STATEMENT BY MR. MILLAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 76, 28 March 1908, Page 8

STATEMENT BY MR. MILLAR.

ENFORCEMENT OF FINES. (By, Telegraph.—Press Association.) J ■ WELLINGTON, Friday.""

"The position at the present time," said the Hon. J. A. Millar to a "New Zealand Times" reporter when questioned regarding the. continuance of the strike, "is that the Government has made a demand for the payment of the fine imposed by the Arbitration Court. Failing payment, thereof, the necessary legal action will be taken."

Asked particularly what action the Government proposed to Hake with regard to the strike, Mr. Millar said: "The Government has no power to compel the men to go hack to work, nor the bwners to open their mine to work. There is no such law in this country nor in any other, so far as I know. iWhere people seem to he making the mistake is in thinking that the strike i 3 a continuous offence. I have had the best legal advice on this point, and I £nd that the strike when committed is an offence vrithin itself. The law has teen broken immediately it takes place. There are others, again, who seem to ±hink that action should be taken against the unions which, have been contributipg money to the support of the strikes, on the. ground that they aro aiding and abetting the strikers. In this iSsey are labouring , nnder a delusion. Aiding and abetting an offence consists in the doing of something either (prior to or concurrently with the committal of the offence, and not after the offence has been committed, the offence beins complete within itself when the strike has taken place. Subsequent action cannot aid and abet in the committal of an offence which has already been committed. The Government is exercising all the powers given to it under the Act to see that the award of the Court is enforced, and is giving the men time to consider their actions be■fOTe doing anything. So far no effort has been made to comply with the order, but the Department is at once taking the necessary steps to enforce it." ■ I