A LAME EFFORT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2328, 9 December 1914, Page 6

A LAME EFFORT

■ -It is somewhat pathetic .'to, read the final effort of the Leador of the Opposition in/ the present election struggle which we publish this morning. It is so liko ; tho plaintive pleadings and pleasant professions we have grown accustomed to from Sir Joseph Ward. We cpnot follow him through his long series of complaints_ against the Government, most of which have been colntradicted again and again, but it might bo of interest' to pause for a moment to deal with his references to Labour. Sir Joseph Ward' asserts that, Mr. Massey, instead of observing his promise to. promote ! industrial peace, has imposed upon the workers conditions' that have provoked only industrial unrest. .Lot us consider the facts. The Massey Government has passed only one Act relating to industrial disputes. Sinco it was passed not a single strike 'has occurred in any part ol' the Dominion." The Waihi strike (which was in proßvess when kW Government ■assumej'office), the waterside {strike]

of last year, and its subsidiary strikes, and the Huntlv strike, all occurred under legislation 1 left in force by Sir Joseph Ward, or in his own words, "the conditions which he imposed upon the workers." Thus on his own showing his party is responsible for the whole of these strikes. Mr. Massey; on the other hand, has honourably carried out his promise to take steps to promote industrial peace. In his manifesto Sir Joseph Ward also declares that the only progressive measure seeking to benefit the workers brought in during the term of tho present Government was introduced by a private member and was killed in the Upper House. Here again' the Leader of the Opposition is hopelessly at variance with the facts. The most important, measure seeking, to benefit tho workers which the late Parliameent passed is the .Labour Disputes Investigation Act introduced by the Government last year. _As we have already - shown it has been splendidly effective- in promoting industrial peace. In addition the Government has to its 'credit a long list of legislative and administrative measures which confer very important benefits upon the workers. Hotel employees have been granted a sii-day week. The Workers' Compensation Act has been improved, and, State employees have been given the right to recover compensation. Wages in the Railways Department have been increased by £120,000 a year, in the Police Force by £18,000 a year, in the Post and Telegraph Department by £43,000 each year, in the Public Service by £50,000 each year. The Government haß established a minimum wage of £140 a year for married officers in the Public Service. The rate of interest upon the people's savings in the" Post Office Savings Bank has been raised from 3_i to 3} per cent. The old-age pension has been granted to women at 60 years of age instead of 65,' a pension has been granted to every child of a widow, and other liberal extensions of the Pensions law have been enacted. The Government has provided a superannuation scheme for local body employees. It has improved tho Workers' Dwellings scheme, _ and rapidly accelerated the erection of homes. Statutory, provision has been made for improved accommodation for rural workers. The Footwear Regulation Act- enables the workers to avoid the purchase of shoddy. The value of household chattels' exempted from distraint for debt has been raised from £25 to £50. In order to protect the lives of tramway employees the Government passed legislation abolishing the dangerous side-step. The,list might be extended, but enough has been said to show that when Sir Joseph Ward stated that the Government had passed no legislation, "seeking to benefit the workers,"he was once more resolutely ignoring the facts. But perhaps the gem of Sir Joseph Ward's very lame manifesto is the declaration that the return of the Eleform Government means the "retarding and strangling of\the progress of. this young country." ' Sir Joseph Ward told us three years ago that this would happen if the Reform Government got into office. It has now been in office nearly three yeaiM and the country was never "more prosperous andprogresßive. Yet .Sir Joseph Ward stumped for anything better to say once more drags,, out this time-worn and exploded idea. .It is indeed a lame effort.- .