The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1917. THE AUSTRALIAN STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 September 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1917. THE AUSTRALIAN STRIKE.

The special news of the Australian strike which lias just come to hand by mail, lifts the veil which a. rigid censorship created by preventing news being sent by cablegrams. The details of the happenings make sorry reading, and em- | p.hasise the fact that the fight put up | by the workers was merely a trial of | strength as to whether they or the Government should rule. The workers were confident that they were so thor- [ onghly organised that unless their demands were acceded to they could so paralyse industry, the transport services, and the lighting and heating supplies, that the public would force the Government to come to terms, fortunately the recent elections gave a clear indication that the great majority of the people were 011 the side of law and order, with I i' result that the Government took up an attitude of ilrniness and determination to which they have rigidly adhered. Volunteera were called for and came forward in a steady stream, camps being formed {or their use. Some of the men remained loyal and had to put up with all the odium that their loyalty involved, a few being in danger of losing their lives. There is no question, Aowthat at times the position was little short of alarming, and it is probable that but for the precautions taken, by the Government there would have been considerable loss of life and immense damage to property. Australia, has been dominated by Unionism in its worst form—an organisation not for the uplifting of the workers but for placing supreme power in the hands of the extremists. It is possible that some such upheaval a 9 the present was needed to drive home the lesson which this strike cannot fail to have taught the people. It has revealed only too clearly that unrestrained license is a menace to the community and that the best interests of a country can only be secured by the maintenance of a stable Government and a loyal adherence to the basic principles of true democracy—the greatest good for the greatest number. This certainly cannot be obtained by defiance of the law, nor by dastardly outrages and riotous behaviour. When it is considered that something like 100,000 men were 011 strike and so few outrages were committed the strikers on the whole may justly claim some credit for their moderation, but having allowed this there is nothing further to be said in their favor. They held up the railway, tramway, and shipping services, stopped the supply of coal and seriously affected the gaa service besides paralysing trade and industry generally. Several cases of shooting occurred and explosives were discovered ready for carrying out wholesale destruction of property if not of lives. Efforts at mediation failed, for the simple reason that the men had created a situation that necessitated tlio Government inviting volunteers to carry on the work, and the Government stood firm for an unconditional surrender, as 1 it had to protect the men who had ! to its aid. Xo imagination is required to grasp the fact that the iooolossal. the weekly wages loss in X'.ir South Wales being estimated at cjort--01)0, while scores of small )':■ - ■ ies have had to close down. T!..> i.,vernnients are to be congratulate! ... the lkc of action they laid dowft

carried out. Had tlioy shown the slightest weakness or indecision the strikers would have won and the future of Australia would have been in jeopardy. At the best the strike weapon is a clumsy contrivanco that will probably wound the user rather than tho intended victims, but when it is wielded at a time of the greatest and most exacting crisis in the world's history it is a monster that needs laying 'by tho heels, One may well stand aghast at the spectacle of a vast and prosperous Continent like Australia' being in a state of seething industrial revolt. It may be that this social thunderstorm had to eventuate in order to clear the air, hut it has proved that only a policy of firmness can win through and the people should loyally support the Statu and Federal Governments iu any legislation that will render a, recurrence of such an upheaval extremely difficult it not absolutely impossible. Apparently the trouble is almost over, and it is to be hoped normality will soon be regained. Much, however, will depend on what measures are taken to uproot the prime cause of the evil, for without that there will be no security for the future, There is quite enough warfare at present without the addition of unnecessary and' unjustifiable internal strife.