The Dominion. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1912. WAIHI AND PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1549, 19 September 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1912. WAIHI AND PARLIAMENT.

The situation at Waihi is not one > of peril or even extreme gravity, although the noisy Mr. Semple appears to have rather alarmed those few timorous people who are easily impressed by loucl and violent speech, i At the same time, nobody can say that the matter should not have been raised in Parliament. What can be said, however, and must be said in plain terms, is that the performance of the Opposition yesterday was highly discreditable. Most of us are ready to forgive a great deal to the section of embittered politicians on the Speaker's left, for their bitter--1 ness, if it is unpleasing, is any way human enough; and in point of fact much has been forgiven them, many offences on their part have been passed over. But it is another matter altogether when, in their anxiety to create difficulties for the Government, they range themselves against the true interests of the community. For that is what, in their zeal 'to find fault with the, Government's cool and manful handling of the situation—their object being partly to appear as "Labour's friends" and partly to satisfy their own feelings— the Opposition, or a section of it, did yesterday afternoon. Let us once more set out the actual situation in terms with which no truthful person will quarrel. A large union, in pursuance of its desire to crush and swallow a small union, arranged a strike, throwing idle for months one of the most important enterprises in the Dominion. The mineowners and the town of Waihi have been subjected to heavy loss and inconvenience b.v a strike, undertaken, not to secure better pay or conditions or to remedy any grievance, but solely with the object of compelling a body of workers to come against their will under the control of the Federation of Labour. After passing through various phases, the striking union's methods developed at Inst from boycotting to open terrorism, with the {result that the Government, in die-J

charge of its duty of protecting peaceful _ and law-abiding citizens from intimidation, molestation, and assault, ordered a large number of police to proceed to the disturbed area for the protection of those unionists who, having no quarrel with the mbeownors, and having no desire to join the Federation, are anxious to earn their bread and live their lives in peace. It does not suit the Opposition party, however, or a section of it, to recognise these facts and support the Government in its defence of the workmen who have been harassed and terrorised by the strikers. Some of tnc members on the Speaker's left are ! apparently ready to sacrifice evervlliing—the law and the public interest—to their desire to attack the Government. When Mr. Poland urged the Government to withdraw the extra police, whose presence "had roused feelings which stood in the way of an amicable settlement," he was not only counselling the surrender of Waihi to the forces of disorder and the sacrifice of law-abid-ing trade unionists to a lawless mob but ho was stating what he should nave known to be incorrect. What feelings hostile to an amicable settlement exist now in Waihi which did not exist weeks, and even months before a single extra policeman came upon the scene ? Were not men boycotted, terrorised, and molested weeks ago ? And have not the strikers persistently used language of the most violent and unpeaceful kind ? Mr. Roland knows that the only change' in the situation which can be ascribed to the dispatch of the police is in the fact that non-strikers are afforded some measure of protection. Mr. It. M'Kenzie knows the tacts also, and so do Messrs. Veitch Payne and Robertson, but facts are nothing sometimes to some men. Mr. M Kenzie, like Mr. Veitch, added prime offence'the smaller offence of impudence; for it was no- ' thing but impudence to assert, as Mn. M'Kenzie asserted, that "they - were all reasonable law-abiding peos pie at Waihi," or to talk, as Mr. ( ' veitch talked, of "the good conduct ■ ot the men on strike." It has been ' positively proved, after a long, and i i lull inquiry, in which extraordinary ! r latitude was allowed the law-break- ' ■ ers, and an amazing leniency and ' patience exercised by the magistrate, ' that a great many strikers were i guilty of unlawful conduct, and ob- ( durate in their revolt against the l law It is significant that the United Labour party has done nothing to ' support the union attacked by the f federation. Significant, too, in yesterday s discussion in the House was the care with which the Opposition leaders abstained from rebuking theattempt of their subordinates to embarrass the Government and misrepresent its proper discharge of the one duty which it was constitutionally obliged to discharge. They fan-' cied, no doubt that they might profit trom their followers' use of poisoned weapons without incurring responsibility. _ In this they have made a very serious blunder. That the public is overwhelmingly favourable to the action of the Government is beyond all question. Everybody excepting a few shortsighted friends of the tfederation of Labour understands the facts of the case, which arc as we have said, exceedingly plain and simple. Everyone knows that the police were dispatched to protect lawabuling trade unionists against the attacks of strikers fighting for nothing better than the right to crush a genuine trade union and bring it under the tyranny of a Federation avowedly opposed to the law. The Opposition- has allowed itself to be identified with the doctrine that even in order to protect innocent citizens tie Government must not do anything to check the.growing lawlessness of the Federation'strikers. Evil enough was done by the Ward Government when,it refused to stand by its duty in past Labour troubles. The now Government, however, is unlikely to shrink from continuing to dis-