The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times TUESDAY, JULY 21st, 1925. THE CONTINGENCY.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times TUESDAY, JULY 21st, 1925. THE CONTINGENCY.

In commenting on the substance of a recent piece of cabled news, an East Coast paper remarked that these who hold the comfortable view that Labor in office becomes tamed and conventional under the influence of the responsibility of government, and that therefore the political progress of the Labor movement does not matter, would do well to consider what is

taking place in .Australia at l-he present moment. The country is on the verge of a great maritime strike involving w idosprend unemployment and probably, protracted interference with the commerce and industry of the (oliituotiwcalth. It is a strike that lias been engineered, in plain view of the public by a couple of agitators of professedly Bolshevist leanings men who say that conciliation and arbitration in industrial di-putes are inimical 10 the interests of the worker; who tea 11 that most eMsi-iiig social institutions must he destroyed be*fore the "chains fall from the wage-slaves,” and it follows a year of monkey-like activity on the part- of these men in fomenting strife ami promoting strikes in practically every ship trading in Australian waters. Much that has Is-en done has been done in direct defiance I of the law and of the decrees of the Federal Arbitration Court and it appears highly unlikely that there will be any more respect for the law on the part of the seamen and their leaders now that the Union has been deregistered and a general strike declared than there was while the merry game of holding up shipping was proceeding under the aegis of the .Arbitration Court. 11l stick circumstances the head of the Labor Government- of New South Wales lias seen fit to give a very unmistakable indication of tho attitude of tho Government towards strikes. Tie has ordered the Bailwav Commissioners to restore to all railway and tramway employees who went on strike in 1917while the country was at war he it noted—the seniority that they forfeited by reason of such action. We are told that very considerable extra expenditure will be entailed by this step, as it is not proposed to reduce the status of men who did not. strike—for which magnanimity, no doubt, they are truly grateful. That, however, is only incidental. The significance Of the action lies in the use of the power of the State to condone, and by condoning to encourage, a strike of public servants engaged in transport. The moment chosen for tho action also, is worthy of attention. We do not suggest- that Mr Lang is to he blamed. For ought we know it is one of the cardinal tenets of the party lie leads that everyone has a right to strike and ought to he encouraged to exercise that right as frequently as possible in which ease he is merely carrying out the principles on which he and his followers were elected. But we do suggest that those who do not share such views on the subject of the settlement of industrial disputes should he chary of allowing the champions of Labor to take the reins of office. The reflection may he. commended to the notice of the politicians whose devotion to their own selfish interests stands in the wav of a union of the anti-Bolshevik forces in New Zealand poliiics. and to tho newspapers that see in such stupidity merely one more opportunity for the venting of party prejudice and spleen. This is the year of opportunity for Labor in New Zealand. Those who have the right to vote should consider possible contingencies if by the giving of that vote they are prepared to assist Labor into office and power or to in any way augment the voting power of the extreme section of Labor in Parliament. 1