WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 February 1917, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

BREWING TROUBLE. THE SLOW STRIKE. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, Jan. 31. The position on the water front has not grown more satisfactory during the last day or two. The workers, still professing a desire for an amicable settlement of their differences with the employers, are adopting the old familiar means of forcing the hand of the other side. They are refusing to accept certain recognised methods of handling cargo, on the plea that they are unnecessarily laborious or dangerous, and are practising what is'popularly known as the slow strike, going about their work in such a leisurely fashion as *o give no adequate return for the payment they receive. Their purpose, of course, is to draw the employers into a conference at which the whole position might he discussed without any reference to the arbitration law, but at present there seems to be little likelihood of their succeeding along these lines.

THE THREE FACTORS. Just how far the bulk of the men approve of the tactics of their leaders it is difficult to discover. There undubtetilv is a large section, consisting mainly of married men with families and settled homes, that does not want to see a repetition of the fiasco of three years ago. This section stands for statutory arbitration and probably would ratht. detach itself from the Union and make sure of a fairly substantial substance than run the risks that would be invol\ed in the pursuit of an illusory shadow. Then there is another large section, taking a less responsible view of life, that would be glad to resume the oid quarrel with the added zest they imagine it would obtain from the prevalent discontent concerning the cost of living and the outcry in some quarters against conscription. Between these two extremes stands a third section, honestly convinced that the working man is entitled to a larger share than lie is receiving of the good things that are going but preferring to get it by constitutional means, and on the hearing of this section the ultimate decision of the workers will rest. THE EMPLOYERS' ATTITUDE.

The employers stand on the firm foundation of law and order, which has been vindicated in many another trial of strength, and, though in the opinion of many of their own friends they committed a tactical blunder in refusing to meet the men in friendly conference, they will have the great weight of public opinion with them. They can that the men are making good wages under the existing agreement, that their cei.ditions of labor are at least equal to those offered in any other part of the World and that the huge profits made by the shipping companies are not secured by sweating the workers in Now Zealand. Then there is the appeal of patriotism. The idea of a strike, passive or active, at this juncture is absolutely repugnant to the best sentiments of the Dminion, and without the sympathy of the mass of the people no strike, however well organised, can ever prevail,

SIDE ISSUES Naturally the cost of living and compulsory military service are "frequently mentioned in connection the labor unrest, usually to excuse the dissatisfaction of the men with their present conditions. The increased cost of living is a very good reason for demanding higher wages, and as a matter of fact it has been made the ground for many a successful appeal for better pay, but compulsory service, speaking generally, presses less hardly upon the manual workers than it docs upon any other class of the community. It takes no count of a man's worth in the laboi market. Whether earning £2 a week or £2O a week he receives just the same pay and just the same conditions when lie dons khaki, and the attempts to persuade the waterside worker tha» he is worse treated than the bank manager or the farmer when he goes inta c!tmp are as discreditable to their authors as they are unfair to the military system.

INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATION, The Industrial Efficiency Board, which is to meet in Wellington on Friday of this week, has to consider first a board scheme of organisation prepared by the acting Primbe Minister, Hon. J. Allen, and apparently not wholly approved by some of his colleagues. Cabinet, as tli'i Minister explained to a deputation today, was not prepared to adopt the scheme offhand and the Board, composed, of business men of high standing, is to make a report upon it and possibly suggest amendments.- The names of the four members of the Board, who are ':o serve without salary, have not yet been announced. When the Board has dealt with the general scheme, it will turn its attention to several knotty problems that require early solution. The Government wants to know what oujrlit to be done with the rapidly growing body of ballottcd men who are. not fit in a physical sense for service in the field but who are capable of rendering home service. These, men are being retained nominally us soldiers, with indefinite leave without pay, and the Government realises that some Of them at any rate could be used to relieve fit men for the trendies if the necessary organisation existed. The Military Service Act does not relievo from liability for service the unfit man Hinl the Dominion is within mensurable distance of the time when the continuance of recruiting for the forces will b» conditional upon the ability of the authorities to provide the means for maintaining essential industries.

STATE MKAT SUPPLIES. Wellington, February 1. Applicatins for supplies of meat from the freezing works, on the terms offered the butchers in Auckland, have reached the Board of Trade from several centres. The Hon. W. D. S. MaeDcnald, who is Minister in charge of the Imperial Supplies Branch as well as president of the Board of Trade, has made a definite and presumably firm offer to provide meat at Imperial prires in any centre where there is a shortage, on condition that tin retailers sell at prices regarded as reasonable by the Board of Trade. The Auckland Master Butchers' Association stijl refuses to accept this offer, but fiisborne and some other centres wish to nteept it. The Board of Trade may no' he able to deal with the matter at once. Its appears to be concentrated mi wheat at the present time, and several other subjects arc awaiting consideration. The meat supply scheme is encountering some streruoiß opposition, but there ! s no present reason to

doubt that its scope will be extended when the Board of Trade has time to consider the details. THE PRICE OF WHEAT. The position with regard to wheat remains uncertain. The Board of which lias given a great deal of consideration to the subject, is of opinion that tho farmers will grow all the wheat the Dominion requires if the Government makes a firm offer to buy at about 5s per bushel. The Hoard of Agriculture argues in favor of the offer of a higher price." The two hoards met in conference some, time ago, and subsequently tho Board of Trade made a recommendation to the Government. That recommendation has been refered hack to the Board for further consideration, and it is an easy guess that the members cf the Board are being asked, in effect, to raise their prices. Farmers, merchants, millers, bakers and consumers are all interested in this matter, and tue consumers alone have failed to 3>a,ke their voices heard during the course of the discussions.