The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2925, 14 April 1891, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Thk reply of the ICon. Mr Ward to Llie deputation from the L'ost mid Telegraph Officers" Association was tin; only one which any man in his position could give, presuming thai In; was litter! to administer the .ilh'iirs of the Department. 1 1<; is reported to have .said, speaking of t.hu Association, "it will have the .support, and sympathy of Ministcis, but when it was asked that the society iind its rules should Im otli-ci-illy'recognised, they felt bound to decline the request. . . Hvory

officer shouldliavo :\ full opportunity of obtaining ivdnws for a grievance. There was no desin; to stille the Association l)ecauh(! j\l.iiiisters considered it a very proper body, bat if it usurped the functions of the administrative, heads, the two interests would clash. There could not possibly be two heads controlling the Department, so he could not recognise them officially." Right and proper as this reply was, and the only one the Association had a right to expect, it will no doubt cause serious disappointment to the olKeei's. They had evnry rotison to hope that a Ministry, which had secured a majority at llie last election on the grounds that they would auueilu to all tho demands which unionists might make upon thorn, even to the extent of acknowledging Llie right of a union composed of public servants, to dictate terms to ♦he officials who were responsible to the country for the proper management, of a bcpiirtmciil. The lYuim'er in public speeches condemned in no very measured tonus tho action ot the Railway (..'omniis-siuniT.s i'.i iiis-i.-h.irgiiiL: sotm. , of the men who \w:iv foolish I'iionvh. on the order of

'• Kin-" Milljr, to uUemiil lo aiil tllilt Uiilll to [Mlmlv.so tilt: whole (r.ulc <>t tin', culuiiy. Aftertin: l.'i'ciniiu - whs tiili'iu'ily siiic that lie woukl be stskni In h'vut ;>. .Ministry he promisucl tn luiii- In bear on the (..'oiiiiii ; s-i(.n-i s u> rciuBtato tlios" nvn in ill.■Sγ position. 'I'oe.sc.'ipclhe -.■lμ i :_<■■ (<r inooiisisd-ucy ho w;iH wiiii|K:l!i'il 1.0 do llits : his election bpeech's \vi j n' l<<<> frcsli in the iiiciiion- of tin; puliln- u> bu .-.'.way from. It will also bu iv7w!iilif;r-.'ii thai, tho ]?r.!inii-r's ilry nitisf , , Sir HoUnrt. str,i]t.. in ,i sprorh. in I'Mincdin rlmf (In- rnilir.H, sorvrrnf" , * uoiv pr-rfY'H ly jii';i ilied in striking. This \v>v; pivilcibly tho li:r.t nccftsio , ' '>|i'«i wliifli a man who lws held the posit inn of chief ::.]•. i"'T if. I!!'/ '}"•"■■"■'■ V-piT^.T.tn

lives, h.is iMicounig<-il tlii!S(:rviints of I lie (iovcinincnt, of which lie u\is onue tin* lipad, to mutiny with the avowed object of paralysing the. l tiadi! of the colony, and tint for no | U-t.ter reason than that a labour dis- ' pute was taking place in another country; there was not even the pretence that there was any "jiiev:mce which could excite to such .1 course, ill" IJalUnee did not go quite so far as this, and it is "ratifying to find that one member of the Ministry. Mr McKei:zi<-, has a much more correct opinion on (.Ik: matter. In a, .speech ho delivered in the [fouso in September last he said " it is the railways we have to discuss mid tin; railway servants of New Zealand, and I must say it was a fatal ruistriko to lot them form a union, L think the Commissioners should have put their foot down at tho time and told the servants, "If you are going to form a union yon must leave <>ur service, and any of you who j"iti a nniou will bo dismissed." What a howl of indignation would have been raised by Stout, JSallnnco, and Co., had the CouiinisalfjiK-rs done anything of the sort. What a grand, electioneering cry would have been " Down with thy Commissioners! Away wHh all tyrants '. " And consideriii" tho then humour of the working classes—they have learnt, some wisdom since—there is verylittle doubt but that they would have voted almost to a man for the deposition of the Commissioners and a return to the old system. Yet Mr liallanco and Mr McKenzio are members of the same Ministry, as also is Mr AVarcl, and both the last named geutleuion hold relatively subordinate positions. As regards Mr Ward there may bo some doubt as to whether cite Premier knows his opinion en the union question, but the extract, we have given from Mr McKeiizie's speech loaves 110 room to believe that his chief was not well aware that his opinions differed from those which he had enunciated again and again, and on tho strength of which lie is to-day Premier of New Zeo.laud. it will bo tor the working classes to judge •from the above facts as to the sincerity of Ihe man they have phiccd in power.