0n1y...100k on unconcerned at the paralysis of one of the largest of our industries.; The new: Minister for Labour is quite helpless. He begins his Ministerial career by telling our reporter, almost in so many words, that he has nothing to do with the trouble in the mines:, tho, Prime Minister has" the matter in hand. Mr. Hogg's position is a fine commentary upon the state into which Sir' Joseph Ward has contrived to get the country's affairs.