The Dominion. FRIDAY, MARCH, 27, 1908. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 157, 27 March 1908, Page 6

The Dominion. FRIDAY, MARCH, 27, 1908. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE STRIKE.

Although in some respects' the Premier was : as vague as lie was mild in; his refereiice 1 at Oneliunga to the Blackball'.strike, it will be generally conceded that he ■ is worthy of a little credit for,'screwing up his courage to make any reference, at all to the scandalous situation wliich for a month past has been occupying public- attention throughout , the country.' . The amazing silence and ' idleness of the Government, in the face of incessant appeals for speech arid action from people of every shade of. political opinion, justified the country in supposing that the Government, when at last it was roused from its " base sleep beside an idle spear," would partially atone for the' injurious consequences of.its acquiescence in a widespread revolt against the law by taking up 'a strong and statesmanlike/Stand. This' expectation; has not been fulfilled.- The Premier was full of, regrets of one kind and - another, but lie gave the country, no stronger reassurance than can be found in a declaration that " the - Government must uphold the, law," that " he would not entertain any suggestion for the repeal of the Act," and that "the.whole matter was receiving the earnest consideration of the Government." .v The duty before the Government is twofold; It must, even at this late hour, bring to account the; persons and the .bodies , who have trampled upon law and order.. It must, also introduce legislation in a'mendmeiit of a law that; in the hands of a Government anxious to conciliate Labour, is entirely inoperative, and tliat, even in the hands of a courageous and conscientious administrator, would be difficult : enough to 'enforce to the point of complete protection of the principles of equity and' the integrity of' industrial peace. The Premier, has definitely stated that he is "personally strongly to imprisonment," and that amendment in removal of the provision for imprisonment • is " essential." As a matter, of abstract, opinion, we also, and probably , nearly everyone else, are opposed to imprisonment as a punishment for' obdurate strikers, but so long, as the law provides for imprisonment, it must be upheld. This point requires particular attention just now, in view'of the attitude of the Blackball Union towards the fine inflicted upon it by the. Court. If, as has been stated, the ■ funds of the Union will not meet the 6\im required must be collected from the individual Should they refuse to pay the amount, and we sincerely hope they will not, and take up I such an attitude that the money can 1 only be recovered by the issue of writs of attachment, what course will the Government follow? Will the Premier permit his personal disagreement with a statutory enactment to result in the final ignominy of an irrecoverable fine ? In that case—and the : Union will take fresh heart from the Premier's statement of his personal opinion—it will go on 'record that the j Arbitration Act is.'utterly powerless to protect its awards I

The most important statement of the Government's intentions made .by the Premier was that " the Government and Parliament would require to consider a scheme whereby a dead level of Court awards would be obviated, and a system provided that would give an incentive to those prepared to work harder or more successfully than their fellows." There seems here to be shadowed forth an amendment of an importance difficult to over-estimate. If the Premier means that he intends to submit a proposal under which the employers will get value for the wages which they pay, through relief from the necessity of paying the inferior worker as much as the competent one, he will have the support of everybody excepting the labour organisations. Dare we hope that it is indeed this which the Government has decided upon? We are afraid not, but we miist defer further discussion of the point until the Premier has given a plearer indication of his intentions. In the. meantime, no amount of private opinion upon the wisdom of the Act, as it stands,'can possibly excuse any further .shirking by the Government,'of its plain duty. What that duty is has been proclaimed again and again throughout the Dominion. To Jeave the offenders against the law unpunished, will be to aggravate to a dangerous point the arrogance and ambition which the weak-kneed policy pursued by the Government during the past year has encouraged in a section of Labour. Already, the inaction of the Government has done enormous damage; by inclining the leaders of organised Labour to believe , that the Trades Unions are the coming power in,the land, the y cliosen of the people. That, belief, can end only in a general disaster, in which the. workers will suffer more than anyone else.