The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1917. IS IT REBELLION?

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 11 April 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1917. IS IT REBELLION?

("With which is incorporated The Taihape Post and Waimarino News).

Notwithstanding the fact that coalniiners hitherto employed in the West Coast mines are very nearly nil out on strike, nobcdy seems to be at all alarmed, and, in fact, few people appear to have but a hazy idea that there is any strike at all. There is a serious shortage of coal at the present time, but when -weather conditions change, as they naturally will do, if some steps are not taken to induce th e men to return to work, this shortage must amount to .a veritable famine. Hospitals and other public institutions are already experiencing considerable inconvenience, and as prices are commencing to move up it is apparent that a time of real hardship lies ahead for the ordinary householder. Very little is being heard about this trouble with tTie miners; it is being regarded either with indifference or contempt by those who have j been placed in power to assure all I public conveniences being kept unimpaired. Its initial stages commenced

sometime in February; the men asked [for conditions which amounted to about a 17 per cent, rise in wages. After various conferences the men were offered 7 per cent. This the miners' delegates refused, they reported to their respective unions, and an almost universal cessation of work is the result. Ordinary householders have, >however, very little interest in what led up to the trouble; they elected men to condu«t the public business in the best possible manner, and they will, no doubt, sooner or later come to the conclusion that if those men are incapable they must give way to others more astute and far-seeing. Why this dislocation in the coal output is being hushed up, mysteriously blanketed, or surrounded with an atmosphere of secrecy is not at all obvious. But what is obvious is that the people of New Zealand will shortly be in dire stress for want of that coal which it is the first duty of tBTe Government to have made available. Still, the coal strike goes on, and has every appearance of going on and extending. There are indications that certain members of the Government distin'cTly favour punitive methods where it is obvious the public interest demands, if not palliation, then at least an honest desire to avoid anything that will accentuate the trouble. Ministers have rushed into scare-mongering, stating that the strike is not a strike, it is rebellion pure and simple. If it is rebellion then there is no room for dallying, for that amounts to compromise, and to compromise in rebellion is to share the guilt. In the next breath, however, they place their suggestio falsi in more correct relationship to facts. They feel quite sure that the majority of the miners have acted without proper understanding. In other words that they are not guilty of rebellion, as without intent the men can scarcely be deemed to be so. As before stated, the people of the Dominion have no care about how the trouble arose. It was always contemplated these and similar troubles would arise and men were elected to attend to such matters for them. They want coal, and if the coal is not forthcoming the elected or appointed administrators will be asked for an account of their stewardship. This coal dispute is now two months* old, a fact that does not add to the credit or the ability, or even the honest endeavour of those placed in power to deal with suqh ; matters.. Instead of reasoning with the men they shout rebellion and conjure up visions of soldiers called out, despairing "women and children fleeing before shining bayonets, or, just civil war. Of course, it is all nonsense; there is no rebellion, and should that state be reached in the present trouble it will be owing solely to the insane neglect of duty by somebody. If Ministers are assured that the majority of miners are acting without a full understanding, is it not criminal to continue to refrain fr<wn pointing out to the misguided men what their acts may lead to. We do not suggest there may not be vicious men of the I.W.W. ilk taking a hand in engineering the strike, for we believe there are; men who care noth-

ing about th e good of the masses, and who would not, and, do not, hesitate to

urge men to criminal acts. But to cry rebellion, when the obviously proI per course is to supply a corrective to ! the men's understanding is nothing short of unwarrantable scare-monger-ing. The men seem to be drifting under the spell of those who ar e urging the commitment of a serious offence* just because those who should have made no effort to open their eyes to the danger ahead. This coal strike is insignificant beside the labour troubles in Britain, in which the British Prime Minister, and Members of the British Cabinet did not think it belittling to their dignity to personally explain to the men the other side of the question.