NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 114, 7 February 1919, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

Two letters of considerable interest in relation to the drivers' dispute appear in our columns this morning. They indicate the stage reached when the deadlock occurred which led to a discontinuance of negotiations for an amicable "settlement of the matters in dispute. It will be noted that, the employers have offered certain concessions, notably in the advance of the minimum wage to £3 Is. a week; the recognition of the Saturday half-holiday, and tho right to payment for stable work which extends beyond the 48hour week. These concessions, tho employers claim, mean an advance in pay when compared with tho terms of the old award of from Bs. to 13s. a day. This no 'doubt is technically correct, but the men claim that this increase is based on a 52-hour week, seeing that it includes four hours' stable work. The disinterested reader of the two letters, if asked for an opinion, would, we feel certain, come to the conclusion that in view of the scale of pay and existing conditions, the employers" might reasonably seek to better their offer in an endeavour topromoto ail amicable settlement. It is true that any further advance by them would bo liable to be regarded by tho men as a sign of ■weakness, and might strengthen their determination to insist on all or nothing. But public opinion is a factor to be' reckoned with in disputes of this nature, and it is cheaply bought afe the cost of a few shillings a week extra, as it could be bought in this instance. « * * ♦ A man who was before tho Supreme Court yesterday to be sentenced for attacking and wounding a police constable with a "doghook" —a strong and sharp-pointed steel instrument which is used by wharf labourers in handling wool bales and other cargo—was lucky to incur no heavier penalty than the Court imposed. He was fined £50 and a term of one year's imprisonment, the latter to be suspended provided the fine and the costs of the prosecution are paid punctually by instalments. i But that the prisoner's previous re-

cord was clear his offence would have called for a lengthy term of imprisonment without the option of a. fine. It was well summed up by Sie Bassett Edwards as "a most dastardly action with a dangerous weapon, inflicting serious injury on an unoffending guardian of the peace." Any tendency on the part of lawless offenders to regard police constables as fair game cannot be too sternly repressed. The members of the Police Force are entitled to tha fullest protection in the discharge of their responsible duties, not only as a matter of elementary justice to themselves, but because an attack upon them is in the most definite.sense an attack upon the community. Such offences are not very common in this country, but when they occur it is the plain duty of the Courts to impose such penalties as will tend to stamp them out completely.

The announcement that Sie Donald Maclean has been elected chairman of the non-Coalition Liberals in the House of Commons is a reminder that Me. Asquith is leading his diminished party from outside Parliament. Sir Donald Maclean will presumably for the time being lead the Liberal Party in the House, and it is rather surprising, and perhaps significant of the present political trend in Great Britain, that no member who had previously filled a responsible Ministerial position has been found to undertake this duty. The new chairman was appointed a Privy Councillor in 1916, and has been Deputy-Chairman of Committee, but he has never been a Minister of the Crown. He first entered Parliament in 1910. It may be- that the Liberals had made such a. choice as to emphasise the fact that the position of leader is held in trust for Ms. Asquith, but the party in any case is a,' shadow of its former self, and its prospects of recovery are not bright. Whatever the future may hold it is fairly clear that the old party lines can never be restored, and the die-hard' remnant of the Liberal Party is in some danger of coming to be regarded as mere political wreckage. Some would perhaps regard it as an empty shell from which the kernel has been extracted.

In Russia the Bolsheviki dispersed the 'Constituent Assembly with bayonets, and it is evident thai if their prototypes in Germany do not compass a similar achievement it will be only for the reason that the Ebert Government is able to oppose them in superior military force. The shamelessness with which the revolutionary terrorists avow their intention of bludgeoning the masses of the people into submission and defeating their will as expressed at a popular election is one of the most remarkable phenomena of the day. It is stated in one of to-day's messages that a, Spartacist leader "openly announced that his party will prevent the opening of tho German National Assembly, or, if it fails to do this, will 'break up the Assembly." The statement meantime is unsupported, but it is quite . reasonable to assume that the Spartacists aim in this ■ matter as in others at following the example set in Russia. A so-called people's movomont which aims first and foremost at preventing the people from voting is not a subject for analytical criticism. •«* * » The secretary _ of the Locomotive Engineers' Association forwards us copies of correspondence which has passed between himself and the Minister of Railways, and also a summary of the circumstances leading up to.the present position as between his association and the head of the Railways. The contents of Mi!._ M'Ahley's letters are already familiar to our readers, but wo reproduce, as requested, his latest communication to the Minister which led to the reply published in our issue of .yesterday. The chief point which he makes' in the summary referred to is the long period over which the negotiations with tho Minister have been drawn out. We have no intention of defending the Minister on this ground. The members of the association, wo believe, have occasion for grievance in this respect. Moreover, as we have already pointed out, certain of their claims for improved conditions are on their merits entitled to sympathetic consideration on the part of 'the Minister. What wo took exception to, however, was the indulgence by Mb. M'Arley in strike threats which are calculated to have a mischievous influence and arc liable to prejudice rather than help the case for the locomotive men.