The Dominion. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1914. THE STRIKE FEVER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1990, 21 February 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1914. THE STRIKE FEVER.

The extraordinary strike epitome which has been sweeping , round the world during the past year or two has now reached a voyy iieftte stage in Australia. The meat Mcle of Sydney is at present in ft state of dislocation, the irojiweH'kei's' strifen is spreading, and the ey-crtimc. (lifflculty Among the \vateri>itk> workers is still unsettled, though latest information at time of writing indicates that an. agreement is in sight. A widespread spirit of unvest was a prominent feature of the industrial history of th 6 yeav 1913. As far as Great, Britain is concerned, there was no single dispute of such a grave character ac tho misers' jtvifce of 1912, when orer 30,000,0.00 working

days were lost, but a large number of separate' labour troubles pccnvi'ci] covering a very large industrial area. In the course, of the . first right months of 1913 it is esturmteil that 7,154,400 working etays were lost in the United Kingdom owing to disagreements between employers and workers, and then camo the geftsd' tional, Dublin disturbance, which is still unsettled as far as the strikers are concerned, though the work of tho port is now proceeding in a manner that imiy practical!} , bo regarded as normal. One authority expresses the- opinion that taking tho year jfe ft whole it will he found that industrial strife has been move rampant than during any similar periods with the exception of V 912, for tho past ten years. Probably 10,000,000 working days and £2,0QQ,009 in wages were lost in tho United Kingdom in 1913. A like stats of linsettlenjent ha.s been ■experienced: in other parts of the Empire. In Nov Zealaad we are still feeling tho after effeets of the greatest labour trouble is the history of the country, which took place at the end of the year, and South Africa has jtist had to face a condition of affairs verging on civil war caused by the action of a section of levolittionary Socialists k challenging the authority of the State.

An important feature of the Sydney, meat strike is tho fact ■ that "an award of-the Industrial Court fixing the wages awd conditions'of labour is in existeace, and the employers have taken up the stand that they cannot make any offer of a settlement, but thai the matter must bo dealt with constitutionally, in accordance with the Arbitration Act; This means that the men mast first resume work under the terms of the old award, and that the matters in dispute would then be submitted to the Arbitration Court, This ssrt.ainly »j>. pears to be the proper eouras to pursue, and it is sot easy to understand the position taken up by the Minister o£ Labour (Mb. Essell), who proposes that an intniediatc interim award should be procured from the Industrial Court, and that the men should go back under the conditions therein prescribed. The Court exists far the purpose of dealing with dispates in such a way as to avoid recourse to strikes or lock-outs. If the nuiii had a grievance it should have been brought before tho Court in the ordinary way, and work should have proceeded in terms of the existing aware! until its provisions were varied, in legal form; but instead of tjiis they adopted tho down-tools policy, , and thereby sev>. ously interfered with tho food supply of the city. Tlio issues how at stake are, a$ the Sydney Morning Tlcruld points out, far wider than EQine ephemera.l dispute' over wages and hours. "They involve the ftrncteroental questions of industrial peace- or industrial anarchy; of tho observance or Hie repudiation of solcian agreements and judicial decisions; of the interests of tho general community against a comparatively small section of anti-social syndicalists."

Tie stoppage of the meat supply of a great oity like Sydney simply .because the master butchers a.ntt their employees cannot settle their differences by peaceful means gives im-pi-cssm emphasis'to the fact that the community- is always a vitally interested _ party . to these Jalioui- troubles; i'Btl it is becoming more a.i?d move widely recognised itJmt the geaoral public have a tight to insist that their interests must i» more effectively safeguarded. They are put to less and inconvenience when trade is disorganised, ancl ■when wages are increased it is the ptibii-e who have to pay irt the. Jong run. The present ■strnwle will noi have been altogether iti vain if it- Jeads the Parliament -of New South Wales to face tk situaticFij in a fira.; and resolute manner, and to tak© definite- steps to put a more effective check on illegal strikes, #nd thus minimise the evil effects of the continual flmiting of awards. ,' H this is mot done the' whole arbitration system must fall into disrepute, notwithstanding all the praise which Hβ. Holman has been bestowing upon if; duriftg his visit to Kew Zealaod. No law can retain for long the respect of the people if it can be ig*-nor-od with impunity, a»d awards which can only .effectively bind one of the parties to them o-aniiot be regarded, as a. satisfactory means of nmia.taird.fig industrial peace. The labour legislation o| New South 'Walesevidently wants stveugthening, ; in, order to prevent the occurrence of ■ such «i chaotic state of affairs as that which now exists, and the Goveranwtit may find it necessary to follow the example of the Kew Zealand Parliament by placing en the Statute . Book a measure to make it illegal to ] take part or assist in- a strike until I full opportunity has been given to bring about a scttletticiit by frkadly negotiation.