WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE COAL STRIKE, PROTESTS AGAINST ROYAL COMMISSION. Special Correspondent.)' Wellington, August 28Th e resolution adopted by the Wellington Employers' Association last night, expressing approval of the action of the Coal-mine Owners' Association in refusing to confer with the Coal-miners' Federation. protesting against the proposal to set up a Royal Commission to deal with Ibe question of miners' wages dur;:>g tlie currency of an industrial agreemcit between the parties and ''entreating" Hie Government not to force a con•ferenpe upon tlie Owners' Association, is meeting with a very mixed reception in the city this morning. There* is little .-ympathy among business men with the strikers, but many of them think the owners have prejudiced a good case in the eyes of the public hy persistently refusing to meet the representatives of the men in conference. They could have done this without any loss of dignity at the beginning of tlie trouble and by jnvitim; a full and frank round-the-taWe discussion would have disarmed much of the criticism that is now being levelled against them.

THE MINERS' MISTAKE. But the owners' mistake in this respect. if it was a mistake, is not Winding the general public to the blunders of the men. jHad the miiA's submitted their claim for a review of the existing industrial agreement, el' tlie ground of the increase in the cost of living, without any talk of cea»ing work, they would have received a very sympathetic hearing from the country. The users of coal are suffering at least as much as the winners of coal arc from high prices and exploitation of one kind and another, nnd they would have welcomed an open discussion of the whole position. But. the miners, without even waiting for the Government to investigate the position, took the law 7 into their own hands, regardless of the interests of the rest of the community, and so went far to estrange the public opinion that would have been their most powerful ally in a just cause.

LABOR'S VIEW. The feeling among the workers here is very well expressed by the resolution passed by the meeting of railway servants at Tauraarunui. Royal Commissions are not mucli in favor with busy, practical men in .these days and arc popularly regarded as devices for shifting responsibility from the shoulders of Ministers. Whatever may happen, whether there is a strike or not, the workers will place the blame upon the Government i.nd give it no credit for its intervention. Their view is that the Government should have insisted upon a conference between the parties, and that, in the event of their disagreeing, should have knocked their heads together and settled th'j mat'trr itself. It is understood that while a minority of the Cabinet was inclined towards something of this kind, the majority was not disposed to take the risk of such a summary proceeding. WAITING DEVELOPMENTS. The executive of the Mine Owners' Association is now sitting here, considering whether the owners shall confer with the .miatives of the men or whotl;*. :.e Government shall be left to appoint the ißoval Commission. Tho executive is supported in the attitude it has maintained hitherto not only by the Wellington Association, but also by 'employers' associations throughout the Dominion, and it is expected it will persist in its refusal to meet the men and will discountenance the Royal Commission. Just what would happen if this should prove to be the case no one seems to know. The Government has gone a long way towards condoning the action of the men in striking by' promising the appointment of a Royal Commission, and it is being contended by many people that in the event of further trouble it must assume temporary control of the mines.