LABOUR DISPUTES AND PUBLIC ORDER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1964, 22 January 1914, Page 4

LABOUR DISPUTES AND PUBLIC ORDER.

..'■ The ;strike'?in vSouthi'Africa; is practically overhand, the centre .of interest.is shifting from the'present to the future':.-" The Government have ■: now? to .consider, the ,'bcst. means, of. :• prcvcnti'ng" s the\i;cciirrcnce;of'siich an. intolerable 'state.; of ■■'affairs '-as that -. which-has-.e'xisted- (luring, the past week' or two> legislation has.bccome ah/absolute nd the''very' importa'ntV'cabkgram from Capei;Town .which 'we published yesterday shows .that j the. Government ' in tend,, to deal with this matter, during the .coming "session of Parliament.; -They.[not-.-only-;, propose, to bring"in a mcasure;providing for the settlenienf.'oftrade disputes, but they are also going to 1 ask Parliament to' ■ sanctioiv'-drastic amendments-of- the present,law-, with, reference : to. trades unions, strikes, and public meetings,, and the.maintenance of.,public order. There "caii" bene doubt that the re- . cent outbrcaks'-of lawlessness, have thoroughly aroused the community, and it is:stated that, in of the present-state-of public, opinion/, the proposals ofv.thc -Government arc not likely-to',encounter v.scrious opposi-. tion, ■'■There is just a possible danger that the strong.resentment which has been provoked by the wild-words of labour-agitators;-';' and' the deliberate attempt/to paralyse the in- ■ ,dustrial.'-life h 'of; the community and : take the Veins of government out of the' hands.of the. constituted authorities, may -Parliament to. go a little.'.too. far in the,way of restric-' tion.' '■'■ This*would;be regrettable, as it might provoke a reaction. A wholesome liberty; of speech .and all legiti- ; mate rights' as regards public meetings "should, of course, be jealously guarded and maintained, but no one should •*be..permitted to abuse the ;privikge,of fror speech, by preaching anarchy-'and scditioni'and .inciting people-to deeds of ...violence. Intimielation -shouldalso be'- firmly sup-'prcsscd.'.-It-'-is not only the right, but the duty,-'.of the'community throughits representatives in Parliament to protect;' itself -the ■ lawless :dominatidii--'o.f -anyi minority. ,' The 'assertion ; >bf ; this, right docs not.in-; 'volve any" attack ; 'pn reasonable free- < 'rlom/: On -the-'contrary, 'it is" : only by such means,-that the", true liberty of the people", as a whole can be secured.... The.'real.Jdes of liberty are '■those.-people.'whose".''lawless'methods .would ■' resultjan placing ~ the com-■munifcy"under;,the-hcel::of a tyranny .galling .character.*!;®^!*.v'^; 1 - 'f?"\ '"' v >:■'.The"citizenß;;o^South Africa have 'had'a'.'taste-ofovhat. mob-rule means, : Ja'nd'f-it,is J: .not"-surprising that they ■'arePresolvcd 'to have no more, of it. :It' s is : - : tobe-.hopcd,vhowever, that in "thfiir : ":determinatlon ■ to ..uphold. -. the 'authority' of. .the'. State 'and suppress 1 ' lawlessnessHthcyi,wili not. neglect to ;takc'steps;:' ; (ibjplacevthc ■; industrial ■ ; eonditions""of: l ;thc.;country:;;on abetter .footing justice ■ is ''done between employers and workers.-Tlwresliould-beJalfull and impartial of the disaffected employees?', wi*" th« ob.jocfc I Sfar.sas : . possible/all n(rsi:%ro!fiuls v of;?c6inplaint.jsPiK! of will a< Bill |f('irl'tlift'\soltleni(!nt;i)t.'l'"rados^dispiite.s , j liThe^HVul. ■ it', will *ner^s'iir.ilv*Hi^ irtii pltVsH li" tiltliiS-genri'" Iff ■public^ I wn vsaniffersrO ossrari d |i ncoii- : tTe'nieiuieJbyftilnbonM^disputffi ;baveliv : \VoiceM ifi.thei rjJs'ottlcmou&The fpnXcnHcns'is^ *\^ ; iT)S)fiit-'rcsuito-iii /legislationV-.that'- ■ l ojy:b : ftK : .thc:Mbou.rj !pro^icm?rtnd^chsui-c.;^orn]aisc;ntffiif:; ;*cfetTini :i : that;'the;ccst r '■bf-itlw-'Hroublesjivill-^n'ptjbe,-regarded is .-ih'at..\it..rep.i , e6onts; tbo' pri'cfi'-.ijof. what,.

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