The Daily News. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1921. THE COAL STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1921, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1921. THE COAL STRIKE.

The action of the Blackball miners in deciding to “clown tools” t-gainst the reduction of wages in the award of the Arbitration Court for the Southern miners, furnishes another proof of the inability of miners and others to understand the merest rudiments of the common principles applicable to work and wages. Present conditions, particularly with regard to coal, are such that to embark on a strike is an indication of pure recklessness, for a moment’s consideration should suffice to convince the operatives that no one but themselves 7 would suffer. The fact is the ill-guided miners must have allowed chagrin to dominate their better judgment, or they would not, at a time when unemployment, is rife, have decided to swell the ranks of the idled men sooner than accept a small decrease in their earnings. If they were bent on exterminating the coal-mining industry they could not have acted in a surer way than they have done of late. By means of strikes and go-slow tactics the Government and the coal-dealers were forced to resort to importing large quantities of fuel from overseas, with the result that much money went out of the country. The position now is that large stocks of coal are available, while cheap coal is abundant, both in England and in the East, and cheap freights are readily obtainable. Another important feature of the enforced importations that have been made.is that the mine-owners have recently found it very difficult to keep their mines fully employed, owing to the large quantity of imported coal considerably curtailing the demand for the local product. Mr. T. O. Bishop, of the Mine-Owners’ Association, put the position fairly and plainly when he stated that a strike at the present time would simply mean “the importation of further large quantities of coal, extending over a considerable period, because the consumers, to obtain more favorable prices than they might otherwise do, have to place contracts for supplies in excess of immediate requirements, and it is also policy for them to do so as an assurance against interruption of their industries.” What this means, Mr. Bishop clearly indicated thus: “The result is that the men who are advising their comrades to strike at the present time are simply condemning their comrades and themselves, to work half time for a much longer period than there is at present any necessity for.”

In other words, the men, to use a crude but common expression, are

“cutting off their noses to spoil their faces.” There is neither sense nor reason in their decision to strike. It is the duty of the Arbitration Court to deckle the scale of wages, to raise the standard when requisite, and to lower it if conditions warrant that course. When the matter was recently before the Court the miners did not choose to be present, so the Court made its award and the miners must abide by the decision until another award is made-. They have only themselves to blame, it is .quite likely the award

would have reduced the earnings even if the miners had been, represented. It is time they understood that the law cannot be flouted, even by miners. There is something radically wrong when, at a time like the present, it is so essential for the well-being of the country that all industrial troubles should be avoided, for men to inflict an injury on themselves and others deliberately and totally without heed of the consequences. Mr. Massey has expressed his willingness to be a peacemaker, but the public will probably take the view that it is not a question of making peace; rather that it is a matter of upholding the Arbitration Court. The public cannot be blamed for losing patience with men who have been the cause of so much trouble and loss to the community. A special Court has been set up for determining disputes, and the decisions of that Court should be loyally observed and enforced. Otherwise it would be better to abolish the Court altogether, and revert to the system of collective bargaining. At present there appears to be no fear of the strike spreading, and for this the public may be thankful.