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The Daily News. THURSDAY, APRIL 5. 1917. THE MIXERS' STRIKE.

The struggle between the Government and the miners has now reached an acute stage, and the issue depends on whether the law is enforced in sucli a way as to bring the defiant miners to their senses. Hitherto the adoption of a strike as a means for gaining the men's ends has been a powerful weapon which, coupled with the weakness engendered by political powen,. has met with success. War conditions have entirely altered theibearing of a strike on essential industries, and the men are up against entirely new conditions, inasmuch as striking or inciting to strike are punishable offences. Instead of realising the national and imperial importance of producing the utmost in their

power, tlio coal miners have sot their face against the law of the land, and deliberately ignored the needs of this crucial period. It is almost unbelievable jthat.any section of workers should have turned their backs on a manifest duty and thereby forfeited all title to be regarded as men. Not content with being exempted from military service, by reason of being engaged in an essential industry, they have played a trick in their work that marks them as absolutely beyond the pale of good citizenship and perilously near being traitors to their country. By instituting the "go-slow" policy, and restricting the output of coal while at the same time applying for exemption from military service, they brought matters to a crisis, the Military Service Board intimating that unless the fair average output iwas maintained the exemptions would be cancelled. Then the miners began to show their teeth and a strike agitation was set going. This was met by the arrest of several union officials and raids by the police on the Miners' Union offices, the arrests being presumably in connection with tho "go-slow" policy and with inciting to strike. The latest development is that the State miners, with those at Blackball and Paparoa have downed tools. This foolis'h and arbitrary action brings all concerned within the clutches of tho law. The time has now arrived when tho Government must use a firm and strong hand 1 in dealing iwith these lawbreakers, in the 6ame way as the British Government dealt with the (Barrow strikers and brought them to reason.' The latest so-called grievance of the miners is the uismissal of the appeal of Semple and others against their conviction for seditious utterances, but this will avail the cause not one particle. If the miners will not give a fair day's work, then their exemption from military service should be cancelled and others take their place in the mines while the malcontents are given a lesson in obedience under military orders. If the Government does not root out this evil now, it will be an admission of incapacity and weakness that will cost the .country dearly. The exceptional war legislation passed to meet troubles of this character should be vigorously and rigorously applied, no matter iwhat the consequences may be, and the defiant miners should be taught a lesson that will show all those engaged in essential industries that there can be no shirking of work or flouting of the law. The times demand that every man shall do liia best, and there must be no toleration of the workers who do their worst.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19170405.2.17

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1917, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
558

The Daily News. THURSDAY, APRIL 5. 1917. THE MIXERS' STRIKE. Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, APRIL 5. 1917. THE MIXERS' STRIKE. Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1917, Page 4

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