AUSTRALIA’S LABOR CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1921, Page 6

AUSTRALIA’S LABOR CRISIS.

EMPLOYERS’ ATTACK ON EXTREMISTS. SANE INDUSTRIALISM WANTED. AMAZING CONDITION OF MINING INDUSTRY. Sydney, Feb. 12. Evidence of the industrial struggle that is now going on is found in three or four directions, says the Sydney Daily Telegraph The shipping strike is now a straight-out fight between the shipping companies and the extremists within the ranks of the maritime unions. The issue cannot be too clearly presented to the public, because it is a fight that is even now developing in other, directions, and concerning which a good deal will be heard in. the near future. The shipping strike started as a strike by the marine stewards. Of the merits] of their claims nothing need be sai<b After two or three weeks of it the stewards had had enough of the ille-j gitimate method of settling disputes, and; completely surrendered. But the ships remained tied up. The owners deemed it a good opportunity to adjust all differences and put an end. to the endless series of “irritation strikes” by which the fanatics who influence the maritime unions sought to embarrass the. shipowners and render their business unprofitable. They insisted that there should be an end to control” in the shipping industry. They stated unequivocally that until the maritime unions gave undertakings that “irritation strikes” and “job control” and all the other methods of harassing industry should cease, none of their ships should sail. The unions, thus far, have not given such an undertaking, and the ships remain idle. ON THE MINEFIELDS. The fight between the shipowners and the extremists is going on in the open. A similar struggle between the mineowners and the coalminers of New South Wales is rapidly developing, and seems certain to come to an issue in the same way. The two AuW’alian industries which for years past have been peculiarly subject to embarrassment by the extremists of the unions are shipping and mining. Shipping and mining strikes, within the last few years, have literally cost the Australian community millions of pounds. Tt is beyond question that the New South Wales mining industry is being deliberately subjected to incnistrial em a view to making it unprofitable. The men’s nominal loaders—the union chiefs—do not approve of the policy, perhaps; but their present actual leaders—sneaking I.W.W. men. Bolshevik intriguers, 0.8. U. ’’white ant” advocates, cranks of all descriptions—argue that the mining industry must be brought to ruin, and subjected to all possible embarrassment. OWNERS EXASPERATED. A leading representative of the colliery owners was asked what steps would be taken to bring the younger miners to their senses. ■’The colliery proprietors generally arc exasperated at the tactics of' the various lodges in allowing the pits to be thrown idle in this way. ’ he said. “No consideration has yet been given to any common line of action, but some steps will have to be taken to deal with these, intolerable stoppages. The lodges will either have to discipline their members, or else the proprietors will have to take a line of action on which they are most unwilling to embark, but which will have to be followed soon if no improvement takes place. We are quite determined that we will not put up with these in-tolerable-conditions, and I am sure we have the community with us in this. No British community will tolerate Bolshevism or be ruled by fanatics—of that I am quite sure. EMPLOYERS RESOLUTE. A gentleman connected with'the employers’ organisations was interviewed. “I caii say positively that there is no general understanding or agreement between bodies of employers, to attack the extremists,” he said. “But ] can ako say that the various bodies of employers, by different paths of reasoning ’ perhaps, have arrived at the conclusion that they will not longer tolerate the interference in industry by imported cranks. The employers ih every industry, I believe, are determined to fight such things as sabotage and go-slow and job control, and the industries will bo thrown idle if there is no other way of securing peaceful conditions. The fight is on, and it is just as well the people should know it, and know what it means. The whole industrial prosperity of this State is at stake. “This is not a fight against unionism —make that quite clear. Whatever the old employer thought, the modern employer accepts craft unionism, and is willing to assist it if thereby he can secure peace in industry. The modern employer wants' to help the sober, descent worker in every possible way. The whole tendency to-day is to give the worker as big an interest in his work as possible. “This is a fight against Bolshevism, and it is being made as much on behalf of the community generally as for the employers. We look to the people generally, and particularly to the solid body of Australian workers—whose intelligence must revolt at the propaganda matter put in front of them by the I.W.W. and the Traces and Labor Council, and similar bodies of half-baked economists and clever fakirs—for assistance in this matter.”

UNION LEADERS’ ATTITUDE. The attitude of the more responsible leaders of the big unions in regard to this matter is hard to discover. Mr. Willis, of the Coal and Shale Workers’ Federation, was asked yesterday to say something about the epidemic of irritation strikes in his industry. He declined to make any| comment. The attitude of the leaders of the Seamen’s Union in the fight with the ship-owners remains querulous and argumentative. They talk about a “lockout,” and try to show that industrial extremism does not exist in their industry. If these and other leaders would only come boldly out for clean and honest industrialism, and for the extermination of the extremism which now exists as a 1 parasite on the healthy body of the Labor movement, they would do more for the strengthening of the Labor party and the progress and prosperity of Australia than can be achieved by a century of Bolshevik militancy.