THE GOVERNMENT MOVES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 139, 6 March 1908, Page 6

THE GOVERNMENT MOVES.

Tiie Government has at last made up its mind to face its responsibilities in connection with the Blackball strike, and, we presume as a first step, has issued instruction's that proceedings shall be-taken against th 6 Miners' Union. It was quito time. Emboldened by the timidity of Ministers, the miners have been proceeding from bad to worse, and the position as disclosed

by our messages from Greymouth today is very much worse than it lias appeared at any stage since the men left work. Not content with the situation they had created by their defiance of the law, efforts are now being made to drag in various side issues calculated to- engender still further bitterness of feeling between the parties. The ludicrous lengths to-which some of the leaders of the men are prepared to go is shown by the arrant rubbish published, in the Greymouth paper and reported elsewhere. It would be amusing but for its serious side. Already, it ii? stated, the men have forfeited over £GOO in wages, and they so little realise the seriousness of their position that they deem the occasion suited to social entertainment and football. It is a disquieting spectacle, and illustrates, perhaps better than anything that has gone before, the scant respect, held by these workers for the Arbitration Act and those entrusted with its administration. We do not propose to. again review the circumstances in detail, nor yet the effort'now. ■'being, made'to drag m new issues. The position .is a deplorable one, and all must regret it. ; But the law' must be vindicatejl, and the law-breakers treated in accordance with their deserts.