THE PLEASANT SIDE OF THE SITUATION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1913, 22 November 1913, Page 4

THE PLEASANT SIDE OF THE SITUATION.

The more the- present industrial upheaval is studied the more there is to be. found in it that affords hope for the future. We do not wish to in any way minimise the gravity of the evil of the lawless and vicious methods of tho group of imported strife-mongers tog hate plunged the country into turmoil, and who are- how mercilessly sacrificing their dupes by stringing them on in. a hopeless fight, as they did at Waihi. It would not ~ be possible to too strongly condemn the despicable tactics of these men. Bvit there is another and a more, plea-sing side to this very serious trouble that has come upon the- country. The tendency of our day is to lean towards a flabby scntfmentalism in dealing with social and other problems affecting the lives of the people and the general conduct, of the affairs of the country. There has been, too much coddling, both in private and in public life; and an increasing disinclination to preach and practise that- sterner regime which brings out the stronger and manlier qualities in the individual and develops in a natio-n that viril- : it.y and -self-confidence which enable it to confront difficulties and dangers boldly and courageously. The pre-1 sent trouble has nad the effect of. "trying out" hundreds of our young men as nothing else could have done, and lias enabled them to "find them- ■ selves," At-the outset"of the strike troubles everyone was filled with a : feeling of heloles-sness in face of the : inability of the small force of .regular police to deal with the brutal lawlessness of the mobs of strikers : who ran riot in the City. To-'day. citizens realise as they have never dono before in this country that they arc the power behind the law, I A-few paid police, however efficient. ■ could not enforce the law but for the moral force of public opinion hehind them; and when the police, backcd by that, moral farce, are unable to chock lawlessness then the community must add their physical weight to adjust the balance. This fact. has been brought, home to the people. Many of the men who to-day are doing such splendid service as special constables., a month ago would have laughed at the idea of filling such a role. Who can doubt that they are wiser and better citizens for their experience ? And as it is with these public-spirited men who have Come forward to take a direct and active part in upholding law and order, so also, and in hardly less degree, with the community generally. The public to-day realise better than they have over done before their responsibility and their power. Who on some Saturday night has not seen a police constablo endeavouring to take a halMrunken young reprobate to cool- his heels in the lock-Hp, while a crowd of thoughtless partisans cheer the efforts of the struggling man to resist removal, sometimes even assisting him ? Do onlookers realise that the policeman is their employee: doing their work; upholding their law? Very few think of the. matter from that point of view—some will never do so—but a clearer and truer understanding of the duty which the public owe to assist those who' uphold the law will be one- of the assured after-effects of tho present, trouble. Then, again, a wholesome lesson has been learned respecting the vital part the- man on the land plays—and must always, play—in shaping the ' destinies of this country. It is an everyday thing to hear the farmer spoken of as the backbone of the country, but such expressions go in one car and out tho other, and leave no real impress on the minds of most 'people. Today there is a truer understanding of what the farmer means to New Zealand than has before existed hero. It is not merely that the farm people have come to the assistance of the cities to put down lawlessness and mob rule, but behind the action of these bands of sturdy and resolute men who have shown their determination to ship the products of tbeir farms in .spite of all difficulties and against any odds has been glimpsed some conception of bow deeply the prosperity of the whole Dominion depends on the industry and enterprise of its country settlers. A stronger bond of sympathy must- be established between tnwn and country as the result; aiid this is not the least of the compensations which go to balance the evils of the strike. There are others, notably the exposure of the bogy of the General Strike, and also tli.o demonstration that Iras been afforded to labour unionism that sane and reasonable methods are infinitely preferable, for all parties, to the em do and brutal weapons of mob violence and organised terrorism.