The Press. MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1914 Parties and the Strike.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14917, 16 March 1914, Page 6

The Press. MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1914 Parties and the Strike.

The Government has received such abundant proofs of tho public's approval of its handling of the strike that any further testimonials to its courage and wisdom are hardly needed. But Mr Maesey can derive a little fresh satisfaction from the terrified protests of the ''Liberals" that they really helped tho Ministry during that difficult time. Nobody has any particular wish to remember more of the strike than that it was a very dangerous outburst of Red Fed. violence, and that the Government admirably conserved the public by repressing lawlessness and restoring to the community it.« to go about its business in peace and comfort. But when tho Opposition speakers and writers insist that they did nothing to hamper 31 r Masscy, and that th»»y actually placed their services at the disposal of tho Government, it is the duty of those who care for the truth to tcpcat the plain facts, before the strike had well begun ''The Press.' , advised the Opposition that they would in timo bitterly reject it if they did not frankly ! ally to the side of tho Government and the community. They did not heed the warning, and they are now realwing the Mnindncss of our advice at tho timo. As Mr Herdman pointed out, nobody has ever suggested that Sir T. (j_ Ward was '"the head and front" of the strike. Ho had no more to do with the arranging ot the strike than had Mr Massey himself. But his shortsighted surrender to the dictates of party spirit led him to encourage the ffad'-'Feds. to believe that the Opposition party and the Opposition press

were on their side. Hβ fctegan badly, flncl h<? continued badly. Hie denunciation of the "specials" who. after being bnuallv attacked, dispersed tho mob of strikers, encouraged the strike loaders to beliovo that they could continue their •assaults upon tho forces entrusted with the preservation of order. At intervals, whether of his own motion or at the suggestion of others we cannot know, ho fanned the fury of the strikers by complaining of the Government's method, although he knew that it was tho only method possible. Towards tho end of November, when the Red Fed. leaders, realising that the 6trike was hopelessly beaten, were striving to prolong the trouble by saying that tho strike way winning, and would last indefinitely, Sir Joseph "Ward echoed their words and taid that tho trouble was as serious as ever. What was hw purpose in doing so? That hocJideucceed m appearing to tho syndicalists to bo an ally was made manifest during the strike, by a- complaint from the Red Feds, that the "Liberals. ,, were not helping thorn sufficiently, by the naturalness and inevitablcness of his acceptance by one of iho leading fetnke committees as tho strikers' representative, and by tho suggestion of Mr P. C. Webb, in a speech in this city, that if Sir J. Ci. Ward had been in charge tho strikers would have won in a few days. Nor lias it bor>n overlooked by the public that to this moment the Red Feds, have not had an unkind word for the Opposition respecting their conduct. The public of Canterbury also remembers particularly well the attitude of the Opposition press. From the first day to the laet day of the strike, the local "Liberal" newspaper sneered at the "specials" and accompanied the Red Feds ' steady roar of "scab" with a light treble of derision for the "specials' , and abuse and misrepresentation of their patriotic activities. It strovehard to avert victory over the forces of lawlessness on the ground that "La- " bour must not be humiliated." It furnished the strikers with battlecries: it represented the Government «.s having "armed only one side" to tho dispute, leaving its readers to believe that the Government should either have armed the etrikers or else have presented no effective opposition to them. As we have said, it is not surprising that tho anti-Reformers are alarmed at the impression which their behaviour has made upon the public. They were fairly warned, however, and they will receive nobody's sympathy when, in duo course, they are made to take the painful consequences of their .action. It is in vain that they plead for forgiveness and forgetfulness.