Parliament and the Strike Prisoners.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 87, 8 November 1912, Page 4

Parliament and the Strike Prisoners.

The great value of keeping something going and doing—of anything rather than apathy and inertia —is usefully attested by the big debate in Parliament arising out of the petition of Timaru citizens ancnt the union prisoners.

We heartily congratulate those who organised the petition and those wdio signed it—and we think the numerical strength of the petition proportionate to the population covered must convince any reasonable person that the feeling of the country is dead against tho iniquitously brutal jailings of strikers for doing no tiling.

Argue as any critic may till doomsday and nothing can get over the elementary fact that the men are in prison for doing nothing. They are in jail because they would not be bound over to refrain from doing something entirely imaginary and hypothetical— and no 'more deserve prison than any civilian walking any street at this present hour. The position is farcical even though it is also damnable

And it is also fact that the imprisonment of Waihi. strikers in order to get them out of the way is largely responsible for the increased bitterness since manifested at Waihi. The de-criers of tho Waihi womenfolk conveniently forget that the virtual kidnapping of husbands, sweethearts and friends was itself the provocation to militancy. We'll wager that because of these failings there isn't a worker or worker's wife in Waihi left with a shred of respect for the law, and that hereafter ail references to the dignity and justness of the law will be received with cynical and sardonic derision. This is tho fruit of law stooping to palpable bias and intimidation in order,that mine-owners rifcight conquer. That debate iiiSj'arliamcnt should bo closely read and filed. For some reason, and let credit lie given for it, the "Times" gave by far the fairest and longtihiest report of it. The other Wellington papers did not report the speeches, but outlined the proceedings in their usual doctoring fashion—and if you question the fairness or legitimacy of this procedure they'll tear a passion to tatters in pious indignation, humbugs and hypocrites as they are.

But each daily paper ! n Wellington made the, most of the division to scream about "abetting disorder" and to lecture the 21 men who hadn't swallowed, as it turned out, all the newspaper fustian respecting the union prisoners and the strike. Lord, how they are lecturing 'cm—yet how mild all the .speeches to what might have been done in tho way of exposure. The Commissioners' "secret" report.—o decadent democracy that hides its public documents! —the sending of police to Waihi to make disturbance immediately afterwards, and next tho arrests and inagis-. terial mafficking! Fino revelations lie in and about, these doings—with every experienced man well aware, that the courti proceedings at Waihi cannot bear investigation, with almost every canon of jurisprudence violated.

It is noticeable that, the "N.Z. Times" —never .backward in. burlesquing Shamreform (as it calls Masseydom) and in pointing iho sarcasms of its ''square deal" —has approbation to the full for Governmental firmness in keeping the union prisoners in loathsome cells; and how the devil it expects to delude people that ii, lias any real quarrel with Shnmretorm ye are at a loss to fathom. It will be found in all things viial that a-, against the-work-ing-class the AVc'liugion dailies speak with one voice. Tito "Dominion" having, in most approved larrikin stylo, berated tho Waihi "rowdies" and "lawless" Fedoraand rends the voters for re-

"It is astonishing that the 20 odd men who voted against the Government should have made so serious a blundor. Their names are worth recording for future reference: Messrs. Atmore, Brown, Colvin, Clark, Craigie, Ell, Glover, Hindmarsh, Isitt, Laurenson, Macdonald, ii. McKenzie, Parata, Payne, Poland, liangihiroa, ItusSell, Seddon, Sidey, .'. C. Thomson, and Vcitch. It is proper to add that Messrs. Buddo, Davey, Dickie, Forbes, Hanan, McCallum, Myers, Wilford, and Witty voted with the Government. They apparently recognise that there aro times wdien party interests must l)e subordinated to the interests of the nation, and it is to their credit that they cast their votes to ensure a proper observance of law and order."

Wo, too, urgo our readers to note these names —to preserve the division list given elsewhere —and to swear solemnly that as far as they can see to it the enemies to release shall bite the dust. If it comes k> the workers v. "Dominion"-ites best profiting by remembrance we have little doubt as to which shall first wish to forget.

W r e wish now to say that, differing widely from Mr. Payne, we will not quietly look on and see him inßulted and "sot" without resenting it and fighting it. It is obvious that the papers and some alleged "gentlemen" of the House are bent on making bis lota and life intolerable by mean and contemptible ostracism and "ragging" just because Mr. Payne knows the real inwardness of things a bit, and will not play to their liking the dirty game of the plute politicians and the papers.

As far as Mr. Payne's attack on Mr. Harris goes, the latter deserved all he got. A pretty specimen Harris to rant about law and order and tihe justice of punishing for law-breakingl Even legally estimated not a striker in jail who has behaved so illegally as Mr. Payne alleges Mr. Harris has behaved. This Harris has probably been the most offensive and malicious critic of the Waihi strikers, and has said in effect that the union prisoners did not deserve better treatment than twelve months' hard labor on starvation diet. And when last week he got a taste of his own physic he almost cried. There are a few others, such as Iceberg Herdman and Bully Bradney, who ought to get all they give.

We would be the last paper in New Zealand to throw up a man's past to him except under exceptional circumstances, and we are the last paper to think that Harris did anything wrong in breaking the law—only he did break the law, and should shut up about others breaking the law to a less punishable degree. HIS shriek of law and order again demonstrates that there are none so respectable and canting as they who cloak their apostasy or their ascent in out-Heroding their newlyfound cast© in blackening the sins they once inclined to.

As the union prisoners are to be kept in jail we trust that the workers of New Zealand will the more determinedly insist that the union prisoners must come out of jail—and keep up the release agitation by holding meetings, preparing petitions, deputationising Parliamentarians, making the subject the forenioßt/ one at "recess" meetings and in the papers—and generally acting as a fierce force rightly struggling for their champions to be freed.