The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JULY 10th, 1926.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JULY 10th, 1926.

THU STRIKE A FT MR MATH. Thk aftermath news of the great strike at Home makes it plain that had leadership was at fault. That the coal miners were hadlv led and advised is plain, and the settlement which lias to come ultimately will he worse than the terms which were available when the strike was at its zenith, white since then an enormous loss has been incurred in regard to wages. That the , men are still, badly led is evidenced by the extreme language of the Presi- ‘ dent of the British Railway Union (Mr Bobbie) who made an attack on the 1 Prime .Minister and reviewed Mr Baldwin’s attitude and conduct in very extreme language. There is nothing commensense or reasonable in the views expressed by Mr Dohbie. He seeks to blame Mr Baldwin for the situation. We know that the care of the national situation was the trust Mr Baldwin had to discharge, and the position today is proof that the national situation was safeguarded very fully. if the .miners had been led by men of wisdom and understanding like Mr Baldwin, by men who realised their responsibilities to the nation as well as to their class, there would not he the impasse that exists to-day. There is still no outward realisation of the national situation by the leaders of the coal strike. It is manifest that when the coal mine owners and workers cannot reach a finality, it is necessary in national interests for some other authority to adjust the differences. That authority is available, and ready at hand in the report of the Coal Commission. It is an impartial report compiled after closely reviewing the situation in calm moments free from stress and feeling. Tt is clear now from the reports published that the Trades Union Congress called off the general strike because the leaders of the miners would not recognise the common sense view of the obvious facts. The leaders of the trades unions fame to recognise that the only hope of bettering the position of the miners was to work 1 along the lines of the report of the Coni Commission. That way has been open all along, and it is the inevitable way now to be forced on the miners by legislation. Yet the leaders of the miners are so stubborn that they will not offer to accept the position, and remain blind to tbe inevitable. The ultimate course we know is that tbe miners are suffering by hundreds ,of thousands, and , many working families must he faced with starvation conditions. All the misery and affliction incurred over the works which have gone by could have been saved by a more rational-view of the situation. It does not say much for British commonsense that tbe National position lias not been realised long ere this. The leaders of the miners are demanding conditions which are im- , possible. Yet they will not accept any compromise. All the leaders have not been guilty of had advice, but those who have shown common sense, have been derided, and have had to submit to all sorts of unfriendly comment by the noisy, head-strong leaders who seem to rule the position in these difficult times. The end now cannot be far off, but the coal strike will end with many difficulties unsolved bo- 1 cause of thp unfriendly attitude of < leaders who are extreme in their view* ’ rad in their methods of attaining their 1

objective. That does not promise a very lasting peace.