An Evil in Our Midst.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 7 November 1913, Page 2

An Evil in Our Midst.

STIUKKS AND THEIR HAlt-D-

SHIPS

The news that the strike conference his proved abortive, is well calculated to compel the people t<) think and try to realise what this means. For almost the last twenty years the life of the average person has been fairly well seasoned with milk and honey. While, perhaps, individuals have occasionally felt the grip of adversity, the community lias been free from the great disasters, such as earthquakes, wars, revolutions, and far-flung strikes, which always bring misery ;iml starvation in their train. In fact, New Zealand has been a world apart, .and the great majority of the people have not the faintest idea of the • hunger and misery which accompany, and the hatred ami bitterness which foljow, a great strike. So long have pebphvbe.cn accustomed to J, he,- weekly .call of'the grocer's cart (Hat lew ever have more than a week's sup'plv "of provisions nii haiid. lEvoiv , f 1 i'e siofpkecperss th'emscl.^.S: ; Thus i't'is" tliai »the people outsade W<'dli*tgjon-\vfn quickly learii'that the present trouble is 1 , not, some far-oil' convulsion- as th'o.Jlalkan f War, for instance which concerns them only in as , far as it makes the daily pUpcM , -more, iu.ter- J; "stin.il, and which adds a littleexcitement and sneculaiioii to the work. , v eady, a Ithougi'rtlje strike ; lias only lusted ;i fort 11 and is still far from reaching iti» possible bounds, •customers" orderji in tlie.niain lines of provision ..Hour, sugar and |)otatpt;'s x are seriously fi curtailed. If the strike is coiifined,-Jto its present limits thi<( may bp'oll the jfn(•onvejiience thai may arise, as Vippdrcntly't'tiere is i'rvfi labour and plenty of ..protection for such labour available. Bui, all the pushing of wharf trucks will be of little use if the seamen join the*" trouble, and the not leave ihe wharf. As d.ong as the pre--i : i strike -hi'si's this is a contingency to be reckoned with-. -H' if ■ does take place, the public will .be up against some of the ■ lies of life which make existence in oilier countries so exciting and at times hazardous for the poorer c class. I , ]ven if the strike fs'Se't-' tied a ; t once, it must be remembered that it will be days before - trade resumes its normal course, and the ships unloaded so great is the glut of shipping in the harbour: and further days wTTI pass before the railways will be able lo distribute the goods throughout • the country.

JgFYfaj* Shoots ..xustinl, Ij£ljJ4i4dJt. :iii(l ;iIJ in the execution oi his. , dut\. That is the summary olf Iho day's work of "Jack" 'yuriier,' the Australian press photograph-i - or, described in (lie .\ovtj-ytbcr is- " ,suo of Lifer jiist to hand*/ It is ' ii\ wonderfully, interesting article, wj'itten by a' newspaper editor, and primming over with.-stories oi' adventure on se;i and kind. It makes even more real the μ-real sl'in by Jack London, called '''The Valley <if the Moon, tvliieh is printed beside it. Liije has secured in this"story Jaekl'London's lies! (o dale, and it jnay'bo doubted il Jie will ev.er do anything to heal ii. This tale,, is oile of interest to' Australian readers, as it deais with phases of life and lab- • our thai are common lo bo(h ibis oouiiiry and Ainei'iea. Jack London's career has been one of intensity. Tie has packed an oimriiious amount of cxperieiiee into it, and in tliis serial ho gives a story I hat bears the stamp, milonly of fnilh and sincerity, but of mature judgment. Beside this tale <>j: modern industrial lifo stands iho romantie story of Capiaii. Scol-Cs joui'iioy to the South I'ole. This is the third section of (lie diary of Captain Scot 1. and it deals with the long stern journey over snow aud ice to the spot whore tho outward-bound party of five parted from their comrades, and sol out on the voyage, which for throe of them at least ended in "Hie tent of death." In tin's isyue of Life is also described the perilous return of Lieutenant Hvans and his two companions to the base _ a thrilling episode in which the life of Lieutenant Evans wns saved by the fortitude and bravery of his two companions: for ho was stricken down with scurvy and lay jil- the point of death. ' This chapter likewise gives a foretaste of iho perils and difficulties which mot tho South Polo party at every turn, and which in the end culminated in disaster. The usual bat oil of fine polar pieiures accompanies this section.