LABOUR AND INDUSTRIAL STRIFE

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1928, Page 4

LABOUR AND INDUSTRIAL STRIFE

(The Dominion). During an attack on free labourers working at Port Melbourne one man was shot through the cheek, another had. his skull fractured, and a taxi driver had his jaw broken. Earlier, several hundred volunteers who were engaged for wharf work were heckled at the Port Melbourne wharves. These reports, which are by no means exaggerated, show the lengths to . which militant Labour is prepared to go in carrying out its insane policy of industrial strife. It was stated by counsel for the Crown in a case at Melbourne the other day that it was part , of the settled policy of the -Waterside Workers’ Federation of Australia to create and maintain industrial defiance of the law. This undoubtedly is case. Only last December thousands of men Aver© out of work and thirtythree ships were tied up in Sydney alone because the Federation refused to abide by awards that bore its signature. The promotion of these strikes is part of the Communist campaign. ■ “Communists cannot afford to have peace in industry” ran a letter from Moscow to Australian agents, a couple of months ago, and the policy is to promote strikes and gain the' leadership in them. The community is getting perilously near civil war when events like those recorded at Melbourne are almost a commonplace, and unfortunately there are no signs that the watersiders'are coming to reason. The Miners’ Convention in Sydney in June decided on ooncilation as its future policy, and perhaps some day the watersiders will come to their senses. The great lesson they have to learn is 1-bat Labour is the greatest'sufferer by insane stoppages*