AN OFFICIOUS BYSTANDER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1907, 15 November 1913, Page 7

AN OFFICIOUS BYSTANDER.

OPPOSITION JOURNAL ON SIE JOSEPH WAim. A SEVERE CRITICISM. A severe criticism of Sir Joseph Word's attitude during the strike is rontainea in an oditorml article pubI lislißcl by tho Biittediii ■"Evening Star" of Wednesday ]«st:-^-"Sir Josopli Ward for a time," the "Stflf" says, "itppenrcd to Jiavo- boeii convinced <if tho biiiivdor into wWeli Iwstiiiess led Jiiiii on tlic- occasion wiioji the- .special constablos were first called on to siipjiress rioting in' tho streets of WoHiiigton. Wt>'do not assert that t.i« bus gradually descended from the hot' ter i'raifto ef iniud which a tittle time for thought , induced—stimulated, jmi--I Imps, by the esprfessiow of opinion which his action evoked. But lie lias .agum lntriidfid at an unfortunate, moment, and in an tmfql'ttmatc way. It may he j his sincere belief l-ltrrt at such a ctfticaj j time as tho present it Was a wis;e*4jkl helpful Jiiovo ior Jiiin to fis.o in ftirjiainent and urge tegi.sj-ativ'o lnbiuis bciiipr used to secure a settlement. A .mustard plheter is not a. pleasant rdniply for a sudden nud; clangorous cold. But fl is-, mistaken kiiiducss on tlio part of a- symiwii-hotio bj-stander to object, ta its aprfJicntion to Uk> sutterei' on tlso grounatliat.it may cause Ijim poin; nor is it sensiMcj v.-)ren tlio patient pvotests that it does indeed hurt to urge its removal bofevc it lias Awk its work, and .suggest that a teasjwijt.fu.l ef mm lJurtoless, cxpcriisicntaf," -hut pahvtahle tfthtgh mixture will do' instead. Tlrn rciil doctor or liurso would havo scant time for such advice. Taki?i:i hi time, 3:o cough iiiisture uiiglit have stnvocl vK the attack; during convalescence it iriight liavo an omoilifMii, effects but in an acute crisis »■£■ is a puny prescrintiqn. '.'lt seems to us that Sir Joseph AYard has -tan playing tiio part of the svii!j»athctio, iiad. ©censionitjly somewhat' ffffteious.bystiincler; and Mr. Jlassey, tlw niaii in (jhii-i'se of the esr, caui'tot ioo Wiimed for disrogafdiiig Ms advice and showing hick of.gnititmfc .for hip JHte-r-Itrencp, Sir Joseph Wa.-rd. mado uiislakes all iiTnjiif the lino.yestewloy. Ho thviiks fM;ah legislation is reMnrrd to BDttJe this: present.' trouhle. owimwit have alimvn, Ivy (il'm administration of existing Jaw— coiiHooh law relating tto tho r«pi ! cssioji -of rioting—how best to ga to the root vi tite trouble. And firm, ad-ministratroii or the common \a\y k the i'ifst (hiy of any Govemment, for it is Mm oasis of all govdriwnoiit. It crimes Jiofore attumpts at oxiwririii'tttnl legisktioi:i as imllratn-cs for soiuo mitUcn attacks wlubli threaten life itself, »|'h e . GoveNiment imvG not lliiichod in this firm nd-jmnistvatio'-i froni a stop ttittoh, if iiot taken, would have Uewi a .plain sion-of their duty α-fi a tibvermnsMtt.. We refer to the arrest of strike leaders, not its-stake lenders, but as iiion charged with sieriaiis offeiices .-jßniaist the Crimes It is almost diftlc-.ult to repress L E,I V lc < on i,e '" lc,i< i , g tTiK-t ■ Sir Josmjli Hard aslwra: 'Were they to all stand on ono side ami allow the trade of the country to ho tied iip? Such a tisiuii:tioft of things, 1 lie adtleil 'might Hot to' bo tolerated for 24 howsi and yet Parliamunt stood on one side and'took iio action. 5 Ihi tho ■■G<)vorninent took action, Very direct am) \'ety necessary iietiqjr-Hilie only possible .ietian cani*patiWo with the preservation of the loundntons on wliieh orgmuskl soeietj , rests*-to jsrevont the tfade of the eoinit*y bcifig tied rap. fflicy seetired special j police to nlako possible «eme ctemOnta.f.v cperatiane connected w-itli trade. And Sir Joseph Ward's was the first protest raised in Parliament. • "Now that tijo Goveriimeiit's action is bearing its fault in rclea-sina e«c by pno tlic> blocked wlieds of industry, Si'r Josfflih Ward protests again iji thfe Wards wo havo just quoted, 'What will the aftermath bo-?' he as.ks.. The first and most important .part of the aftermath is already liccowing appareiit in the resumption o.f work. Another part of it, we liopo, will be relief from torromm and tyranny win'eit have threatened tho Community at largo and oppressed a largo sectbii at Lalratir. Wo nwko no secret of the fact that we hone tuat part of the aftermath frill be the utter breakdown of tlio .federation' of tsboß-r, beoauso its, aims and motiiods aro aSikc bnu , , and it has proved .a curse, npt ojiiy to the v/holo Eom.ffluiiit.y, but to those wham it professed to be seeking to help. Would Sir Joseph Ward's palliative do this? Coirid ' Pat- : Jiameut, if giyen tho chance, settle sne-h an upheaval in 21 hours imckl.v by putting industrial! legislatiati hastily on the , Statute 33ool; ? I'a-rlia-m.eiit, in the first place, would not bb likely to tio aWo to agree to do anything promptly, for tho party cry is nlrendy disce.rniblo ovcrtliis' inattcf, and party tactics iliave- been rospiMsiblo for blocking progress and keeping back tlic Gotfcfinncjit's pwposed iitdustrial tesislatipn, whidi, m Mi-.. .Jliisse.y Ginelly reminded Sir Joseph, contains just eiieh a proposal as the Opposition' Lea-fcr biouglit forrta.-cd as a panacea. One may also ask wtiy, if tlm Fedoratioit seeks to override- tlio Crimes i Aet,_ they call be expected to observe special'industrial legislation. They iiavo all objected te tlio secret ballot, lieeause it wo ild sveaken their powers of terrorism, and tlirt terrtirlsni Juis been ■exorcised has been made glaringly plain by the reyelatknri tho upfcfivaj lias pj!odu.ecd. Sir Jtt'cpl) wants tlio sefiret ballot frith tlio Federation. Tjioj- won't mix, and. tho -Fedoratior, enh be best Sjiared. Their s-pecious pleas of a Rigai)lie cousttiracv ny Oiipital to t supjwess orfsniiised Labour, wlten conAielcrcd in co-iij miction with their avowed Syndicalist object of wippressiHg all Capital and capturing tho spoil; tlieff 'belated description of tliie tiyiuble ag a lock-oiit,: when it now is being .disGlosed that it. hat! all been in train since Waflii; tlirir; plteoHS appeal to tlie .prot-eetion ol tlirt vitry lnW they had so. wantonly broken wlicn the tide sot against thorn tlwsnV and Sir. Wobb's. cxelaniatjoii. a.sfti'asi; Mr. Stiissey last nlglit fe seeking l,ipeaceful sflttlewcnt by fefco.' hi view I tit the early emits at 'Wellington lujfoai iho strikora fotiiid forey by .foipc—alt tlioso iMwgs : aro o ; n till), en'o pia.we; and it is not- si Itigh oiio, Surely : tlio genuine New Zealand wofkev lia's swfEorod eiioiish uwdcr flio. leadcrshic) °f imported agitators to convince J-iim t'to.t t-ho Prime Jlijiister's opinion that tlmy aro he good to tlie country is quite sound,'*