LABOR UNREST.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1920, Page 4

LABOR UNREST.

ITS INFLUENCE ON INDUSTRY. FARMERS SUPPORT GOVERNMENT. The injurious eti'cct on industry of the .attitude taken up by extreme Labor was discussed at a meeting of the Hawera branch of the Farmers' Union on Saturday. The president, Mr. P. Mills, said it had been suggested that the branch should express its opinion with reference to the industrial unrest. The farmers and the people generally were sick to death of 'the state of affairs that had existed for some time* There appeared to be no reason whatever why the Government should not take steps to insure that this sort of thing should stop.

Mr. Buckeridge said the position was likely to get worse rather than better, and "he was of opinion that the time had arrived when the people who were being punished should take a hand. He believed the G-overnment was prepared to act, but it would act more firmly if it know that it had a united country behind the Government, and would support it in any action which would tend to stabilise industry, and would help them to meet the burden of the increased cost of production. Mr. Buckeridge. then moved:

In view of the present disturbed and extremely unsatisfactory industrial situation of'the Dominion, this meeting of members of the Hawera branch of the Xeu Zealand Fancn's' Union to remind the Government that they have been placed in power to take complete charge of the affairs of this country, and that the country is looking to them to so effectively deal with the present situation as tobring to a, finality the constant unrest, that has been for so long paralysing the industries of the Dominion, and further that this meeting assures the Government that it will loyally support them in whatever action they deem necessary to take in order to servo the best interests of the country.

Mr. Dunn said lie was very pleased that the Hawera branch had brought forward this resolution. The Government wanted all the support it could get throughout the Dominion. Every local body should send along a similar resolution, and let it become public property that they were doing it. The Prime Minister had to be very careful in circumstances like the present, and he must be sure of the feeling of the people before he takes action. The State had been flouted with these irritation strikes for some time, and this did not apply to New Zealand only.