The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, November 1, 1913 NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1166, 1 November 1913, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, November 1, 1913 NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Many people have asked the question : what effect will the strike have upon the working of the local wharf and the flaxmilliug industry? —as in both these connections the workers are affiliated with the Federation ol Labour. So far as the wharf is concerned, the Rail way Defarlmeut do not recognise any union, and if the local waterside workers refuse to handle cargo here the Department would do what necessity compelled them to do on a previous occasion. The men, wi'h possibly one or two exceptions, are not 100 pleased with the strike, and their enforced idleness and consequent financial loss, make them very unwilling to refuse to turn ;o. In any case there would be plenty of free labour available should such be necessary to handle cargo. As to the flaxmilliug industry, the case is somewhat different. The workers engaged at the mills belong to a union which is affiliated with the Federation of Labour. The union executive has already, on behalf of the men, forwarded its sympathy with the strikers, and pledged its support to the watersiders. The Union’s organiser, Mr Parry, is also at the scene of the ctrike, and has added bis quota of inflammatory talk to that of the other revolutionary fire brands. In all this the flax workers are compro mised, whether they agree with their executive’s action or not. We are informed, however, that the executive’s action is considered very high-handed by some of the more reasonable men engaged in the industry, but whether they will have the courage to call it. into question when the opportunity arises is another matter. W« do not think that the flaxmill workers will go out in sympathy with the waterside strikers —although that is the gospel of syndicalism—because the executive will require money to assist the strikers both at Wellington and elsewhere. They can better serve their misguided comrades with ready cash by slicking to their jobs. Further, the flaxmilliug industry concerns practically only three sections of the public, of which the workers themselves represent nine-tenths, the other two being the millers and the royalty men. It will be seen, therefore, that the men would have nothing to gain, but everything to lose, by knocking off. Under the circumstances there is little fear of a cessation of work at the mills—unless the strike weapon rebounds and hits the workers on a vital spot through a shortage of coal, for unless the mills are supplied with coal the machinery must stop. Then follows enforced idleness for the men, and consequent hardships. Verily the strike is a two-edged sword, only one edge of which is exposed by the Imported firebrands, whose glib balderdash seems to exercise such an influence over the men. The other and keener edge is felt through bitter experience. The workers will yet be compelled to recognise that their truest friends are not the syndicalist revolutionaries, but the employers, whom they now repudiate.