Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6th, 1917. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6th, 1917. THE WEEK.

Thk cable news this week has been telling us interestingly of the conversion of the British Prime Minister to the necessity of reprisals in regard to the air raids on tho defenceless to •

and people, if the enemy Is to he brought to book for this campaign of viilldqssncH . Public opinion as well as preparations are now well shaped” towards that end. When the Prime Minister, accompanied hv Lord French and General Smuts, visited some of the London areas upon which the Gorman aeroplanes dropped bombs last July a voice from the crowd addressing him, said, “What about reprisals?” As it is not unusual with this anonymous oracle, the voic* expressed the feeling prevalent at the moment in the public mind. The raid undoubtedly ehrystallis’ed opinion in the direction of paying the Germans hack in their own coin. There was an influential, wallmeaning section of the community who protested against this country lowering itself 1o the pitch of emulating German misdeeds. The sentiment is honourable and commendable. Tt found earlier oppression when the Huns began to “gas’’ the Allied troops. But in the case of war, as in other relations of Rfe, business is business.

After » brief interval the British and French troops were supplied with gas-distributers, and now relate wuu the consciousness that they have manufactured for them a material more deadly than that at the disposal of the original patentees. Conviction is growing-even among the good people , alluded to that in dealing with men ! capable of tho murderous cowardly acts that have placed the Germans outside the pale of civilisation, they must ho fought with their own weapons. They understand no other, and impute the situation on our part to incapacity.

I'm: Sydney strike as the labour upheaval lias come to be called iu the Commonwealth, is in its last stages. Tho coalminers have capitulated, and last and very important the sea-men afo realising the futility of holding out longer, and ato seeking engagement. The struggle has been long drawn out, hut all through, the Government has stood firm with tho result that organised labour in putting itself against tins plovers that he, has been badly worsted. There are signs of disintegration among the Labour Party itself and probably, as happened in New Zealand, the strike will result in putting hack very seriously the whole organisation of Labour. It will lose in public prestige aifd certainly in political power. The former is its reputation, as the latter is its life. It is the oft repeated lesson over again, and the lesson which this war is bringing home to the nations —that might, is not right. By exeieising itse powers of boycott and dislocation of trade, Labour sought to gain ends which it could not acquire legally. They were outside its rights in the way they were, attempted to be won They sought to win them by brute Rome and the compulsion of stern necessity. They failed to act reasonably and in that way forfeited public opinion which is always ready to hear both sides, and sit in simple judgment. The mob must not seek to enforce its wishes with a bludgeon in a sanelv icountry. This week in Wellington when a large deputation met Mr. Massey, the crowd were not content to listen to the Premier whom they came to talk to. They howled the Prime Minister down, an ‘act which provoked Mr. Webb to cori reel the offenders. Noise and loree will spend itself sooner or later and there will remain the common sense view ijf things. Therein laibour will find itself as"well eared for as any other political party.

The industrial upheaval in Australia whatever the real cause of it, has served to focus public attention on the relations between employer and employed ; and in this connection there is an interesting article— “Thoughts on the Present Discontents’ —in the July Quarterly Review. It is written hv Mr. C. Ernest Fayle. He refcr s to the engineers’ strike and other maInifesatTons of industrial discontent. “A ten days’ stoppage of work by ten thousand men,” he isays, “is much easier to realise and much more likely to attract attention than the fact that fifty thousand men have been working at 5 per cent below their maximum capacity for forty days; yet the effect on output is exactly the same. Tn the ordinary year the time lost in strikes very much less important than the time, or its equivalent in limitation of effort caused by discontent and friction which stop short of declared hostilities. These considerations apply with particular force in time ot war. There arc not wanting signs, he adds, that Labour would he willing to lay aside such old trade union rules ns can he proved to he restrictive of output, and an obstacle to efficient and economic production, if it were admitted to some measure of more direct control over the conditions under which it. works, and that many employers would welcome the admission of Labour to such participation in knowledge and responsibility ns would make for intelligent and willing co-operation, in place of the old open hostility or passive resistance . lie is of opinion that we shall not get rid of labour unrest until we have made it possible for the workers to feel themselves members of an undivided community united by the double bonds of common interests and reciprocal obligations.

Thk new-electoral boundaries will cause a good deal of discussion, especially in those regions made dry compulsorily, •pho loss of three seats seemed to be inevitable for the South Island, owing to the increased population in the North Island. The loss must be ad-opted philosophically as being in accordance with the mathematical rules laid down by statute. It was also inevitable that the Coast should suffer the loss of one member. The isolation ot the district does not conduce to any facilities for ready increase in population, such as Is enjoyed by other centres more favoured with ready means of access and communication. This is an aspect worthy of consideration and it seems to ho specially emphasised at the present juncture when the Government refuse to assist South Westland with a grant for bridging the Miolcnm river. Let the South go hang, virtually says the Minister so it is little wonder that Isolated localities suffer for the want of population. The new coast boundaries will not on the whole create surprise. The Commissioners would have a difficulty in maintaining community of interest, though they were able to do so for the well-cared coal miners, who will have no difficulty in securing their own choice of representative. The principal towns up north have heen juggled with in such a way as to defy the first consideraton for community of interest. Greymouth is out'*ide of Grey, just as Westport is excluded from Bui lor, Reefton has long been a shuttlecock in the Commissioner’s game and it now finds itself a prominent centre in a district ex • tending from the Ahaura river to Farewell Spit*. The exactitude of the mathematics produces some queer results in boundaries certainly.

Thk notable fact about Westland is tho inclusion of Greymouth Borough. To a goodly section of the northern town this association wall not be unacceptable. The political atmosphere of Greymouth town will probably mix more sweetly with that of Westland electorate, and to this extent there will he community of interest. The Westland electorate loses Bruimerton

borough on tho south aide of the Grey river, and the. Ahaura, Tbtara flat, and Waiuta districts. This will tend to reduce the area and extent of the electorate somewhat and eliminates the , coal mine and quartz reefing element— j to which extent community of interest j has been observed again. The district i will now bo representative of its urban ! population, sawmilling, farming and al- j luvial mining, which will tend to lessen the reponsibilities of the member. ; Westland, however, still embraces a very largo area of country, for it Is a long sea board from Big Bay to the Grey river. There will bo a continuous call on the services of the member, for there is still plenty of back country to bo opened up and brought into profit. Westland is so situated geograph- ' ienlly that it would be difficult to eli- ' ininate it as an electorate, or the main j section of one. It is good that it is so. I Its name has been intimately associated with,the political life and activities of this Dominion and we trust it will long continue to send forward as its representative loyal and useful members ever ready and prepared to take their part and place in whatever be needed to conserve or advance, not only the interests of the district, or of the Dominion, but also the Empire at large. The task of that selection is in the hands of the people themselves and they are not likelky to grievously err.

Onk important hearing of the change In electoral boundaries is the fact that licensing districts are equally ooterminus. In the South Island in Otago and South Canterbury, where no license exists already to some extent, it has been necessary to extend the boudaries of these dry districts into what have hitherto been wet areas. This might be taken to mean that no license. produces stagnation even in centres on arterial thoroughfares, but that is an aspect which need not be pursued just now. The wet area so drawn in, becomes automatically dry, and hotels in such case also lose their license, of course without compensation. Tf the dry districts oi the South Island continue to radiate, it is only a question of time when the whole Island will b c swallowed up in no license. The automatic change from positive to negative by the means adopted, does not appear a fair one, and creates a position which should ho amended before too groat a wrong is done. The change in licensing districts on the Coast will be material with the new boundaries. Greymouth comes into the Westland licensing district, as Cobden and Brunnerton passed into Grey with headquarters probably at Wdstpoift. The [Reefton district will range under lluller with headquarters probably in Nelson province. The changes scorn to indicate more expensive means of administration for those connected with the licensing trade, which, by the way, is rather in keeping with the spirit of the times. Altogether the new boundaries will create several surprises and to some they will be rather unpleasant. When they will come into force is another story. It depends on the time of the next General Elecfiion.

In conveying his negative on the Mikonui bridge proposals, the jjon. Minister for Public Works appears to have out, bis telegraphic message unduly short. Should it not have roau: 1 find it is quite impossible for me to entertain your proposals regarding Mikonui bridge this year. Some Time, NEVER.” that declaration'would have been more in keep ing with the Minister’s attitude, and the people would not have minded the candour. Mr. Eraser on behalf of the oountrv lias thrown away £3OOO which might have been used to provide a first class traffic bridge, bocause ho. is not prepared to strain the finances of the Dominion to the tune of a paltry thousand pounds or so to provide the substantial structure which should span the Mikonui river. Mr. Eraser gives no . reason for bis inaction. lie supplies his regrets certainly, but these like sympathy, are readily expressed and cost nothing Mr. Eraser’s association with the Public Works Department, will always to remembered in this district with very little credit, or renown to the good of the lion, gentleman. Up lias thrown away- the opportunity of redeeming his action in stopping the Ross railway extension by his present attitude which means, il he had his way, a further boycott of South W estland traffic. Presumably, so far as the the bridging of the Mikonui river tor ordinary traffic is concerned the district will wash its hands of the Government. The local bodies have a project j„ hand, and this should now be pushed on. It appears to be the last chance of getting a bridge across the river, which so often holds up traffic, and in the interests of all concerned the favourable opportunity should be seized.