WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 February 1921, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE WATERFRONT.

NO CHANGE IN THE POSITION

(Our Special Correspondent)

WELLINTGON, Feb. 21

No change in Lire situation on the waterfront has taken place during the week-end, except, of course, that the passage of time inevitably has brought the day of settlement or of open rupture so much nearer. The shipowners seem prepared to look after their own interests at every point and from this fact the watersiders are arguing that the employers are the aggressors and that the unhappy workers again are the.victims of a “capitalistic conspiracy.” But their logic docs not hold good. The owners undoubtedly are better prepared than the watersiders are, hut the real strength of their position lies in their reliance upon the existing agreement between the parties. In this country, at any rate, public opinion is the main factor in determining the outcome of a strike and in this ease the great hulk of public opinion is with the party that stands for democratic constitutionalism and the observance of agreements. THE THIRD PARTY.

The AA’elfare League has been putting tile case for the public in the present turmoil very zealously and very sanely, saying things that tho, local newspapers and the local politicians have failed to say, and saying them in a way to attract attention. Its main point is that both the shipowners and the watersiders having failed to take either an economic or a patriotic view of the situation, Parliament should step in and see that the public is given adequate representation upon every body devoted to the settlement of industrial disputes. That the League will obtain a favourable hearing from either the Government or organised labour appears improbable, hut its idea already has made an impression upon thinking people who realise that under the existing arrangement’ the great third party, the public, receives only the most perfunctory consideration from the other two parties. Mr -Massey claims, as Jiis predecessors did, that the Government is the representative of the public, hut unfortunately Governments in matters of this sort are never free from the reproach of partiality. THE GAMING ACT. Zealous advocates of the purification of the racecourse had hoped that the care heard in Christchurch last week would show them just how far the recent amendments to the (laming Act would help them in their campaign against the bookmaker. But the points reserved for the Court of Appeal may delay the final decision tor an indefinite period and meanwhile the reformers are faced with the fact, that: the layers of "totalisator odds and of other kinds of odds have taken heart of grace from the failure of the Wellington cases and are carrying on their business almost as evenly as they did before Parliament decreed their extinction. The responsible Minister declares his intention to see the matter through, but lie evidently is not very confident as to where his good intentions will land him. It is doubtful if all the racing dubs are doing their duty towards the law very whole-heartedly. It is notorious, in any case, that some owners and racing officials are among the bookmakers’ biggest customers.