HOW BUSINESS MEN SEE IT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1929, 11 December 1913, Page 8

HOW BUSINESS MEN SEE IT.

RESOLUTE SPEECHES.

RED FEDERATION DOOMED.

A feature of the proceedings at the opening of tho now rooms of tho Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday was the tone adopted by diflorcut speakers, in reference to the industrial trouble. Several of them, in words that could not be mistaken, expressed tho determination of tho right-thinking section of the com-, nuinity to eradicate syndicalism from the industrial life of the Dominion.

Sir. A. Leigh Hunt, who presided, said that, while all hail realised during tfio last lew weeks that practically the whole of our labour legislation had been of little avail, still' tho time was not one for despair. It was rather a time that wo should labour to build up an edifico that would be lasting and effective. It seemed to him that the conditions in Now Zealand had been so fertile that a lot of noxious weeds had sprung up. We should, ho said, tacklo the question in the same way as did the farmer, and say: "That weed has got to come out." Something should certainly bo dono to ensure that such a condition of affairs as had recently been experienced should not occur again for a long time. Speaking of the time when the strike situation in the city was most critical, Mr. Hunt paid a tribute to tho Mayor of Wellington. Although to a certain extent ho was bound to secrecy, he could tell tho meeting that it had .been a speech from the Mayor which had probably had more to do with settling tho question than ai:jthing else that had happened. It had been said that Mr. Luko was not a strong man, but anyone who had hoard that speech must have recognised that ho was a very strong man —a man who could influence others at. a critical time. Mr. Luke had done a lot of gcod,' not only to Wellington, but to tho Dominion as a whole. (Applause!)

Mr. James Kcid stated that there wore .two extremes which could bring disaster on a country. It could bo too poorly off and havo troablo within itself, and it could bo too well off and have trouble within itself. He said most emphatically that the trouble through which this country had been passing was tho result of being too well off. Ho stressed tho necessity of being prepared to make some sacrifices for the maintenance of law and order.

The Mayor on Ihs Strike. Tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) commented on tho fact that the striko had oeen mentioned at meetings of the City Council. The councillors had given him a i'reo hand, and it was owing to their assistance that ho had done anything that had been done. Ho desired also to mention the assistance which ho had received from tho City Engineer and ether officers. The city was under a deep obligation to tho men of tho City Council, who at his call had gone into the hold of one of the vessels in tho harbour and had handled coal, which was to-day being used in the city powerhouse. (Applause.) His troublo as Mayor had been, not to get volunteers, but to keep them back.

Mr. Charles Stewart said that when ho and others had come here forty years ago they had very little, and had had to work hard for anything that they had acquired. The- men now on strike had had the same opportunities, but had not chosen to inako tho most of them. His firm hud always paid their hands more than tho award wage, but had got no thanks for it.

Uncompromising Speech. Mr. F. Townseud spoke in high terms of praise of the Employers', Farmers', and Citizens' Defence Committee. Hedeclared that, in spite of all the pressure that had been brought to bear, not one member of that eommitteo had shown any tendency to draw, hack from tho task in .hand. They wero all well qualified to look after the country's interests. Personally ho did not believe in hiding their light under a bushel, and he was going to tell them that tho eommitteo was going to crush that thing that had recently come among them. They had tho means of doing it and nothing would stop them. Thoso "Red' Baggers" who had como among bp w-ore going to be wiped out. (Applause.)

Mr. W. Hopkirk said that as chairman of tho New Zealand Employers' Federation he might have been expected to say something about the strike, but he did not intend to do so. Ho had had so much of tho strike that ho was just about full of it, and he hoped that it would be settled very soon. Ho thought that he could see it weakening, and that it would soon bo settled altogether. (Hear, hear.)