FOOTING THE BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 17, 20 January 1914, Page 5

FOOTING THE BILL.

STERN RESTRICTIVE MEASURES. LESSON IN MOBILISATION. (Received 1 p.m.) CAPE TOWN, January 19. Parliament meets in the ordinarycourse of events on January 30. Although a postponement was anticipated, this now seems improbable. ! The .Government will ask Parliament to. pass a bill of indemnity for the measures taken during the crisis, and in the present temper of the community such a bill is unlikely to encounter any serious opposition. WORTH THE MONEY. The heavy costs will be borne with fortitude if they represent the price of prolonged relief from the industrial paralysis 'which, has been afflicting the country, more especially as it will also represent the price of what has proved to be the most gratifying experiment in the" mobilisation of eighty thousand men, the success of which surprised even the most enthusiastic believers in the j Union's newly-born defence system. STRINGENT. Apart from the indemnity Bill, stringent industrial measures, providing for the governing of trades unions, the settlement of trades disputes, dealing withstrikes, public meetings,' and the maintenance of public order generally, will be proceeded with. The session promises to be a very heavy and interesting one. NO RELAXING; Meanwhile tlie authorities, are continuing to arrest the Labour leaden In different parts of the country, the moat ienBstional being that of Mr. Cresswell, the Labour M,P. Mr. Andrews has also been arrested. With the exception of Messrs. Madely, Haggar (M.P.'s), and Mr. Mat hews (general secretary of the Miners' Association) at Johannesburg, practically none of the influential Labour leaders remain at large. . ■ MUCH MORE HOPEFUL. The present position i s that the railway strike /is practically ended, except at the Pretoria, workshops and to a limited exfenfc at-Durban, eeittery how-

~. At. » .the.-IWrban,, strikers yesterday the speakers urged/continued solidarity. 1 The -proceedings'will not affect the general situation. The mining strike is coming to an end. There is a complete absence of the disturbing factors, which made the July strike so grave. Taken for all in all, the outlook is more hopeful than for some time. In the Cape province the railwaymen, whose attitude throughout was regarded as the key to the railway situation, have been warmly praised for their loyalty tc_ the administration, which had a vital bearing on the issueDURBAN, January 19. A number of employees in the workshops are resuming. The resistance has practically collapsed. Messrs. Raiburn and Tilbury, two prominent local Labour-. ites, have been arrested. PRETORIA, January 19. Twenty-five men have returned. At the workshops a big crowd watched the men; go back. There was no hostile demonstration.