THE Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7, 1880. THE TELEGRAPHIC STRIKE.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 105, 7 January 1880, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7, 1880. THE TELEGRAPHIC STRIKE.

" Words are things, and a .drop of ihk. falling liko » dow v.ppn v. thought, produces that which makca thoui..ads, pcrUupd millions tUir.k." * 1

A iiT. hough ft s t rpn s* p r-ej ti dice cxi s.ts m the minds of capitalists and etnployer*3 against "'associations of men for the protection of theii* commpu inf-firestis, the necessity for organisations qf. that charaql-ji* force- theirisel ves upon *-q-*'!-?ty. The repeal ; bf th.c combination laws m Great Britain was a virtual aeknow- : ledgment" of the^ right, of men to feirrn associations .for-, mutual support against injustice or oppression ; while iv ..this go-Jony, action wus "actually taken by the Q-overnment— or at least a member of it, the lion. Koß_:'jrr Stout— to legalise aud place trades unions upon a proper basia. Aggressioiv should always be viewed with suspicion ; and .exi.sti.Vg rig.hts should "-iiQ-t belmteKfered'-wrfch without * reason ; being ;adduce.d for the .sjte p.... -.--ri Hitherto th'e ; weekly Jioufß of working m the Telegraph Department have been thirty-nine, with .-an allowance VoE Qvertitne for -any Bevvices rendered beyond that amount ; but according to a reeeiit 'order from tho Superintendent, that riumber has been increased , to fortyeight, wit'n' a total ' suspensiuri of all overtime. '•; We aire not awat-e tliat any reason was vouchsafed to thqso most interested, why they, should be the solitary exception for this "newly.awakened retrenchment — -a courtesy which "they were certainly entitled ;to demand. It is npfcorauns that the officers of the Telegraph Department .are the. worst paid-'cla-js of servants m the service *j- but even supposing that such were not the ea_.j' J it is to. he presumed that the varieius' officials fairly -earned the salaries allotted to them. If they did; any attempt at reduction^— or increase of labor, which is just the Bame. thing — is an injustice. If they did not, then the s Department has not been administered :pfr7pc.ioy m : ".the. past. Unfortunately, sections of the community. su,chas' telegraph operators have no orgaiiißed combination for their niuluai.^ protection, and consequently they are wholly at the mercy of any unscrnp^ who may be ambitious to obtaiu,a:reputa T tion-fqr econovny; without, considering for a mometil the 'justice of .his 'innpr Rations. It appears tovus that the dispute at present -at issue is one of that nature,- ; and may be fairly- cbaI racfcerised .as a struggle of might against rigjht, arid m this, ac m a*.l' similar cases, the weakest is sure to go ,to. the wall,, So._f a.r._ the Department has bad the best of it, as one by i one tho mutineers are returning to their allegiance, there being nothing to choose between the obnbxious terms and^a -finally relinquish ment of : their official positions. The Superintendent will win- 1 the day, but the victory is by no- m bans creditable one, nor is the r course pursued likely to create -oor*0 or* foster the. esprit de corps, which is one of the bulwarks efficiency m the Beryic9, ■.'.'■'..■