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NOTES OF THE DAY

It is not. surprising that the demand of the Allies-for the surrender of about 300 war criminals should provoke a crisis in Germany, or even some division of opinion abroad as to the advisability nf pressing homo the crimes of tho war. The Allies will show great weakness if they yield to the German appeals for the abrogation of this part of the Peace Treaty. It is not vengeance that has to be sought but. vindication—thoj upholding of justice and the prevention of crime. There is no sign that Germany recognises that she ha* done wrong. The Kaiser, Ltjdenijorf, and Bethjiann-Hoixweg are despisecl because they failed, not becauso they arc international criminals. The public memory is short and raanv people will have forgotten that'at Dinant in Belgium, to take one solitary instance, over 800 civilians were massacred in \ cold blood in August, 1914. Included in that number were 2Q old men between 65 and 75 years of age, 7G women, and 37 younc boys and little children rancing in age from six months to sixteen years. This is one small count in Belgium's indictment, and it is the nernetvators of such crimes as these that, the Tlenuhlie of Germw is now usine every artifice to shield from punishment

Mk. Luke makes the excellent suggestion that the I'iuxcK oi" 'Walls should be invited to lay the foundation stone of the now .railway, station Wellington has been so long waiting for. This work 'has been so often discussctt and so long deferred that its definite inauguration |is well overdue, even it that means only the appearance of a corner stone on the site. In his general jsport on the state of the railways in 1914 Mk. Hiley estimated that the now station would cost £475,000 and would take live years to complete. On the basis of prewar figures he considered the traffic at Wellington would probably double itself in ten years. Six years have elapsed since this forecast was made, and though the war has had the el'foct of greatly; reducing the volume oi business in the intervening period compared with what could have been looked for under normal conditions, the new station is already badly needed. The late holiday traffic when 841,880 passengers were carried on the North Island main lines for the four-weekly period to January 3, as against 599,360 during the previous Olirist-mas-New Year period, gives some indication of what we must have station accommodation for in the future.

It will bo interesting to hear what the two opposing parties in the coal dispute have to say of tho basis of. compromise put iorward by the Welfare League. _ The coal miners demand a, Rational agreement negotiated through the Alliance of Labour. The owners, on their side, ref-ssc to meet the representatives of the Alliance, and cb> •sire to make local agreements for cftch mine. It is typied of tht industrial conditions in which we live that such differences as these should be allowed so to block tV. coal sup. ply of a million people that crippling restrictions are becoming necessary in all directions. ■ The Welfare League now suggests that the miners should forego their demand for negotiation through tho Alliance of Labour, and the mine owners theirs for local agreements only. This will represent a real concession by.each side, and will at least

open the door to a thorough investigation of all grievances. . Both parlies will be well advised to consider the effect on public opinion of a, refusal to accept what will be generally counted a sensible compromise.

The widespread chaos that a small number of strikers can inflict on industry is well _ illustrated in the Australian marine engineers' dispute. In Melbourne there arc perhaps 100 engineers on strike. As ja result there have been idle sinco the middle of December about 5000 other workers, including 1000 seamen, 1300 wharf labourers, and 1000 carters and storemen, A similar position prevails elsewhere throughout Australia. The irony of rhesituation is increased by the fact that in the ballot last month there was a majority of only 49 against accepting the shipowners' offer. This adverse majority comprised 40 of Queensland's 41 marine engineers. Their vote,was due mainly to the question whether the Tay, a small steamer at Mackay, used principally as a port lighter, w-as to be treated as a sea-going vessel or not. The engineers struck for more pay to correspond with the increases recently gained by the seamen. They wanted the rates for junior engineers increased from £15 10s. per month to £19 55., and for seniors from £43 to £61. The employers' offer was £19 and £51—respectively us. and £10 short of the demand. This continued dislocation of commerce in the interests of a handful of senior engineers provides the justification for the firm attitude Mn. Hughes is to-day reported to have taken up.

*»? . e The 500 passengers who have been inconvenienced and put to somo through the failure of the ferry steamer Maori to get away for Lyttclton last night and the passengers in the south who suffered similarly through the "hold up" of the Mararoa, will no doubt bo added to die large and growing body v of citizens who have come to the conclusion that jtho disregard of the public interests by a militant section of Labour has reached the limit. The men on the Mararda refused to work the vessel because they_ wanted_ her fumigated. By a curious coincidence the firemen on the Maori discovered at the same time that the boilers on their steamer required attention. In consequence, without warning some hundreds of passengers found their arrangements to travel upset; and were put to inconvenience and loss at the sweet will of the firemen. It counted for nothing that two Government inspectors who were called in pronounced the Maori's boilers to be in working order, and as a test cf their good faith offered to make the trip in the vessel. The. firemen were, obdurate, and so the Maori, like the Mararoa at Lyttclton, lies tied up at the wharf and the community suffers through the cutting off of communications on this important ferry service between the two islands. It is an intolerable situation, but it at least serves one useful mirpose. It assists to bring home to the great body of the public a bettor understanding of the hopelessly unreasonable attitude of those sections of what is known as militant Labour, and affords a fair guide to the naturo of their demands in other dirsctiens.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19200207.2.19

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 114, 7 February 1920, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,087

NOTES OF THE DAY Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 114, 7 February 1920, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 114, 7 February 1920, Page 6

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