The Dominion. MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1914. ATTACKING A MINISTER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2188, 29 June 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1914. ATTACKING A MINISTER

When the Xew_Zealand seafflsn aad firemen left their- ships during t-iic strike period last y-eiir, a. very fea-iry responsibility was- throws tfe Minister of Marine, who is- imesteii with discretionary power, in. gueii circumstances, to suspend those legal provisions which rotate tp the roan' ning of ships in all department! with qualified men.. -It is. a> matter of common knowledge thai) the Hoj?. •P. M„ B. Fisher iaccd the strife situation with courage tod decision. Under his authority iliMrgemoy crews were enrolled, and the mors important coastal and inter colonial serviees were maintained, in spite of all t-hat revolutionary Socialists and their dupes could do to prevent it. Ths Minister of Marine gave fnil -and firm support to the efforts made to meet the requirements ftf thfi travetling public, and to p-remit the Made and business of the- community be-iivg paralysed. Thanks to the steps taken and to the loyalty ©f the officers a,-n.d engineers and other employees, sufficient of the steamers WB.-r-)j kept running to meet the urgent n.eeds of tho situation without taking- any risks which could be averted'by a proper regard for efficiency.; This is_ demonstrated by 4 return, justlaid before Parliamiftt., v s.o,fis , .ecxti'asts from which are. published in our news columns. The- .statistical, ticulars of manning o! shipswhich it supplies show' thai so $av from any ship being allowed t-O go tosea undermanned during the stride period, liberal allowance was uiada by the provision of .extra men to compensate for lack of c-xixn'ience in a proportion of the raethWs of the volunteer crews. j?atu rally oxpsricnced deck-hands and firdme-fl wore in short supply, but, the emergency crews were, lp many- cases so. L.i fee rally stiffened by the employment, of additional officers and ejiguieers that theships were probably tojb nwre saJe-ly manned during the strike povioil thail at ordinary tii»es, In srv.fml instances the num.orica-1 stretigth of 'the strike-crew excic-dtfd tl»at of the ordinary crew by n'kw; tlusn fifty per cent. it is a gratifying fact that tire appeal for vuhuilcers to tli« steamers running met with such a ready I'csponse, and it is ecuuslly gratilying that 'the Minister of Marine and his Bep-iU'tiiimit were able to make such_ satisfaH.ury arrangemontf at a critical period, aiid at &nor.t notice, a& tg mldipitee th'O

effects ol the ill-uoncaivccl ma?it-iiuc strike, aiui that withunt in any way ; jsioparfUsing thr; safety of the ships, their crews, or tho travelling public. Attempts are now being, made by the opponents of tho Govornment to take of the antagonism iiecessadly aroused amongst the supporters of_the Feckiration of Labour tiy the Minkteir's firm attitude to pack the Wellington Centra! toral roll, and so defeat. Jilt, Jmshek at the General Klet*» itiit. I'hs tbnnl has iuvu made that hundreds of seam«a who ordinarily 'ivottld envoi at other ports will be nla.eiKl cm 'he Wellington Central roll, so that they may vote against him s _ and tins piinish him for dcin.c hi? duty to the public during tlu? most ' critical period of the strike. It is as, well that the people of Hew Zealand should fealtsft th-.: forces that ai'fl v;oT-k, .ind the methods which are bning pvtrsiied in an ericleavoui- to intimidate arsci iiijura Minista's beeawse thoy refused to permit theFederation -of l.abiun - and its attics to ovcr-ridc the law, tyrannise ovor peaceable cit-wins, and uursito un-cherk-ec! a eorirse which was dislocatiiig business and bringing loss and suffering ts all c!a?s:'s. We d..j not fee a jr.opeiit believ'e that tile km of Wellington 'Central will permit tho Feckr.atii)ri of Labour to triumph ever the Minister of Marine in this _ fay. Oil tft.c c-ontvary, we are satisfied that ev-ery seareaii's vote transferred to the WelHugton roll viil bn e-stiitterbaianecd by the vote of a citian who will prefer to vote for the upholding of lav/ and order, of his politieal visfirs. Moreover, fehrok'-ch-<mt th" other cJectoiv-ttcs of New Zealand there wilt be of d?e! ors who, though opposed to tho Cinverniacnt, vill resent this attempt tji.c politira.l nssa^sination of a Slinisfer iat the hands of those who had bean defeated by him in tneir a'tjuipt io bludgeon the community iP.ta stjbuiission to their lawless dictatiun, •