INCITING TO STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 193, 10 May 1919, Page 8

INCITING TO STRIKE

"HAORILAND WORKER" CASE

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

FINED

Charges of inciting a seditious strike of workers engaged ill the frozen meat industry by publishing in tho newspaper known as the "Maoriland Worker" certain utterances were preferred against ■William ICraig and John Glover, editor and publisher respectively of the journal, before Mr. ]?. V. Frasser, S.M., at tho Magistrate's Court yesterday. ■

Tho charge arose out of the publication of the following paragraph of a letter in an issue of tile "Maoriland Worker" dated April 19 last:— . "I suggest that every worker connected with the meat trado in however indirect a form should refuse to tako any part in producing and distributing meat until our war-profit-aiming and epidemicspreading Government pass such laws tnat not one pound of meat shall leave the country till our full wants aro supplied of the 'best meat at a reasonable price; or as an alternative wherever wo are handling meat for export practise the go-slow policy to such an extent that it became unprofitable to export it at all.— Bolshevik."

Mr. O'Bcgan entered a plea of guilty 011 behalf of both parties. Mr. Glover, lie said, was the publisher of the paper known as the "Muoriland Worker" and Mr. ICraig was the editor, to which position the latter defendant had recently been appointed. Although Mr. Glover was the publisher of the paper, 110 was not cognisant of what actually went into the publication, and did not exercise any literary control over the pnper. It was the first time he had appeared beforo the court, «nd his offencu was purely a technical one. With regard to Mr. Kraig, ho had only recently, been appointed to the position of editor of the journal, and he had struck out several paragraphs of the letter. He had in his possession an old copy of the War Regulations, which guided-him-in dealing with the letter in question. He had endeavoured to obtain a : more recent and amended copy of the regulations, but without result. The first intimation ho received of tho offence was the receipt of the summons. Counsel asked His Worship to, fako info consideration tho question of intention on the part of the defendant to offend the law. To his mind it was not a serious offence, and he asked his Worship to deal with the defendant ns leniently as possible.. Tho publication of tho paragraph was unintentional, and care would lie taken to prevent a recurrence. Mr. Macassey snid that the cose was regarded-as. a serious one. At the present time there was a large quantity of frozen meat in the refrigerating chambers in/New Zealand, and had the paragraph influenced the workers a serious state of affaire • would have resulted. Counsel submitted that it would bo impossible for the defendant to overlook the words published in. tho "Maorilnnd Worker."

Tho defendant ICraig llien went into (he witness, box. and was cross-examined' o.t some length by counsel for the prosecution. He stated that he had been edi--tor of the journal for a month and ho did not consider that the words in the charge,were seditious. He admitted that they might, be regarded as such. Mr. Alacassey: How do you regard it now?. ' Mr. Kraig: Well, knowing the class of man who writes the style of letter published and knowing the psychology of the working class, 1 look upon it as one way of conveying disgust at the conditions obtaining at present. In his opinion the words would have no influence on the men in the meat trade whatever. No man engaged in tho meat occupation could have his mind altered l>y the mention of the matter. Ho had excised a number of parts of the letter; and had some doubts at the time about the particular paragraph, Mr. Maccasey then quoted passages of the paragraph, and asked: Is that not an advocacy for a strike? Defendant: No; it may bo regarded as an advocacy of the go-slow policy. His Worship, summed up at some length, and in opening remarked tlint 'both the publisher and the editor of a paper must take the responsibility for. anything that appeared in their paper. It was impossible to foresee what might be the result of anything that appeared in a newspaper. The law required tliat persons conducting a newspaper must take extreme care that nothing was published which would infringe the law. The. writer who signed himself "Bolshevik" was apparently worried to some extent about the present prices of meat in New Zealand. That signature might have had tho effect of causing the editor.to take oxtreine'care over the letter,. He know that there was quite a good deal of controversy as to what Bolshevism stood for, and to some extent it had become a catch phrase. Tho writer in suggesting .a strike or, as an alternative, the go-slow policy, no doubt considered it as a possible remedy for the present high cost of meat in New Zealand. This sort of direction appealed to those classes who had no regard for the Arbitration , Courts. One realised ,that the cost of living affected the working decs, and one could expcct complaints, but he would like tho person who signed himself "Bolshevik" to realise that anything that might bo desired by way of a remedy could be obtained 'by Parliamentary action. One had 'only to remember that over 80 per cent.' of the population of the Dpminion were wage-earners, and they had tho power in their own hands to remedy the position by Parliamentary action. In a democratic country this was a large majority. Every country depended for its existence on what it produced, and in the case of New Zealand meat was its principal product. This country had a huge war expenditure, and this would have to be met by tho country's production. More meat tlmn was required for local consumption was produced in New Zealand, and the surplus was sent to the Home markets, wliere it was in great demand. This had caused the pricos to go up by leaps and bounds. This was where democracy came in. It was within the power of the democracy of this country to see that the peoplo wiio were getting the high prices for this meat should pay their fair 6haro of the taxation. The wago and salaryearners and the people in a small way of business comprised at least !)0 per cent, of the population, and they had the power to remedy tho position. The levying of an equalisation tax was one remedy, but that presented very considerable economic difficulties. The meat industry was an essential industry-protect-ed bv the War Regulations, and it was an offence to advocate a strike or go-slow policy affecting this industry. Although the war was over the'country was facing a critical financial stage, and for that reason every essential industry must be protected from nny influence in the way of-, strikes or lock-outs which might not only affect the meat industry, but the wliolo country. If the workers would only have a little more patience and try to be a little more conciliatory, there was a great deal in store for them. The workers in New Zealand had tho "political ball" at .their feet. Tho workers' should take the advice of tho execntivo of tho Erderaiiou of Labour in tho direction of trying to meet in conference with the employers, and try to arrange things on a basis that would be fair to both. sides. Ho considered that Kraig was sincere when lie said that he did not desire to commit n»v breach of the laws. Tho defendant Krnig, concluded His Worship, would ho fined .£SO and costs .El Bs> and the defendant Glover would bs fined £10 and costs XI Bs.