THE BAKERS' STRIKE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9164, 12 August 1908, Page 4

THE BAKERS' STRIKE.

The bakers on "strike" in Wellington can continue to strike for as long as they like so far as employers are concerned. For once the employers have gained a victory, and the public convenience, totally disregarded by the strikers, has not even been disturbed. The bakers' strike in Wellington was, of course, on a very small scale, and was not an object lesson in connection with any particular phase of the economic problem. It illustrated, however, 'that when there exists a surplus of labour in any trade it is an inopportune time for a strike, and one can see that the object of the Labour Party in opposing immigration to this Dominion lies simply in a desire on their part to get on "the box seat," irrespective of whether it is in the interests of the Dominion for them to occupy such a position. It is true that the misguided bakers' employees in Wellington exercised a sort of natural right by going on strike, but the circumstances surrounding their action did not render it creditable in the least. The Arbitration Court did not give the employees' Union all they wanted, so, ignoring the award of the Court, they sought to force the employers' hands. One can imagine what a howl of indignation there would have been had the employers endeavoured to set aside an award of the. Court, and compelled employee to accept their terms. The unfortunate strikers, in the case under notice, are, however, to be more pitied than I lamed for foolishly believing in leaders who have lad them to destruction, metaphorically speaking. The agitator is the chief cause of most of the trouble, not only in this country, but in other countries, between capital and labour, and usually he is an unmitigated curse to the men whosj cause he claims to espouse