Rangitikei Advocate. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1908. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9074, 14 February 1908, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1908. EDITORIAL NOTES.

UNDER the title of “Defenceless Scotland’’ Mr H. W. Wilson contributes an article to [the National Review, which is specially interesting in connection with the discussions regarding the British Navy. He points out that the problem of invading Britain becomes practicable when the available British force sinks to 100,000 or 50,000 men, and after showing the increase in the German Navy, which only one object, he goes on to show that some foreign writers expect Scotland to be the point of attack, as it is practically destitute of troops, its towns are not fortified, and it has no coast defences. But says Mr Wilson, it may be asked, what could a force disembarked in Scotland effect—a force say of 80,000 men, to take a manageable total, for which there is always abundant transport in the German ports at every season, and which can be assembled in a few hours? Concentrating on Edinburgh, and holding that city up to ransom and requisition, it could advance on Glasgow, and destroy the great shipbuilding yards on the Clyde, after exacting a satisfactory indemnity from the wealth of Scotland's commercial metropolis. The mere fact that an invading army, the numbers of which would always be multiplied by rumour, was ashore and on British soil would have a prodigious effect upon British credit. In a few hours Consols would fall to 50, and confidence, which is the

basis -of commerce, would 'be destroyed;-. From Emden to Leith is a distance of but 400 miles, which can be coyered by the., ..** tramp’ ' steamer in forty hours, or by the fast liner in twenty. The, advance guard of an invading force, .leaving Hamburg at ten at night, could be off Dundee or Leith at nightfall on the following evening. If the British Fleet had in the meantime concentrated in the, neighbourhood of Dover or on the Thames mouth? it 'would be 400 miles away, .and could not arrive, even if it had to fight no battle, in less than thirty-five or forty hours. If the main British force, the Channel Fleet, were at some point farther to the west, which if not infrequently is, the condition would be still more unfavourable and the delay longer. In any case its commander’s plight would be a difficult one. There would doubtless be demonstrations of landings in all directions, perhaps even on the west coast, and the admiral might have to wait definite news before risking a movement with the mass of his fleet. The comparatively small coal-supply of the modern warship forbids any precipitate decision, as a false move would exhaust much coal and diminish the fleet’s radius of action. The of the fleet, unless the fleet instantly available were of overwhelming force, which it is not, would be equally inexpedient. No able commander-in-chief will face the danger of being beaten in detail. A certain delay to obtain accurate information must therefore be added to the time necessarily taken in steaming north,and to that again must be added the delay caused by the battle which is probable.

SOME light is thrown on the subject of the opposition to immigration, and the demand for “preference to unionists” by the experience of a recent arrival from London. arrived .in the " Papauui on January 20th with his wife and a child six months old and since then had vainly endeavoured to obtain work at his trade of a painter. He had been employed motor-painting'lu London, and therefore, presumably, is qualified to wield a brush. But even the vaunted Lapbour Department could not secure him any employment though he offered his services at anything, as his wife and child were ill and he had only 18s left he applied to the Wellington Benevolent Trustees for assistance. The applicant is 25 years of age and had paid his passage out to this country in which unionists deny the right of others to earn a living. “You say you have been to the Labour Bureau?” asked the Chairman of the young man, who was called before the Board—“ Yes, they can’t get me anything. . The Union laws prevent me from getting on as a painter, they say, as I am not a competent workman. ’ ’ A Trustee : “That’s the whole trouble.” The young man, who appeared delicate in health, and slight of build, continued that he had been offered work on the Main Trunk Line, but was afraid..that with the system of piece work up there he would not be able to earn enough to support his wife and child. He could not take them with him in their present condition. A Trustee: “You don’t look like a promising navvy! You say you have been all round the place trying to get work at your trade?” Yes, sir. ” “Well, we will grant you temporary aid, because your case seems a hard one, and we will do all we can for you; but keep up heart and look round again in the meantime and yon are bound to succeed in picking up something. ” The unions appear to be a shade worse than the haughty landlord depicted by Burns, who, at least gave “his fellow worm” ‘ ‘ leave to toil. ’ ’ If Burns: had seen the working of labour unionism lie would no doubt have added a few pungent verses to his poem on “Man’s inhumanity to man.”

ALMOST simultaneously with the Premier's allegation, at Karaugahake to the effect that the Arbitration Act has prevented strikes, came the news that the butchers at Pareora had struck because of some dispute about smoking and the discharge of an offender against the rules. And if men will defy the law and strike for ’such a trivial cause, can any sane person believe that they will refrain from striking if an industrial award is against them? Are our politicians blind that they cannot see the indications that the Act is a farce, so far as the labour unions are concerned? They deride its provisions and defy the edicts of the Court. The Act is of course cherished by its parents, who would be unnatural if they did not find excuses for its defects and dangers. But is it possible that Sir Joseph does not realise that while it has no effect in preventing strikes, while it encourages and fosters a continuous strike, it is powerless to restrain the unions from excesses, and at the same time it cripples and shackles the employers, who have no defence? The public of course have to pay for it. It is true that strikes in the older ..lands are productive of temporary aissaster, but it is questionable whether this is not preferable to the never-ending strike and continuous spoliation of industries which occur' under our Act, which operates in the interests of one class only. This is apart from the question of whether many strikes would occur in the other countries if the agitators could be deported. The Premier also appears to have con-

u,r< V r V u , ■ —* —. ~y 1 '■ 1 ' fused the anarchist movement against 1 law and order of any kind with the, operation of trades unionism. £.