EMPLOYERS AND THEIR RISKS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 417, 28 January 1909, Page 4

EMPLOYERS AND THEIR RISKS.

: Telegrams from Auckland which we print to-day show; that'-.the employers in the north have not?taken long to draw the. same-deductions as wo drew yesterday from the settlement of the'mining trouble at Huntljv One df the directors of the Taupiri Coal Company has declared that white the Miners'', Federation did not succeed in the recent dispute in making the company the subject of 'dictation, it may make another,..attempt. .Ho therefore ' considers it .necessary that the employers should federate in order ; --';'to' resist: the growing tyranny of labour, and he" urges the establishment of a fund which will stiffen the;backs,bf ; those employers may have to hold the-bridge for their. fellows I .;' The Auckland branch of the New. Zealand Employers'".Federation ..has already, taken the first step in this direction by. pledging .itself to assist in ■establishing aVdeperidence-fund. The opening statement in this:bo'dy's resolution, that "while sympathy and verbal support to employers suffering from: strikes are , desirable enough; some tangible .help is.required," is.-:a formal confession of the-foolishness of the attitude hitherto adopted by em-: ployers, / Conferences, :and resolutions,: and-deputations to Ministers, and : ap ;; peals: to the public's sense of-justice, are no/longer-adequate in tho.present condition of.the law and in the present condi.tiori of the Government. ..The dangers that now threaten the of the country: would bo non-existent, .or/at any rate -vastly smaller than theyUre, if oy'cry warlike demonstration by. trados : uriionism : had ; boen' met with an ,unflirichihg : :determiriation> to concede, only what; was reasonable. :'lri the absence of any cohesion 'amongst employers, a unit beset by the wholo force, of latiour has usually: been glad to concede, whatever :would relieve him-from. assault. The . choice, has. .beenbetween surrender or selfrmartyrdom. It has apparently' not occurred to the . employers:, of, labour that each;.individual surrender;, has had in it the seeds'of future' trouble for the wholo body. OUr concern is .not ior.the .employers ds such; ( biit : for the industrial progress iof .the You cannot make the ..occupation 'of an' einployer'a perilous-one"withoutinjuring-industry..and retarding- : ■progress.':.-The public:-will watch :with ; . interest the-recep-tion, which the new;idea,gets ; at.the-.hands of.tho cinployers-in-other parts of ;.N,ew. Zealand. '' ■ -,' ", : w-'.-:';- /-v^ 1 .