NOT A TIME FOR TALK.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1898, 5 November 1913, Page 4

NOT A TIME FOR TALK.

The Minister of Justice acted wisely in refusing to discuss the strike question in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr. P. O. Webb endeavoured to put a question without notioo dealing with tho Buckle Street riot, but Mr. Herdman insisted that tho question would have to be put on the Order Paper in the usual way. At the present monlent when a section of tho community is setting law and order at defiance, and indulging in threats and actual it would be most inadvisable to open a general discussion on tho action of tho Government and the police. In a crisis of this kind members of Parliament should set aside all considerations of party politics, and give undivided support to the Government of the day in enforcing respect for tho law of the land. No law-abiding citizen who is content to mind his own business and' keep away from disorderly crowds need loe afraid of molestation either by tho ordinary police or the special constables. They are not going to attack ' peaceful citizens, but to protect them and their property from outbreaks of violence which threaten to develop into a reign of terror. When tho proper tirao comes tho Government will no doubt bo quite ready to give every reasonable facility for the discussion of tlao measures it ha 3 taken for the protection of life and property and the suppression of lawlessness. This is one of the first duties of a Government in any civilised country, and every man and woman in New Zealand who realises that real liberty can only be secured by obedience to law may bo relied upon to heartily support tho authorities in tho steps which have been taken in Wellington and other places to copo with the present trouble. It is a time for action, not talk.