GRAVITY OF POSITION.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1917, Page 5

GRAVITY OF POSITION.

i _ MASS MEETINGS SUGGESTED, 'h Hastings, Last Nlgut. , '' The Chamber of Commerce to-night V discussed tlie seriousness of the Indus* 1 trial unrest at present manifesting Itselt in the coal-mining districts of New Zea* ' ■ land, and passed the following retolu* * ' tion:—"This Cliamber suggest* than ■'. mass meetings be held in all centres tflj »'' give an expression of public opinion otv :' f the action of men resorting to the atriln - '' weapon during the crisis of the wn for democracy and individual liberty ano} ■ •'' feels confident that the better teste et„ ~ the people of the Dominion, expressed a* \" such mass meetings, will lead tie strikl, A ' ers to realise the seriousness of tiieU, it action asd return to wort.". ' .( 'K i ' .." , ' "'$ i ■■ \ MINISTERS FIRM. J ON ENFORCEMENT OP MHJTA«S Ji< ACT. : "" ' .-; (From Our Own Correspoadeat.) . ;' Wellington, April 1«. • 'jj Developments in connection with thi. f% coal strike await the result of the visit! '$ that is being paid to tho West Coast bj] - -?i Sir James Allcn'and the Hon. W. D.' S, , "'v> Mac Donald. If the struggle is going ttft \$ bo prolonged), then one of the Govern*? ,'uj inent's Arab measures will be a reduction of railway services even more draatio ';' than the reduction arranged "to taktti 1 place at the end of this month for the ,* purpose of releasing men for mlUUrjl *~. service. ' . ' ! ,;' The nlanic will lie upon the shoulder* *£ of the men who have chosen to cut off ,]& the supply of coal in support of their de« ! \i mand that the Military Service Act shall' '-. lie repealed, or, in other words, that Now ■ Zealand shall cease to send forward the . ~ ; - reinforccment drafts at full strength. . . 1 The Government may find it necessarjl-i j. to'take precautions to reduce the publia and private consumption of coal in other • t \ respects in the event of the coal-miner* • ,'s proving obdurate. Some measures have ' ,J been under consideration already. Tha > Minister* are still hopeful of a settle J incut without the necessity for proceed' T > ing to extremes. but they stand firmly and unitedly for the enforcement of- the, , Military Service Act,.and they .ire re« ;"$ solved licit (o bend to «.i demand that *" ; New Zealand shall become dependent f'i again on the voluntary .system for tli» - ■> din-barge "f >ta obligations in connection with the war. If the miners arc really ' {-' going to Ivy to break down the compuW •*, wiry system, the struggle may be pro« longed, and arrangements will require \ bo made accordingly. ' . ' *