Taranaki Daily News. FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1917. A GRAVE SITUATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 April 1917, Page 4

Taranaki Daily News. FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1917. A GRAVE SITUATION.

The coal strike is becoming very serious. All the West Coast miners have "downed t0015.," and,they have been obediently folloiwed by the miners of other parts. Clearly the anarchial movement was prearranged, with a view to a comparatively small body of men imposing their ttill upon the rest of the community. The trouble had been simmering for quite a time. The strike, it,was anticipated, would break out after the

Christmas* holidays, but apparently the coal stocks of the country wore not quite low enough to suit the plans of the gentle, mining autocrats, so they adopted, means of achieving rneir abject—the '■' go-slow" policy. Meantime the Government, having adjusted the watersiders' differences, took a hand, arresting the ringleaders for infringing the laws, This action precipitated the strike. The miners have no grievances over their wages or conditions, '.which, it is admitted], are the best in tthe British Dominions. They i\re "up against" conscription, not hecause, it individually attests them, for coal mining is one of the exempted industries, but simply because the principle does not accord with their idea of the fitness of things. But they have no objection to conscripting—they are endeavouring themselves to conscript the rest of the Dominion. Parliament can make laws, but the miners are not subject to those laws when they do not suit them. They simply defy the laws. That] is the position. ■ Who are to rule New j Zealand— constitutional authority or the miners? The position is intolerable. To the. miners it does not matter who is inconvenienced or who suffers loss., They do not care whether the troopships have coal or anything else. The great producing industries necessary to feed the men at the front and those munition making at Home can stop altogether for all they care. Trains can stop running, business men ruined, the whole of the wheels of transportation may he stopped,—it is nil the same to them. The miners say conscription was not needed in Now Zealand, and Parliament had no right to pass the law. The presumption accords with their callous and irresponsible actions. What right have they to set themselves against the will and sense of the country as represented by the members of Parliament? If Cabinet were so foolish as to give way under this threat, it would put an end to constitutional government, for it would then be competent for any other section &f the community to say, "We don't believe in this Act. We will not obey It, and you can do your worst." Clearly government under such conditions would be impossible. We would soon descend to the chaotic state of Mexico. It is hard to believe all the miners are so unpatriotic as to wish to prevent New Zealand' from doing its share in winning the war. Possibly, as in the case of the Wailii gold-mining strike, the great bulk are influenced by irresponsible firebrands who act as leaders, bu» after the visit of 'Sir James Allen and the Hon. \V. J) S. MaeDonald, who no doubt will have pud the position and issue clearly before them, there will be no excuse for them should they continue their unreasonable attitude. They are being given every consideration; the law even is being stretched to allow thein an opportunity of reconsidering their actions. If sanity snd reason do not supervene upon the visit of the Ministers, well the gloves must be taicen off and the miners taught that they cannot with impunity hold up production and industry and interfere with the military arrangements. ' Constitutional authority cannot be defied, and the country ruined by the caprice of a small number of wrong-headed men. The Government, it is certain), will have the backing of practically the whole Dominion in any measure it may take to combat the miners and ensure a supply of coal, for everyone will be affected more or less. Already the Railway Department: has intimated its intention of cutting down as from Monday next the train services to bare essentials. Steamers are also being laid up, and big manufactories must soon close up. In Taranaki the various meat works, dairyfactories, industries and businesses of all descriptions must suffer from the practical stoppage of transportation. It is a critical situation indeed. If diplomacy fails, then other means must be adopted to save thecountry from hardship, financial lobs and inconvenience], and enable our military work to go on. The Government must prevail in the matter; the strikers never. Nothing would suit the Germans more than the holding up of the coal supplies of Britain and hercolonies. Britain is the key pin or the Allies, and shortage of coal would paralyse her. The New Zealand miners, if they could only see it, are doing the Kaiser's work just as effectively as if they were in the Hun trenches fighting against our own brave lads who are risking everything that we may live in safety and possess our freedom.