THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COAL MINERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3068, 2 May 1917, Page 4

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COAL MINERS

The Government are being led from one false step to another as the'result of their bargaining with the law-breaking coal miners. Having agreed not to press for penalties against the men charged at Auckland with breaches of the War Regulations by wilfully and systematically limiting the output of coal, and the Magistrate having very properly ignored this attempt to deflect the course of justice, Ministers now consider themselves committed to a further interference. They have now decided: to recommend to His Excellency the Governor that the sentences should be remitted altogether and tho men released from custody. The statement issued by the Acting-Prime Minister in which he seeks to Justify this course is, we regret to say, singularly unconvincing and displays a disquieting disregard for the merits of the situation. The two outstanding contentions advanced in support of Cabinet's, decision are as follow:— • (1) "In yieir of statements made l>y some of tho delegates that the wrested men were not leaders ,in advocating the 'go-slow,' indeed that some expressed disapproval thereof, and that the men were forced by others to take action -which led to their aurcst, the Ministers [at the conference] agreed that they, would not-press for a penalty. (2) "The Government realises, that at least one breach of the agreement has eince been made by one section of the coal miners, but considers that aa there may be-in the'minds of the delegates and the coal miners, and perhaps the general public, a feeling from the coal miners' point of view that the spirit of tho arrangement is not being carried out, thcHjest policy is to remove all doubt and suspicion and distrust."

T-ho.reasons here given are truly amazing. In the first place the Ministers accept "statements made by delegates" at the conference that the men arrested were not leaders in advocating "go-slow" methods, and prefer to believe these statements from interested friends of the accused rather than' the mass of documentary evidence secured by the police against them. It is only necossary. to put this question to the Ministers, concerned to expose the false position in which they havo placott themselves: "Would, they havo accepted the delegates' statements and agreed not to press .for penalties against the accused men if the miners had not agreed to resume work?" No one can doubt 'that the only reason for not pressing for penalties' was the bargain entered into with the miners' delegates. It was not a question of the morits of the- cases—the evidence produced in Court was damning enough for anything, whatever "some delegates" might have had to say to Y Ministers on the subject. But. the reason advanced for remitting the sentences is still more remarkable. The Acting-Prime Minister states that the delegates and ■ the miners might have felt "that the spirit of the agreement was'not being carried out, and that the best policy was to remove all douftb and suspicion and distrust." . This, -inview of the facts, is-really amazing. Does the Government think that the public do not know that the miners have twice already deliberately broken the agreement—not merely the spirit, but the actual ; terms of , the. agreement? The State coal'miners broke it without a moment's hesitation; the Paparoa miners broke it a day or two later, and there is talk now of the Puponga minors breaking it. And yet the- Acting-Prime Minister seeks to justify the action of the Government in interfering with the course of the law by professing an anxiety to remove any doubts which may exist in the minds of the miners and the public as to the Government's observance of its part of the spirit of the agreement. The position is that the Government observed the agreement, some of the minors did not, and the Government therefore, instead, of taking prompt nroceedings against the men, who have both broken the law and their honourable undertaking, decides to pander further to the law-breakers. If is with extreme reluctance that we criticise the actions of' Ministers at the present time, for they have heavy and difficult tasks to contend with. But they are drifting into ( a very dangerous position in connection with the coal mining, question. Their anxiety to conciliate the coal minors, who have again and again, deliberately broken the law regardless of the consequences to their country 1 , has-led them to compromise themselves with men who will take the concessions granted them as evidence of weakness and as an indication that still more can be extorted. The coal mining trouble, we regret to say, is not ended yet, nor is it likely to be by such methods as arc being pursued. It is the duty of the Government to enforce the law, not to bargain with law-breakers. In a few days' time the coal miners are expected to meet the mine owners in conference. It would be the simplest thing in tho world for the mine owners to give tho men all that they ask regardless of whether the claims are fair or just. The cost could be uassed on to tho public, and the public would have to pay.' But neither tho Government nor tho mine owners have any right to disregard the interests of the public in these matters which so deeply affect the life of the whole community)/ 'The easy way out of tho difficulties of the coal mining trouble, whether it'be adopted by tho Government or by the mine owners, will in all probability mean Unit the public will have to foot the bill, and the public is getting very tired of these unsettling and costly experiences. It is quite time that the men engaged in the coal mining industry were made to realise that tho limit of endurance has been reached.