The Dominion. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1912. WORK AT WAIHI.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1553, 24 September 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1912. WORK AT WAIHI.

The bluster and threats of certain of the strike leaders who have been endeavouring to stimulate the waning enthusiasm in the Waihi strike appear to have been as empty and as harmless as this form of intimidation usually is. In any case it docs not seem to have had any effect on the mine-owners who, we arc now told, have determined to reopen the mine for work on Wednesday, October 2, and unless the .strikers return to their employment to engage fresh men in their stead. It will be recalled that last week some of the strike leaders were threatening the country that on Saturday the whole Dominion would be staggered by some tremendous step which the Labour Federation had arranged to take. What happened 1 Nothing but a torrent of wild words and boastful declarations of confidence in the ultimate outcome of the strike. Moro of the deluded miners certainly have gone to gaol epiite needlessly, fooled by the shallow clap-trap of their leaders iuto the belief that they are doing, something that elevates them in the eyes ot their fellows. But that is all. The bombshell either missed fire or there was no bombshell at all. The truth of the matter is, no doubt, that everyone realises that the strike was not only unjustified- nnd a huge blunder, but that efforts at intimidation and terrorism in breach of the law must in the public interest be suppressed at any cost. The moral force of public opinion' is against law-break-ing strikers as it is against all who openly defy a reasonable law for the protection of society. It does not matter in thd least whether the miners are right or whether they are wrong iip their belief that the workers they have sought to intimidate should properly belong to the Federation of Labour. Most people will probably hold the view that the Federation, had no right to insist on anything of the kind. But whatever view may be taken of that phase of the question no one can gainsaythat the miners, like everyone else, must qomply with the law or pay the consequences. That they should first break the law and then choose to go to gaol rather than provide a reasonable bond to ensure that they will not again break the same law i obs them of any claim to sympathy. They actually, in most eases, escaped punishment altogether for their first breach of the law; and instead of showing, appreciation of such leniency, stubbornly refused to give a quite reasonable guarantee not to break the law again. In other words they have preferred to go to gaoi rather than give an undertaking that they will obey the law which protects them and their families, as well as every other member of the community. And what do they stand to gain by their foolishness 1 They will, it is true, live at the expense of the rest of the communiiy and thus be a burden on law-abiding people; but they are merely, discrediting the cause they profess to hav* at heart by their lack of commonsense at well as by their attempt, to bring the law into coutemut. Prob-

ably they do not realise this. They have boon misled by the wild language of their leaders and by the vicious and inflammatory talk" concerning the powers of their Federation to ride roughshod over tlu rest of the community towards any goal oil which they may set their desires. The answer to their actions and to the threats of their leaders is to lis found in the intimation which we, publish this morning, that the Waihi mine will be opened for ordinary work a fortnight hence. Those of the strikers who then still persist in refusing to resume their employment will find their places filled by other men. Should the Federation of Labour, in pursuance of its reckless policy of intimidation, attempt to spread the area of conflict it will afford the country the opportunity of making it clear beyond all doubt that powerful as the Federation may imagine, itself to be it is a puny thing when it pits its powers against those of an outraged public, thoroughly disgusted with the intolerant bossism of an aggressively offensive class of Labour agitators.