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Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1920, Page 2

I The gifts of the Welsh people for voonl I harmony have long been world-famed, j and the national cult lias been shown I vs far from waning at their great annual j carnival of song in August of this year. But there is another harmony in the proceedings of the Royal National EisI teddfod of Wales, comments the Daily | Mail, which is none the less remarkable | for being taken absolutely for granted. | Tbe Eisteddfod, it is known, is a powerful engine for the conservation of the j Welsh language a/nd traditions, and , the yearly gatherings, with their scores of hards, their hundreds of singers, and | their audiences of tens of thousands, ! are a strongly nationalistic manifestation, hut it is of a nationalism peculiarly free from narrowness and all I rancour. Unlike some of the allied Celtic tongues, Welsh really lives, with no artificial galvanisation; it does not deI pend on fostered antipathies; ajnd is I content to flourish in its particular do- ! main without stultifying attempts at j exclusiveness. Even at this gathering I of the national hards and luminaries it comes quite naturally and unquestioned that English should be harmoniously used together with tbe vernacular. In many of the competitions the singers are free to choose, and an English singing choir will engage against a Welsh ' one with no sign of discrimination on the part of the audience. Next year the Prince of Wales is lilfely to grace the annual Eisteddfod.

llt is altogether satisfactory to learn that the wharf trouble at Wellington has ended satisfactorily. Thu frequent interruption of trade and commerce by ' these lightning labour troubles is much to be regretted, and the time has arrived certainly when measures should bo taken to end the insecurity and bring about a more stable condition of af--1 fairs. This is as much necessary for the rank and file of the labouring class ’ as it is for the convenience of the pub- . lie. It js quite evident that the mem- ; bers of the unions are most frequently j dominated by the extremist sections 1 | within their fold, and that steps will ‘ , have to be taken to deal with this phase of the unrest which is so disorganising ". for all concerned 'in the centre where ! the troubles arise suddenly. It will ’ be noted that in the telegraphed report of the ending of the trouble at Wellington that “there was >a wild cheer when the call for labour was general.” ’ Neither were there any scenes, everything being quiet and orderly. This indicates that the men were glad to re- ’ some work and it is believable that under safeguarded conditions, troubles of j this and allied character would not ; arise so frequently. One way of deterj mining thQ will of the men to strike t 1 would be that a, secret ballot should he i preliminary to any legal strike, such ballot to he conducted by a properly m constituted authority detailed by tho Labour Department. Certainly in this way these lightning episodes would bo 1 a thing of the past, and a community would have some notice of the possible approach of a strike. The request for a secret ballot is perfectly reasonable. It is a. democratic principle, and is the ,l only sound method of determining pub,t; lie opinion fairly. Voting by ballot ‘ tfns a principle long fought for, and it n is worth applying to the settlement of l " vital labour issues as to any other qness" tions. There is no doubt that within 1 recent months public opinion has been 8 aroused very considerably against the unionism which penalises the public without consideration, and there is a , feeling growing all through the coun)r try that unionism at present directed is , not giving the public a fair deal. Pubj .lie opinion is a difficult barrier to_ overcome, once it is aroused, and labour by its actions of late is certainly doing a great deal to bring retribution on its li r\ n f O lit? 1