The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1925

Hokitika Guardian, 9 October 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1925

I Oxk of the lessons of tho times is that \ where l.;il«>r rules tliere seems the predisposition to eoipiette with those who are oilt to defy authority. This is happening ail over Australia.' In this country we see the same consorting on the part of those who aim at ruling the political destinies ot New Zealand. At. Home even Mr'Ramsay MacDonald has traduced the Home Secretary because he gave qualified countenance to those who were organising to maintain civil services if strike methods went too far. I.ahor at Home and abroad does not believe in preparations to meet recalcitrant I.ahor forces with its own methods. That is. where Labor strikes and holds up a community under any and all pretence which it will not have settled hv legalised methods, it objects to those who suffer—the general public—organising for their own defence by preparing to meet the requirements of daily services to keep a town or the country going. I.ahor uses its strike procedure as war on the people as a whole, and it objects to the people organising to resist such an altitude. Were society organised in that way no doubt one would hear less of strikes and striking. It would he a safeguard, an insurance as it were, just as ordinary precautions are taken in advance in any other defensive necessity. The organisation of a civilian force would not he for defiance, hut for defence, to protect the public rights and services, and to keep essential works going during the period of a strike. We feel sure that were civilian organisations so created there would not he the same readiness to strike. On the contrary, in any trade dispute the ordinary legal machinery to redress the -wrongs would he enforced in an orderly way. and without loss of time or dislocation of industry or production. Tint. Labor is not disposed to have any such thing. Tt would appear that a Cabinet Minister at Home has fallen from grace because lie recognised and apt reeiated the formation of an organisation such as that indicated. In Australia the Federal Premier has had to address a note to a Labor Premier to request protection for peaceable workers from violent strikers. Tn Mew Zealand the Prime Minister has had to offer protection to those who are prepared lo well; in the place of the seamen s’rikcrs who are holding up the overseas tmde of the Dominion. And in the crisis no oil is poured on the troubled waters by the Labor Lenders or this counttv. or its press. Despite invitations to that effect and the obvious effect of the strike on the material prosperity of the country, the position is allowed to exist without any reasonable counsel being offered the men. There is the persistent statement that all that is happening within the British Empire in the wav of Labor troubles, is part of a great scheme engineered hv Bolshevism. There is certainly uniformity in the action taken in the different countries, and a crass stnpiditv shown in meeting the overtures for a reasonable settlement. But the leaders seem to master their dunes very effect- I unllv. and there is no sign of compromise. Tt mav he simply a coincidence that the position is so uniform nil over the Empire, hut it is signifi-

cant certainly. Idealising, then, that when Labor rules it is destined to go on coquetting with reactionary forces

ami is in itself in any case, reactionary by bent, the electors should take count of the situation, and decide how far they are prepared to countenance such a policy. Vote- cast for t-a-hor in the coniine election "ill play into the hands of the reactionaries. F.very Labor member who is returned I e; nines one of a band. who. as we see of late, are not prepared to speak tip for law and order and the maintenance of regular intercourse between tbe Empire. At tbe same time these leaders of Labor in I'arlianicnt seem disposed to countenance without explanation or a gesture of any kind, the reinilar running of foreign steamers to our shores. That is happening while British Dials remain uiuuamied. Such Being the ease there can be no confideme in Labor representatives because tin 1 national security will be at stake ail too readily. Such. then, is tbe issue the people will have to bear in mind on tbe •Ith. November, when on polling day. they will have to decide in many constituencies in New Zealand whether they will vote for a Labor representative or one prepared to support and bold all the traditions and records that a free people hold most dear.