THE STRIKE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1169, 8 November 1913, Page 4

THE STRIKE.

BEFORE THE COURT

VARIOUS OFFENDERS DEALT WITH.

Wki.ungtgn, Nov. 6

Numerous prisioners arrested during yesterday’s disturbances were brought before the court this morning, and sent to gaol for twenty-one days for using obscene language in Bunny Street. Agnes Udall, Charles Johnson, William George Cockell, Alex auder Cheese man aud George Johnson were charged with taking part in an unlawful assembly, and were remanded until November rath. The woman aud two men, George Johnson aud Cockell, were allowed bail on condition that they behaved themselves in the meantime, and did not go near a crowd. William Johnson, charged with assaulting Senior - Sergeant Dew with a piece ot iron, was remanded until Wednesday next.

John Troy, also charged with assault, was likewise remanded. Henry Edward Moore, a tram motorman, aud Hugh Collins, a young clerk, who got into a heated argument during the Featherstou Street tiouble, and resorted to fisticuffs, also came before the court. Moore was fined or fourteen days’, aud ordered to be handed over to the naval authorities, as it was stated he had deseited from H.M.S. Pioneer two years ago. Collins was remanded on bail.

FLAXMILL WORKERS CONTRIBUTE TO STRIKE FUND.

AID TO STRIKERS’ WIVES

AND CHILDREN.

A meeting ot the executive of the Mauawatu Flaxmill Workers’ Union was held at Shannon on Wednesday, when tbesecretary was instructed to forward to the strike committee in Wellington first instalment of the union’s contributions to the strike fund. It was also decided to call for voluntary subscriptions in aid of the wives and children of the wharf labourers. A number of women in Shannon, Tokomaru, and Foxton —wives of Flaxmill workers and strike sympathisers—have volunteered to take up the subscriptions. The secretary was also instructed to make arrangements tor billet ingot the wives aud children of the strikers.

BOYCOTTING THE A. AND P. SHOW.

The meeting also instructed the secretary to write the members of the union, recommending them not to attend the Palmerston N. Show, because by doing so they would be assisting the class that was fighting organised labour throughout the Dominion. The union intends holding a public meeting iu Co’etmu Place as soou as the speakers are available from Wellington.

AUSTRALIAN OPINION

Sydney, Wednesday.

The Daily Telegraph, commeuting cm the strike, says; "That thiugs should come to such a pass in New Zealand, of all countries, is ominously instructive. There, advanced legislation has gone further than anywhere in Australasia, if not the world, aud the most that has been possible has been done for the mass of the people. After all these years of experimental and uplifting legislation, one of the most Jorraiciable, angry strikes ever known iu Australasia is being persisted in, because the men refuse to ccme under the trumpeted Arbitration Act, and give a guarantee for industrial continuity. This is really a strike against the Arbitration Act.”

The Sydney Morning Herald says : “Australia is watching the progress of the New Zealand strike with more than ordinary interest, because the issue at stake is one which sooner or later will have to be faced by the Commonwealth.” It asks: “Is the principle of a peaceful settlement of industrial disputes by arbitration or mutual agreement to endure, or are the workers to revert with impunity to the clumsy, antisocial weapon of the strike. We are glad to think that suggestions of sabotage by syndicalist agitators are by no means approved by the main body of workers; but, unfortunately, the extremist is loud-voiced aud übiquitous, and the agitator is ofteu able to dominate his more moderate aud less articulate colleagues.”

The Herald regrets the failure of the Wellington conference. In view of the similarity in inindustrial experiences of Australia aud New Zealand, great interest is felt in Australia in the course of events in connection with the industrial upheaval in the Dominion (writes the Sydney correspondent of the Post). Accounts to hand of the latest happenings lead to the conclusions that developments are in the direction ot a modified sort of civil war between city workers aud the country, as was the case in connection with the big Brisbane strike. On this as pect one of our leading journals, the Sydney Morning Herald, says“ in New Zealand, as in Australia, the town woikers are to some extent pampered at the expense ot the country producer. In Australia, although it has long been obvious that the breach must come, it has only been in the last year or two that the country producer has shown- signs of realising this. When the city worker, having already possessed himself of conditions incomparably more comfortable th m those of country workers, proceeds to hold up the produce cf the country in an endeavour to make his easy mode of life still easier, there conies a lime when the country producer has had enough of it. He rides into town and settles the matter lor himself. The city worker may be well organised, and he is often fairly reckless. But when it comes to a tussle the city man is not, and never will be, a match for the countryman.” This was proved at the time of the Brisbane strike. Excepting in extremist quarters one hears only a denunciation of the purpose, methods, aud tactics of the Wellington strikers.

At Newtown Park on Sunday, Mr Webb, M.P., who was first president of the Red Federation, said :—“ If this strike is settled to-morrow —as-1 hope it will be — remember that the greatest strike is yet to come.’' What did he mean ? Those who have watched these Ultra-Socialists during the past five years, aud have read their official organ, know well what Mr Webb meuis. Has he not in mind the sentiment of the preamble adopted by his brethren of the Red Federation last year: —“ Between these two classes (workers and employers) a struggle must go on until the workers ot the world organise as a class, take possession of the earth aud the machinery of production, aud abolish the wage system”—and more of that gentle doctrine ? says the Post. Says the Wellington Post: —“If the Government bad to go to the country immediately with this strike as the issue, the result would be a smashing or Labour-Socialism at the polls. Much mischief has been done to the Labour cause by lurid extremists during the past fortnight, and each day of the struggle will further injure Labour,”