Hokitika Guardian 7 Evening Star SATURDAY, SEP. 29th, 1917. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian 7 Evening Star SATURDAY, SEP. 29th, 1917. THE WEEK.

The remarks by Judge Rolin in respect to an aspect of the Sydney strike, are worth remarking upon, because they put the. position to Labour intelligently and effectively. Th man on the soap box often rants about democracy ruling the country, but as the Judge .-aid,' ‘‘democracy spoke, through the laws “of the land ; or. to put it another way, “this voice of democracy was .heard through the Courts, and not the mobs.” Another apt aphorism by the learned judge was that “there is no freedom outside of the law.” In other wotrd9, good citizenship means

the observance of the law, and tho maintenane of public order and decency, within, the bounds set- by tho law of the land. Moreover ,the judge proceed od to read tho strikers a lesson dealing with the genesis of the trouble in ( Australia. He. said that- “even- man owed a duty to the state to do his job to tho best of Usability.” This covered the whole difficulty, because tho state employees had not been disposed to do their job satisfactorily. As a consequence the card system was devised to keep a score of tho individual’s personal effort. Not doing their duty to tho State, as they felt it, the men stuck out of resoument, and brought upon themselves and their country the catastrophe of tho strike at a most inopportune time. Strike methods can succeed only so long as they aro not opposed hv the public will. Once the public realise the merits of the'-caso, and if the decision he against the striker, as is invariably the ease so ill-led are tin* strikes as a rule, that the effort, however, well organised, is doomed to failure. That is the fate overtaking them in Australia, where- Judge Rolin has now pointed to the unreasonable promises on which, in this particular case, they have lacked.

StR Douglas Haig's intermittent attacks on the. west front arc suggestive of his nibbling policy of a year ago, previous to launching his heavy Somme attack. They had a double objective, too. The enemy are kept on tenter hooks, not knowing when or where the next onslaught will he launched . It must he a wearing down process to the enemy, which knowledge gives color to the roseate view spreading over the world as to the early conclusion of the war. Tho policy and methods of General Haig further prove the complete mastery of the British in the west. Tiie initiative is entirely in the hands of tho British Convmander-in-Chief who launches his attacks at his own sweet will. They are invariably of a nibbling nature for the sound reason that he is conserving the lives of his army to the fullest extent. Tie is notpushing his attacks too far, or beyond the endurance of his men. Careful artillery preparation to reduce a certain area of territory to a suitable condition, and then the attack is launched, j ll all reads a simple process, but it l must take a groat deal of careful I thought and provision to provide for the all round success which follows these well-planned attacks. Mr Bottomley, the well known English writer is the latest- to break'iiito unadulterated optimism about the western situation, and he supplies a key to tinHaig methods when lie mentions the British are dominating Lens, with i'-> capture assured when the Commander wills it. The general activity on the west, both aerial and territorial, suggests that before the winter envelopes the. theatre of operations, some great and strategic strokes are. not impiol>ahle.

Thk pe-ace clangour still goes on, and it is noticeable that tin enemy harps on in tli eold familiar strain. While von Tirpitz, who is probably the arch-fiend in Germany’s submarine fright-fulness, a declining quality nowadays, thanks to the Allied activities, talks blatantly and lyingly of the position in Belgium, and the alleged plight of Britain, other personages in Germany are more amenable to the position as it really is and there are hints that the Central 1 Rowers through the Papal negotiations would like to sound the Allies on more advanced concessions than have been hitherto, set out, But the Allies, boldly and plainly have stated their case, and Mr. Asquith has unofficially reviewed the peace outlook, and most sensibly voiced the aspiration* of to thi' people on tho kind of [nsice requisite to secure a world-wide tranquility. Tie seemed to put the basis of a lasting peace admirably when he said this week at Leeds that “the peace, worthy the name must- not ignore the principles of right aspirations and the liberties of the people affected.” Treaties which ignore this rightdoing, lie pointed out, aro the fertile breeding ground for future wars. He then referred to the spoilation of the French in 1871 when Alsace a-nd Lorraine were- annexed by the German victors. This plain reference 1 to a notable incident is a clear indication that- this territory must he restored to France as part- of the pact to settle the present war. The ro-htibilßation of Belgium must likewise he the first and most certain clause of any treaty to close the present conflict.

In this column this week reference

was made to the statement in the House of Representatives by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. W. Eraser) regarding the project for utilising the. waterpower running to waste ‘at Milford Sound, to the effect that | the proposed, scehemo was the only ! one to sell the waterpower rights to | Americans. Mr. J. Orchistin, who happened to lie one who took up the | project and went thoroughly into it las onn in -which science could do so l much to benefit the. country and the ! nation, states in the Dominion. (Welligton), that there is not the slightest ground for alarm on the part of the TTon. Mr. Fraser or Mr. E. Parry. All , that tho syndicate desired to do was tn utilise the power that was now going to waste by manufacturing something 'from the air, which this and every goahead country on the face of the earth needed via., nitrates. The Minister bad not given any credit- to anyone for the idea that- there was a va'st source of unexploited power of great potential value in these falls, hut assumed a dog-in-the-manger attitude bv stating thatit would not he advisable to part with water rights to a syndicate, and yet he said that the Government was not j prepared to do anything at present-, j That was to say. the Government or a( , least the Hon. W. Fraser woe not. dis- j nosed to allow anyone to use profitably what was now going to waste, and would be going to waste for years to come.

Mr. Orchtdson went on to say that th(< notion that the newer could be used fur other purposes was a red herring the falls are situated in too inaccessible n p r >rt of New Zealand to provide power in tho ordinary way for industrial purposes in settled portions of tho South Island. The cost of n. transmission line to any town or city would be enormous and the wastage very great when it was erected. Tn order to test the sincerity of the syndioate, the Minister

could very easily insist that all shareholders in the company should be bonu-filihi residents ol' the.' country, and that no foreigner whatsoever could be concerned in the preject. The Government ha's full power to make what conditions it likes, but to refuse to allow the syndicate to institute a new industry of vital need to the and country v scarcely savoured of the desire to promote efficiency and 'national independence one would expect, comments Mr. Orcliisfon, from Ministers of the Crown nt such a time in the history of New Zealand. As proof of the urgency of the need of the products, the syndicate propose to turn out, with ( the aid of power the Bowen Falls, two , big steam plants have been established in England during the last year to do similar work at a: cost far in excess of what it would cost at Milford Round After all, what was the use of our great national resources if they were not utilised. Australia was now exporting iron to England. Who would have imagined such a thing possible live years ago* 'Pits appeal now being made on behalf of the Bed Cross Fund is the annual effort which should commend itself to every patriot. The Red Cross Society i s a noble organisation which is carrying out a self-imposed task in a roost sacrificing spirit. The Red Cross work on the battlefield must commend itself to all for those discharging it do so at the risk of their lives. Behind the front and in the hospitals the Red Cross services continue to be self-sacri-ficing in the extreme. Nothing could he more noble or praiseworthy than the way in which units of the Red Cross have gone off into foreign lands and assisted in the humane work they are called upon to perform. Men and women alike are doing this great work willingly volunteering, and. readily making the supreme sacrifice if need he, to succour their fellowmen and

women. Wealth is being poured out all the world over, ns it should he, to help in this great work. The great want is money for the battlefronts now spread so far, and so many millions of men being engaged in mortal combat, almost places the task beyond the power of human beings to render adequate assistance. But the great organisation doing its best to overtake what is demanded of it, and to he where its services are most required. All should help in ’so noble a work. The local committee work all the year round cheerfully in the task of maintaining efficiency, and once a year appeal for funds to assist the parent organisation in flic giant task it has in hand. This appeal will not he in vain for who would refuse to help the most charitable off .Till organisations whose very symbol bespeaks its mission and its guiding principle.