LABOUR TROUBLES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1272, 30 October 1911, Page 4

LABOUR TROUBLES.

.— There is an unpleasant and unsettling feeling abroad that a serious labour trouble lies ahead for New Zealand. The unrest in labour circles at the present time is very general and it appears to be growing. From the Government railway employees, who, despite the belated increases dragged out of the Minister, are still very sore at the treatment they are receiving, to the skilled and unskilled workers in private employment, there is a widespread discontent with prevailing conditions, and more and more the tendency is to s-eck redress by means of the strike. The idea of striking of course does not apply_ to the railway employees, but disaffected labour organisations, outside the State employees are coming to regard this as their strongest and best weapon. AVe recently commented on the plain signs of the failure of the Compulsory Arbitration Act to be found in almost every direction, and it is not nccessary to again review the situation from this point of view. All that wo wish to do at tho moment is to direct attention to the fact that there is a prospect of a labour upheaval in this country on a very largo scale, and one which may have very serious eonsn(|uencos. So far as our information goes, it would seem that the real trouble may occur in connection with the transport of goods and merchandise, both ashore and afloat, and _ may_ provo far-reaching in its ramifications, The existing trouble

in shipping circles ir, con fined to the I officers of the coastal vebwls, and has no direct conncclinn, apparently, with any other movement. The idea appears to be held in some quarters that the-labour unrest lias been engineered by the leaders of trades unionism for political purposes. This, we believe, is not the case. It is true, no doubt, that a very large number of unionists will he glad to seize the chance offered by the coming elections to cast their votes for Labour candidates, and thai, many, where there are no olYicial Labour nominees, will vote for candidates opposed to the Government. While it is not fair to place the whole of the blame for the position of labour on the shoulders of the Government, there can be no doubt that the support of the labour organisations has been held by the Government in recent years under false pretences.