The Hokitika Guardian MONDAY, FEB. 20th, 1922. DISARMAMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 February 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian MONDAY, FEB. 20th, 1922. DISARMAMENT.

The world is acclaiming the disarmament/ proposals' sanctioned by the Washington Conference. In America the disarmament of capital and labor to prevent industrial lock outs and strikes is now being urged, and as was shown the other day in the case of Kansas, is being enforced. The case proposed is the substitution of conciliation, mediation and arbitration for the strike, the lock-out and the pic-

keting, and the violence and suffering ’tbit mark them. The privilege of striking is regarded as “the rights of free labor in America.” But this so-

called “free” labor is only free up to ( the limits of unionism. Organised unionism only regards labor affiliated to it and anything outside that circle is i “black”. Unionism as a matter of fact often enslaes labor, for it takes from the workman his personal freedom. and he has to do the behests of ' the Union bosses. The position is being revealed in South Africa in all its worst aspects. The labor of unionism there is not “free”, it may not g y hack to work without the consent of those directing the unions. Those who dp 'return to work do so at their own peril. In Ameridn- the Kajnsas move to enforce the anti-strike law is beginning to work gatisfactoi llj, and as it becomes organised it must spread its influence. The law which is provided to d 0 justice to the wage-earner and | the wage payers is in the best interests i of all concerned nnd strikes definitely

at the blatant leaders who trade on the cupidity of their dupes in constantly fermenting labour troubes. That the law is worth giving a trial to is borne out by the fact that the world at large is now suffering from the effects of the irresponsible strike etc. Those opposed to anti-strike conditions I must wish to retain the old, wickedly used power to order strikes, call out pickets, smash industry, and bend to their will through loss of business and the suffering of the public, employers who will not yield to their demands. An American paper in commenting on the position raised by tho Kansas law says: ‘•The public 'Wants disarm ament of contending factions in industry ; wants peace ; wants the open shop (free from the impress of restrictive unionism); wants a cessation of strikes, and wants arbitration of disputes. Wlint the public wants, the public gets.” American action is thus educating public opinion, and there can be n 0 question as to the utility of the proposed action. Strikes and strike domination have failed miserably to give industrial peace or productivity. A new order of events is necessary, and just ns in the- walks of life the world is going back to first principles and forgetting that might alone is right, so in industry the whole plan requires reorganisation, and a new system introduced.. It remains to be seen how far America can get. It is on the right lines though, for it seeks to make conditions equal alike to c a pital and labor, and give the freemen of the latter in particular conditions of work and pa Y which will be open t 0 all in pursuit of employment. The ideal is there, and tho goal is a good one. It will be worth while Australia and New Zealand watching the progress of events, for the germ of great things to happen industrially is bound up in the new order resultant from the mutual disarmament of capital and labor.