The Sun WEDNESDAY, MAT 30, 1928. THE RIGHT TO STRIKE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 367, 30 May 1928, Page 8

The Sun WEDNESDAY, MAT 30, 1928. THE RIGHT TO STRIKE

IT is a far cry from Australia to Sweden, but they are as neighbouring countries in respect of industrial troubles. Each has had more than a tolerable share of strikes, while in both the extreme Socialist is a constant provocative cause of unrest and, on occasions, a notorious disturber of industrial peace. In some ways the articulate Socialist in Stockholm is more fluent and aggressive than his international Labour comrade in Sydney. Does not Sweden enjoy the unique record of having moved the legal machinery of the State to prosecute a Socialist journalist for having libelled Signor Mussolini? The competent scribe asserted bluntly that the Italian dictator was a madman, endangering the peace of the world. That incident, quite trivial in itself, serves to reveal the temper of Labour in Sweden against those who attempt to shackle the proletariat. It also indicates how keen the opposition of Swedish Socialists will be to the Conservative Government’s new legislation providing mainly for the abolition of the right to strike and also for the creation of a system of compulsory arbitration and State tribunals. It is reported from Stockholm that the Labour bodies have declared their intention to ignore the law which, they predict will ensure the return of the Socialists to power at the next election. From a Labour point of view the Swedish Government’s legislation ought to be hailed as an extraordinarily good enactment. The Reform Government here had better take heed and decline to introduce an Industrial Peace Bill. No wonder the Labour delegates to the recent conference for the promotion of industrial peace, stood four-square for compulsory arbitration! Bid, the reason for the Swedish enactment, which will he about as effective in practice as a turnip—was the great industrial upheaval throughout Sweden and Lapland last year. It began with a lock-out, and quickly assumed the scope and character of a national strike. Sixty thousand labourers in the mining, sawmilling, and wood-pulp industries were affected at first, but sympathy strikes soon followed, and these spread to the navy yards at Karlskrone and Stockholm. The Government’s attempts at mediation failed. And now the politicians whose calibre and genius for statesmanship are no better and no worse than those of political administrators all over the world, have taken drastic action in the hope of making an end to strikes. Quife obviously, the statesmen of Sweden have not heard that compulsory arbitration and State tribunals have not prevented strikes in New Zealand or in Australia.

It is to he noted, of course, that Sweden intends to abolish the right to strike. The idea is most excellent in intention, but the world has yet to see its success in practice. Experience has proved that the prohibition of strikes is about as futile as the right to strike. There is no necessity to elaborate the old truth that the strike is a stupid, wasteful, barbarous weapon which merely hurts the fools who wield it. Every worker knows that quite well, but his knowledge does not keep him from tampering with the destructive instrument. Workers retain it because centuries of oppression have bequeathed to them the belief that, without the right to strike, their grievances would rarely ever be redressed.

As for the results of the right to strike, Australia, at the moment, provides the most conspicuous proof of its stupidity. After twelve weeks’ disruption of Australian coastal shipping trade the marine cooks have been beaten to their knees. Their cake has become dough, to he kneaded at the will of the shipowners.

THE MAMAKU ROAD SCANDAL

rIE people of Auckland and Rotorua have small reason to be satisfied with the operations of the Main Highways Board or to repose any confidence in its capacity to do the job for which it was appointed. The Sun has repeatedly called attention to the failure of the Board to keep the main south road in a reasonable state of repair, but its neglect in this direction is trifling compared to its bungling in connection with the Mamaku Bush road. Last summer the residents of Rotorua and others interested dipped their hands in their pockets and provided £I,OOO toward the cost of providing an all-weather road through the Mamaku Bush. The Highways Board gave an undertaking that in return for this contribution the work would be put in hand and completed before the winter. The winter has arrived and the state of the road in places beggars description. Returned soldiers who saw some pretty bad roads in Flanders say that the Mamaku is infinitely worse than anything they had to travel over during the war.

It is no comfort to be told that the board has relieved the contractor of the work and has turned it over to somebody else. Competent contractors with money and the necessary plant were available and should have been employed. The board as a trustee for the public ought to have satisfied itself before letting a contract that there was a reasonable chance of it being carried out to schedule time. Apart from the inconvenience, the delay, the danger to life and limb, and the injury to Rotorua through having its road communication practically.cut off, the cost of construction under winter conditions is going to be very much greater than it need have been. Latest reports indicate that in several places the foundation of the road is gone and vast quantities of heavy metal will require to be carted to fill the enormous holes that have opened up. In The Sun’s opinion the Highways Board is in as much need of reconstruction as the road.