WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 19 April 1917, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE COAL STRIKE. STILL UNSETTLED. v (Special Correspondent.}V, WELLINGTON. April" Ift So far the efforts of Sir James ABea and the Hon. W. D. 8. MacDonald appear to have effected no improvement in the position on the West Coast, and the delay in reaching a settlement jfaf the trouble is causing a good deal tsf uneasiness throughout the community. Just what significance should be attached to the telegram which the secretary of the United Federation of Labour has addressed to the Acting Prime Minister is difficult to say, but the message certainly dues not represent the views of the great mass of the workers here, who. however much, they may disapprove of the principle of conscription in the abstract, realise the importance of the Dominion discharging its obligations to the Empire fully and promptly at the present stage in the great national crisis. They deny the right of the Federation to speak on. their behalf in this respect and protest that the organisation is doing Labour an incalculable injury by prejudicing it in the eyes of electors whose political co-operation it will need after the war. EAILWAY SERVICES. The fact that the negotiations between the Ministers and the mmcytfs on the West Coast are not progressing aa smoothly as it was hoped they would, is brought home to the public this morning by an announcement from the Minister of Eailways that "consequent ori the serious shortage of coal throughout New Zealand" the staff-saving schema which was to have been inaugurated at the beginning of nest month will be brought into operation on Monday next in an even more drastic form than was originally contemplated. In addition to, restricting the passenger service to the very barest necessities, the goods service will be confined to the carriage of food-stuffs and other absolute essentials. Timber, fencing material, iron, straw, lime, and a number of other articles in constant demand will not be accepted till the fuel position is again assured. THE POSITION FOEESEEN. It may be as well to state, what is now an open secret, that the heroie measures now determined upon were discussed by a Cabinet a week ago. The Minister of. Bailwayswas prepared even then to take the'drastic steps now forced upon the Government, but after careful consideration it was decided to put the case frankly to the miners before going to extremes. The visit of Sir James. Allen and Mr MacDonald to the Coast was the result of this determination, and it now rests with the men on strike to say whether or not public shall be put to the serious inconvenience and grave loss in which the restricted railway services will involve every section of the community. Mr. Herries has made this point quite clear, in his announcement and the miners will ha%-e pnly' themselves to blame if they have to bear the onus of dislocating the whole transport system .of theDominion.

SANE LABOUR. While irresponsible agitators under* various disguises are trying to stir up strife over the administration of the Military Service Act the sane rcprecentatives of Labour, among whom Mr. A. H. Hindmarch and Mr. W. A. Veit'eh. arc the most conspicuous figures at the moment, are attempting to arouse the workers to a proper sense of their responsibilities. These gentlemen arc not talking of the conscription of wealth as if it wer e desirable to march off the treat land-holder's acumulated thousands to the war; but are emphasising the point that the accumulated thousands already are at the disposal of the State to be taken by any equitable system of taxation and employed in ameliorating the condition of the less fortunate members of the community. Speaking at Petone last night, the member for Wellington South urged an audience of local rate-payers to bve preparing for the next parliamentary election, which would decide how the enormous burdens of the war were to bo borne, and how the governing institutions of the country were to be brought into harmony with the ideals and aspirations of the mass of the people. It was a wholesome and inspiring note after the wearisome fulminations of the spokesmen of the Federation of Labour.