GENERAL STRIKE?

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1902, 10 November 1913, Page 8

GENERAL STRIKE?

AN EXPLODED SCARE. THE MODERATE VIEW. DISTRICT COUNCIL'S ATTITUDE. The reported belief of the Federation of Labour that it only has to send the fiery cross round amongst the Weilinton Labour unions to precipitate n general strike, hns not drawn any official denial from the District Labour Council, popularly known as the Trades, Council, but there is every reason to be* liove that the Federation's hopes in this direction are doomed to disappointment 50 far, at- least, as the unions registered under tho Arbitration Act- are concerned, and probably in the case of most of the unaffiliated Unions <19 well. Up to the present tho members of the District Council have adhered to tho policy of Brer Babbit, who "lay low," but some of their number make no secret of tho fact that they are absolutely and definitely opposed to t-ho idea of a general Btrike. One member of the council, when he was interrogated on Saturday, said that it had defeated every motion brought before it which proposed to do anything ill the way of extending - the strike. The council has -maintained the same policy on each occasion when it has appointed delegates to confer with the Federation officials. This has been done twiec, in the first instanoo on Sunday, November 2, when delegates from the council took part in 4 joint meeting of Labour representatives which afterwards waited its a deputation upon tho Prime Minister, and again on Friday evening last, when another joint meeting Was held. On each occasion the District Council's delegates were tied hand and foot agaifist consenting to any extension of tho striko, At the meeting on Friday, it is stated en good authority, tho Hon. J. T. Paul and Mr. E. J. Ciiroy, representing the District Council, strongly opposed the motions which were passed declaring for a general strike.

Tho council member mentioned above expressed the opinion that any union joining in the present- strike would, in effect, bo writing as an epitaph far its tombstone: "Wo died bravely." The attitude of the council throughout, ho added, had been that tho strike should be settled with a minimum of delay. To that end the council had offered to mediate, and as aft alternative had offered to appoint members to tho Strike Committee. These offers the Federation had invariably turned down.

Tho Arbitrationists of the Trades Hall do not look with favour on the newly-formed Wharf Labourers' Union. Some of tlrom apply to it tho -same opprobrious term as is commonly employed by the Federation. At the same time, they are diametrically opposed to the methods of the Federation; they consider that the present strike illustrates tho failure ot these methods, and. thov are not at all, in* clified to bo involved in the ruin which they believe the Federation; has brought upon itself. "This cry for a. general strike is easy enough to understand," said one Labour man. "Always when a n?an is out himself that is the time whou ho is anxious to drag out everybody else, but it does not follow that others are likely to do any good by accepting tho invitation. There may bo a minority in each union of men who believe that if overybody catno out they would show the •employers something, hut ■ the great majority in <jue union's recognise that such foolishness would do nothing more than destroy a ays*torn of labour legislation that lifts taken years of experience to build up. I. am pretty confident that the general strike notion has gone by .the board. '

"It is quite true," the Labourite remarked, in answer'to a question, "that if tJio Federation handed the watersiders' strike over to be settled it would bo dealing itself a death-blow, but it seems to me that it is going to cot a. d«ath-blow in _ any case, _ and handing over this strike would simply hasten tho end."