SOME FACTS ABOUT THE STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1916, 26 November 1913, Page 6

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE STRIKE.

Work in tho four principal ports of New Zealand is now in full swing. 'Tho effective steps taken at Liyttelton yesterday to prevent lawlessness on the waterfront resulted in the effectual unlocking of that port, and thus shattered the last hope of the Federation of Labour to paralyse the shipping trade of the Dominion. In Wellington and Auckland the. work on tho wharves is now proceeding under what are almost normal conditions, and in the course of a fewdays a similar state of affairs will probably exist in Dunedin. In all four cities the back-to-work .movement continues, and the most credulous of the strikers have now ceased to believe the declarations of their leaders that tho unions are standing solid, and determined to hold out indefinitely, The decision of the strike leaders at Auckland that the general strike should be declared off proves that they have lost their hold 011 a large section of the unionists, stud signs aro n«fc wanting tlia-t the, steady stream of individual strikers who are going back to their jobs may soon develop into a mass movement in the same direction. More Wellington drivers joined the new union yesterday, and it is stated that a good number of the water-aiders arc seriously reconsidering their attitude. They have to consider their wives and families, and they can no longer hide from themselves the folly of remaining- idle while other men arc earning the money which they themselves so badly need. They know that nothinc is to be gained beholding out, and that their chances of obtaining employment are decreasing every clay the strike continues. 'Che City Council's drivers at Okristchurch appear to be making a wonderfully rapid recovery from the "down tools" epidemic, commonsense proving stronger than that, "splendid solidarity" which spells only loss and hardship wiliimit hope of ultimate gain. They went out on strike on Monday, and we arc told thai; every on-a of them, "including a few amongst the jv.cn, and the union officials,went back yesterday. A new drivers' union is beineformed, and 50 members of the oid union have already joined. Instead of the Chvistehureli carrying business being paralysed, the latest news is that, it will probably be resumed almost immediately. The Federation is not likely to have any difficulty in confining the struggle to the transport unions, as no other unions now appear at all desirous of taking part in the fray. The Auckland tramwaymen, who come under the definition of transport workers, have just decided to go back, and the tramway employees in other cities declined to corac out. The strike is manifestly collapsing ia all the cities, and no amount of

shouting on tho part of the Federation loaders can counteract the evidence of plain facts. The campaign of lying and deception, however, will no doubt bo maintained. We publish this movning an interview which .'inpcayod in a Sydney journal with a New Zealand strike delegate who is attempting to spread the trouble to Australia. Our readers will sec from this that the Australian public and the Labour unionists there are being shamefully deceived as to the happenings here in connection with the strike. The more reasonable section of Labour unionists must see the discredit that is being brought on tho whole Labour movement by the dishonest and dishoiir ourable methods of the Federation of Labour. Why, then, do not they come forward openly and boldly to repudiate them. The Citizens' Defence Committee should also take action to sec that the true facts of the position are placed before the Australian public.