WHY NOT FACE THE REAL FACTS?

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1918, 28 November 1913, Page 9

WHY NOT FACE THE REAL FACTS?

Kir.—l see thai it is computed thai. C-.M.MDO per week in wages alone Is being lost through Ihe Mriko-lhal is. tilij.nnil at I in- end of om< iiimitli. Now, sir, I jvondw it dues net oc:ur to those

(striking ihai all this monev lost to the Dominion will make trade so bad that when they are once more willing to work tnerc will lie no work for i|.,.,„ (o do. or very liUlo. Pile origin of the strike Has, I beileye, a trumpery matter of about L's. Kid. prl , m , l; < |j-fl 01 . ( , l!t , (1 ;„ some walorsiders' pay. Apparently the I:"""] «>."'" is mm- absolutely lio-ile (.•') leaders ol the unions. There is a great lot <>i rot anil rubliish blkcd I fH«.t.- J. J'a.vm, M.!>. M, : . savs H ,,l dressing the crowd, thai often ir.l-r.vlv is a crowd and nothing else: "Auckland is standing hrm The employers there wanted to turn: the men buck hv starvation. Tho workers were, figh'thm 1W I reed™ to organise and freedom of speech. ; Now as a matter of fact, in tins strike at least, the employers liavdone nothing at all to the men now st.-ik.iijr tl> ~10 , .=P ~ t „L of men who fciuuld be turned out of New Zealand altogether. Cei-liiinly the farmers have tried to get thetr own prodiire awav. and so save themselves I'rjiu ri-inalioiij hut 1 ask these windy orators to mciuion the names of the employers who are, as he says, trying to force the men back to ivorit by starvation. 1 ask them to namo Liem. II employers had organised this strike and turned timber workers, painters, furniture workers, hotel and restaurant workers, ct;-., out into the streets, without any work or pav I could understand Mr. J. Pox no's speech; but considering all the men have it-ft their work themselves, what is lie talking about employers for? The employers have done nothing to the men. As tor "freedom to organise awl freedom of speech," why [ guarantee that not one man eomicded winthese unions have freedom of speech. No, sir, if tliey dared to differ from these tyrants of theirs, why tliey would be s:et upon and torn tn bits noarlv in anv meetings held. Talk about freedom, the'v arc- slaves to these- few fellows, who csino here and go there to raiso disturbances, in. peaceful countries. After t.iey have upset, New Zealand they wan- , der off to another country to upset that. Mr. Cr. Stove, at Newtown, on Saturday /night, said: "Despite all tha political intrigues on the part of lihe employers, tliey had not dono anything to get the men bank to work yet!" What political intrigues have the employers entered into? Why, God bless ikv, the employers arc sitting here snd ovnrywhere waiting for the men to finish' this nlay out, and come hack to work. Political intrigues, indeed! "Why. what political intrigues eon a number of ordinary hard-working employers enter into? I am not an employer of k.bour, lint I sympathise heartily with those who are. liiisinosses often are built up with iiie:itnl worry, and stress and strain, that the employed man has not the faintest idea of. Competition is everywhere in every branch of trade, ami' that is bad enough to contend against, 'nit when the men employed turn and disorganise the trade or business that has fed them and theirs, well, sir, in the opinion of many, 1 think 'they are the "scabs" of the country, and not the iiien who air- fighting to try and bold some trade together, avid trying hard to save a little something for Sew Zealand. However, it seems mow that nothing can alter things, because they are just striking to. show New Zealand that thev have the liberty to strike. Weil, that's all right. They have struck, and we all see they can do it if tliey like. Wei!, why not, having shown us now what tliey.can do, winnot end it and get to work once more? f am sure the won't prevent, them returning. They don't want the men to starve; no, indeed, they will be very pleased to (jet the industrial-ma-chinery running again, and I'll prophesy that no political intrigues will worry Mr. Kmi)lt),verjif:he,can get going once riwt'o, —I. an'i, etc . - ■ ' AN ANXIOUS NEW ZEALAXDER.