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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 956, 29 June 1881, Page 2

We dare say there are grievances on both sides, when w’e find one party clamouring for alleged rights, and the other resisting on the ground of alleged wrongs. So it doubtless, was with the strike last year amongst the Government telegraphists. “ Doctor” Lemon had so indoctrinated his employees with the acerbity of his official temperament, that they in turn, became so acidulated, as to coagulate into opposition, and fly to evils that they knew not of, rather than bear the fardels of their oppressor. It is well known that the telegraphists “ struck,” and put the Government and the public _ to a considerable inconvenience, but, as is usual, the mighty tyrant always conquers, and the weaker vessel goes to the wall. Nevertheless, it would have been more m consonance with the dignity supposed to attach to Crown representatives, to let the poor deyils alone, and not stand in the way of them getting their future bread. But *lohnny Hall ” Government does not think so. It thinks if a man does what it, or

they think wrong, he must be hounded to the death. According to our latest Parliamentary advices we find the following :—“ Mr. Johnston said Government had not communicated with the Government of any of the Australasian Colonies desiring them not to employ telegraphic officials dismissed or retired from the service of this Colony. The names of certain parties who had taken a prominent part in the recent strike were, however, reported to the Telegraph Departments of these Colonies.” There is a neat little bit of “ fencing ” for the newly-appointed member of the Government ! Those telegraphists may have been wrong in the action they took to protect themselves. But is the Government right to set the bloodhounds of persecution after them and hunt them to the grave ? Many of them (we know of such) have families of their own, or other relatives to support on the most miserable pittance of any department in the Civil Service. The telegraph is one of the most important, and it is, also, one of the hardest worked, and most underpaid in the Colony ; and yet, forsooth, because the officers are goaded to desperation by an incompetent tyrant, the {Government backs up the tyranny with a petty feeling unbecoming the spitefulness of a street pad ; it sets its official trackers to work, and, inferentially, requests that the recalcitrant telegraph cials may uot receive employment in any Go® vernment under the sun. Really it is timer * that Parliament had a say in the matter of the Civil Service of this Colony.