THE COUNTRY "SPECIALS."

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1901, 8 November 1913, Page 7

THE COUNTRY "SPECIALS."

A GENERAL SURVEY, Government's onorouß TasU. "There is one plias® (and a very ugly 0110 it is) of the indefensible strike that' is now paralysing the activities of tho Dominion which, perhaps, mere than any other has provoked hostile criticism of the potters in Wellington. In that criticism it is not our intention to join. We fool assured that tho present' Government are as jealous of.the honour, safety, and good name of the Dominion ag wo are ourselves; and we opine that no' other Government could lie found to carry through their microns and uft* pleasant task inoro thoroughly and feartessly. But while this is so, wo have a measure of sympathy with tho indignant comments that are hoard on every hand against tho seeming impunity ttit.li which a half-dozen violent men, who are neither Now Zcalanders themselves, nor entitled to speak for any New Zoalaiwlers, savo tho more lawless and perverted, are permitted at street corners and elsewhere to fan the passions of violence and destruction by tho preaching of doctrines that, if acted upon, would speedily reduce every centre of etvio lifo to chaos. . , . Wo are confident that those who have given utterance to these

wild and reckless statements, whie'h have rightly stirred up popular indignation on all hands, are being duly noted in the proper quarter, and that when tno time comes for dealing with thorn the Government will not hesitate to adopt the only course open to thom.' ,, ' i — Bunedin "Star." imported Dictators, "The -country has come to a pretty pass when a gang of imported Boeialists assume control of the wharves of the principal ports of the Dominion, and make taxpayers submit to their lordly ■ • . The disgraceful scene in \v ellmgtan allow the dangerous revolutionary fires that "Professor' Walter Thomas Mills, of Milwaukee, and other imported Socialists, have kindled. "Professor" Mills and the fluent-mouthed agitators thought that when tlioy were inflaming the mob they were ingratiating themselves with the people of Now Zealand. They havo made a sad mistake. The young Now Zealawior is not built that way. The cowardly mob that pitched foaa metal and broken bottles and then scurried for shelter is tie human product of the Red federation. The spirit of New Zealand was exemplified in the courage that \? n rioters," • "Dannevlrke News."-

Cowardly and violent Ruffians. "Tho account which wo give to-dav °f the outrage committed in Wellington yesterday by tho mob of strikers and stnjic-symp.itliisora should regtiiro no comment from us to assist it to mako every j, fi rm with a spark of decent leeling in him harden Itfs heart for ever against tlio Federation of Labour. Tlio special constables are brave and publicspirited men, with no interests to serve ■ savo the interests of a community threatened with the deprivation of its rights and liberties by a lawless organ- ■ isaiion. I'hey had to endure a nro-' longed attack by a hugo mob of such cowardly and violent ruffiians as most aotf Zealaiiders had liodml coiijd.not be found m this country. Tlio tffnir w'il bo considered, by the public as affording a toal and unanswerable proof that tlio authorities must now refuse to give way at all to tlio Federation, and must. «ari7 thronjjli to the end tho work 1 or maintaining order."—Christchurcii i. J res?.. • ■ ■ Bom In Dishonour. strike that was born in dislwriolir, founded, as admitted, upon a deliberate breach of agreement, and which relies upon coorcion of tlio wliol'o community and tlio paralysis of our productivo industries, can nover hope lor success or bo deserving of any measure of support.'•—"Poverty Bay Herald," ' Fighting Against tho People, ''Thoy are fighting against the poopie, tho Government, .and law and order, tor lioerty to bloek tho transport traf-' no of tho country and starve'everyone 1 into submission t<s a Federation wliosft solo aim is to secure a solidarity that would place society at tljeir mercy, laugh at all agreements and hunt all persons ■ or independence of thought and action out of the country. Jfow that the Government has collccted forces thfst cannot fail to ovorawo those gentlemen who have held tip the shipping, of

tho country, probably tho strikers will take the hint and retire from the utterly riUicufous and unwarrantable attitude they havo taken. up."*-"ojrOv River Argug." A Travesty of Progress. Here in a country iij which personal ncettom and political power aro enjoyed in a general degree unsurpassed in any laiju, and beyond the dreams of ■possibittty m most parts of the world; a country in which (.very man who can work and will work 'may Wo plenty of ! ■employment on tho best of terms— good wages, good_ hours, goad coiidi-. tions; ,a country in which every' man may look forward to old ago with a sense of security from want; a country m wlueli tltaro has beon translated into sober fact tho dreams and ideal? of social philosophers, and yet withal wo aro apparently on the verge, almost, in the vortex it may be said,, of civil war, t admittedly duo to a propaganda of violence and sedition "being preached ■by an organisation tfliicli profess,eg to.;

represent tlio woriterS'. Broadly : sklered, what a travesty it is of vaunted progress; and, broadly judged, it is higll tiffle that such a state of tilings should be put an end to by the conimoiisenso and sanity of tho people at large, —"Hawora Star." "A Fight to a Plnl3h." " Tim Labour war now in progress is a repetition of what- occurred in Brisbane some time ago, and tho farmersl there, ns tliey have don» in New 'Zealand,' promptly came to tlie assiistaneo of tlio Government, Tho strike leaders in Nbw Zealand have declared that "it is a fight to a finish." The Brisbane trouble resulted in tlio defeat- of the strikers and this destruction of mob rule. There will bo a similar result ill New Zealand. The community will not tolerate a continuance of ttie lawlessness that has been witnessed in tie of Wellington, nor will it permit industrial warfare which can,, nt very short notice, cause the wheels of industry to be stopped mid trade to be paralysed. Tile remedy lies with Parliament) and ill view of the grave crisis that lias arisen wo havo little doubt that speedy action will bo taken by tlio Government.'"Manawatu Standard."

Arbitration v, Strikes, "Even admitting that the solution of industrial problems afforded by iirMtrAtion is neither complete nor altogether satisfactory, it is a thousand tmics better than tlio open war of a Labour struggle such as is now being waged in the Dominion. While '.human .nature jomains what it is to-day, it is too much to expect that tlio losers in a dispute wilt, aijvnys bo prepared at 01100 to forgot their disappointment Arbitration.,,' however, lias acceluplislied so muoii, and influenced as it i.s by know-lodge and reason, and giving, rs it does, right .a hotter elianco t.o assert itself and eventually triumph, it is infinitely preferable to ttio strike wetlmd of settling differences. That being so, it -is muni to bo regretted tlio lenders of tlio strikers in Wellington refuse to accent the employers' domand foi; conciliatory co.niiwlsion in tio aottloineuii oi say dia-

pntos which may arise In tho fnturo."-* "Wanganui Herald." Strike Leaders arid! Let). " If the Executive of the federation woro willing for tho men to oome un* dor the Arbitration Act, they could do a- good deal to induce them to do so. A largo number of tho men who have come out against their ivfll would need little or no pressing to forjn a union >■ under the Act. But that pressure or influence will not be exerted by the Fed' oration, wlioso leaders realise that their ■own influence would seriously diminish if tho men registered, • Messrs.' 'foung .and Hiekcjy profess horror at the idesi of compelling a majority to Vote .against tiieilvconvicticins., put their feelings are really only shocked when it- i.s proposed that the rank arid filo e.f the Federation should bo given an opportunity— not eom.polled—to say whether or no they Would support the Federation in its present attitude. Let thorn hold a secret ballot on the question, and we war-

rant that they would be astonished nt the Tcsult. But tlioy will not do that, and so tlio fight must go- on, until lb® more law-abiding section of their fol-. lowers recognise tihat .they will he Safe "in 'resuming theit works fepite aU the ragings of the Red feds."—"Christ« church Evening News." Art Extravagant Oroam. "Tho Federation -rates the intelligence .of tho workers very low, and gives them credit for muoh -less fairmindedness than they possess. It may meet ftt nrstfwith a certain amount of success in it.B attempt to secure a genei'nl strike, it is apparently likely to meet with seme encouragement at Auek* land from a few sections of organised labour—but not by any means from all. And it may induce a few sections of organised labour in some of the other centres to punish themselves in support of the sacred principle that agreements may bo 'tossed to hell' —hut it

will not by any means entanglo the wMo of unionism in tho not which ithas spread. Even the unions upon tlio support of which it Iras .most confidently counted are divided in their allegiance to it. And it is a mast extravagant dream on its part, .if it actually entertains it, that it will sccure any- ' thing like a widespread acceptance of the diabolical principle of the genera) strike."—"Otago Daily Times." "Onco and for All." "The wliolo effort of the strikers to disorganise and delay the trade dt the 'country and to cut ojl supplies of foodstuffs must have compelled many people to hope that the power of tlio Federation of Labour will be broken once and , for all. Ko ono could blamo' the employers if thoy decided to mako uso of tlio resources that they have Gathered together for the purpose of crushing tho strikers, and wo believe that public sympathy would bo entirely on the employers' sido if tho most drastio stepß wore taken." —"Tiuiaru Postv" "Tlio Thing Must End." . "High-handed disregard of law and order and attempts at mob rule havo gone from bad to worse, add tho country is determined tho tiling must end. For nearly two weeks 'Wellington has bfeen at the mft'rcy of ji strike

committee, and tho time appears to havo arrived when it must, 'bo, at ally cost, decided whether the Government chosen by the peoplo of the Dominion or tlio agitators wlio are leading tlio Federation of Labour and its train of helpless victims are to rule tho land. On tlio part of tho authorities thero has been an almost unheard-of taleranco in tho face of criminal and outrageous acts, a tolerance which at least m.ay bo cointnended from tlio standpoint that every opportunity lias been given to allow reason and common-sense to assort them-. solves.'''Stratford I'ost." NEW UNION MAY BiS TREATED AS "BLACK." By Telegraph—Press Association—Ooiiyrfelit Sydney, Tibvombnr 7. _ Tho Sydnoy "Sun" saya that thero is littlo doubt in Sydnev that' wharf h'bourers will regard Wellington's new Arbitration Union ns a free labourer's movo, and that thoy. will treat their work as "black."

(To the Editor.) Kir,-As a Wellington citizon loves la* and owlcr. I« exceeding}? pleased to sen tli.o 'tribute von pay in ono o : f TOUr suMeadora of v.s assuo to those* men from jnif Muntry districts. iviio at -great sacrifice hnvo fipnio- {orw.wcl to assist in the dolive.rance of our capital from tlio forces of W®" lawlessness, These gallant fellow slmuld not be Mtu.ni to tijwif homes without' tlip citizens Of UelllllKton pnbliojy rocogmsin.K their mv.alu-. ablo scrvieos in a wav that will counter* l,nlancc to softie oNttfnt. tiro diro insula directed at them b\ the nff-raft of this city. Wo shall be but a iwor-sinrited jot If »•« do not respond, jighfc JoyiuJ* from ft financial and any other point of view. I herewith, Mr. Editor, forward you my na>": and' address, nnd sillhoußn iKit br any monns a Rockefeller 1 am more than willinn to put mj snrll con tribution of a guinea to a nmd (.hat may be raised by tl.io citizens to, sny, tender a banquet or some other form of entertainment ill honour of these splendid men who came forward so readily in tlvo hour (if..j.ietHl.—l, am, oto A WELT,INCHON CITI7IN

. Xovcmbor 7, 1913. . [Wo liavo iweivotl nr.mrrous iotjori cmiehcd in a similar Strain, ami fIM; with tlf<s maitor in o"f ociir-or>n-eolumils.l

Messrs. Jlfflilor, Scliiiltre on.l Glim,. NVpinr, liavo fen inslMiqtpd by !')« WAlapu Board <sf'DiocßMi} tcUrttft, Inoorporntfd, Napier, to dispose of the >r; mondrillo Viwr«g«. Particulars ol>cXtoSi '' "