AN ARCH-ENEMY

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 723, 24 January 1910, Page 6

AN ARCH-ENEMY

THE AGITATOR. HON. ME. WADE ON THE COAL STEIKE. An interesting statement" .on tho Newcastle coal.strike and the general position of industrial law in New South'.Wales i was mado to a Dosnxiox reporter by the Hon. C. 6. Wade, Premier, of that State, who is now visiting Wellington. _ Mr. Wadesaid that. he had not. 'kept in touch with .Sydney, during the last three , weeks sufficiently to know the details of the progress;that.had been made, but, generally speaking, ho had no doubt that the strike was- near its end, and that the men would have to accept tho position as indicated to them-two months ago— namely, that they should go back to work as a condition precedent to having their grievances investigated.'and redressed. . The Government's Policy. "The miners •'claimed,". Mr/' Wade continued,* "that; they: should have an open conference with: the' owners before they returned" to : work, but : . they .: would give no guarantee or promise, that they would .return to''work even after .the conference -if . it so happened: that tliov could notsecure through, it 'all they desired. V The practice- of _ the Government, however, since machinery .has come .into existence for dealing with industrial disputes, has invariably been that strikers: should roturn to work before tliey can expect to make uso. of the. tribunals which have been provided for. the purpose of redressing their, grievances. - , This'view was insisted on in the tramway strike of the middle -of. . tho;..year.'. The . men,: oh. that., occasion were very loth at first to accept the',':- position,; -but public opinion.;, was; very.- stronglyagainst the • strikers, • and' we,, were enabled,- in the course of a week, to, get the men back info ,the- Tegular, swing of work; A board was appointed immediately afterwards to deal with their- and, as a matter of . fact, the award gave them feveral distinct advantages which they had not enjoyed before. . : The -Bottom of tho Trouble.

■ 'The truth is that thiy Newcastle strike is' only, the'outward manifestation of a policy , that is being put into, force by, a certain section of ; the working classes who are . absolutely 'against: compulsory .arbitration : and : prefer' to inflict: suffering on the.public, hoping thereby to int m to forco the employers to"' grant the concessions asked' for, and thus any '' tem PTary , inconvenience winch the strike, might; cause.: The pub-' lio-m this . case very, quickly .saw 'that if that proposition were there ■would be -no. peace/, because every small grievance would be, made-the . excuse for a general .'-strike, and ;the-result., would' be. troublo in every. , house m''.the : 'eoim>. niumij- and the absolute flouting of tie law of, the land;' Consequently- the"strike has developed : into the larger: issue of whether -these..men.'shall be' allowed to take . .the law,-into' their own' hands and, .either... by . force: of , numbers or ;by depnying the. public ;of necessary" commodities, rule' the community, or whether the machinery which was.,provided' primarc 11 F tne henefit- of tlio- working -men shall ,bQ; allowed - to: still operate"

A Revolutionary; Section,

Mr. Wade was careful to point onttiat the above ..remarks applied: only •to .the revolutionary, section, of the ranks of, W .J 10 ™ 3 satisfied that- the gr-at majority of the workers', in. New South ™ es .77® 'fey?. l ■to .the ■ Industrial' Disputes Act. . They, had- received benefits ® r ik-» W6re - Prepared to tKn 6 vl ;hp: '' bal f :and obey'' awards., they, had bought vfor,. even. selves might be, adverse ■to them-

rd :to of the strike, Mr. Wade expressed the opinion that the section— small but which' he had referred, and which' for/a'short time threatened .to,overrule. the. laws 'of: tho * .'discredited,' .and the..future would afford much more' security.-for industrial, peace than had .the-case hafhertq.,/. / V• • J^ 6 ' ;J®t.' realised/', ■Lii ?? u - J : -j i? anßflrs that'may as-' sail, them; individually' if these law-break-ers . are. ablei to i;get. control of ■ the ma-: .cninery, of government. ~. .. . .. .

-Means-for Redress'of Grievances. - ' - vUnder our legislation passed -last- year I there is no, : difficulty in. any • body of men who. have obtaining : the appointment of a board in the course :of a W: 4 a ys»:.and having an inquiry set' on foot i and; perhaps dealt -with.. within a week from the time. when they. first' approach'the. Court. The endeavour of the Government, -■ as expressed,' in -,: the passage of tho amending Act, ,is to secure,- as as possible,; continuity. of work, while ottering a prompt and. cheap, method for the redress of . industrial grievances.- The Act has. proved a great success. ..During, the" last• twelvemonths.;.something like 80-awards, were ,delivered :by: the- various •boards,, and. at.times.as many as 25 boards' were/sitting simultaneously, dealing with as . many different industries, ,* * No Room for, the Agitator. : 'TfosoiMUy; I think the final ' result of : this .unfortunate 'trouble "will be. -to strengthen, the Act in the 'eyes' of-the public,- and also hope it will : Kll the occupation :of-the. agitator, because,' with 1 ready, means of access to the Court there it for ' such' an individual: .. All the strikes v of : . the ;■ last - few 1 years i'have been brought, abput- by a. few'ltiud-voiced -men . influencing. Jmass :• meetings ■ to .'Vote lor -. striking when, the" realr .feeling 7 'was against such .a course. The Broken Hill strike : Mann- mau'cmg ' tlic' - irresponsible' ': 1 and 3'ounger .men; to,;>bte;: for a'Vstriko -by a' show .of hounds,;;whilst the older and more reasonable , and^ experienced', workers'were pireatc-ned with ; all the: obloquyVattaching to., the .terms, 'blackleg', and 'scab,? '.if asseri.., their ; news' -against -fV.tramway .striko/and the Newcastle-coal strikes, of. 1307 .and 1909, -originated m a similar way. U " Twelve Months, for the Strike-maker. > Billipassed: at tue last-session, the. responsibilitics- ot the agitator will be : commensurate t A who .instigates a strike is now liable to a penalty as .twelve .months' -imprisonment without the option of a fine; The agitator- is the/enemy :of thb public, and the arch-enemy of .the working - classes. AU_.reasonable-, trades--unionists l --'will-.'be .glad . to-.hear.,the.; last 1 - of- him,' and, with his disappearance; industrial peace will be practically a'ssured.".- ....