The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1913. THE STRIKES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 56, 6 November 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1913. THE STRIKES.

1 litit the strike situation is most regrettably growing worse is undoubted. The larger ports are in a state of chaos and the situation is highly critical. There have been tierce encounters and several persons more or less seriously injured. High-handed disregard of law and order and attempts at mob rule have gone Irom bad to worse, and the country is determined the thing must end. For nearly two weeks Wellington lias been at the mercy of a dictatorial strike committee, and the time appears to have arrived when! it must be, at any cost, decided whe-| ther the Government chosen by the people of the Dominion or the agitator#! who arc hauling the Federation of Labour and its train of helpless victims, are to rule the land. On the I part of the authorities there has been I an almost unheard-of tolerance iti the face of criminal and outrageous acts, a tolerance which at least may he | commended from the standpoint that every opportunity - has been given to' allow reason and eomm on.sense to as - j serf themselves. Should the Itiot Act 1

bo read in Wellington to-day, which is more than a likely happening, idle and curious onlookers will at least keep out of the aggressive mob, otherwise they

must expect to he treated as the militant lawbreakers will he, and dispersed by force. All persons are liable to imprisonment for lilt' with hard labour, who continue together to the number of twelve for one hour after the reading of the proclamation. In the event

of a crowd failing to disperse force may be used ,and all members of the public can be called on to assist the authorities. Clause 100 of the Act provides that all persons are liablej to imprisonment with hard labour for life who, being riotously and tumultu-j ously assembled together to the dis-j turbance of the public peace, unlaw-, fully and with force demolish or at-, tempt to demolish or pull down any; building, machinery, bridge, wagon-1 wav, or such erection. Moreover, a!

penalty of seven years’ imprisonment 1 , is provided for any persons injuring or: damaging the things mentioned above J We are confident that the great body I of workers in the cities are with their brother-workers on the land in the desire for industrial peace and the maintenance of that law and order and security which have hitherto been the nation’s boast. Their position is most difficult, for driven into unionism even against* their will, and led from that onward by tbe plausibility of men who live by industrial disturbance, they have gone to lengths they never dreamt of, in a spirit of loyalty to their fellow-workers. That they are

wrong they must now, soon surely realise, and when once they do that the way will he quickly cleared for the

peaceful carrying on of all the rightful acts and movements of trade, commerce, industry, and even life.