THE SYDNEY STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3190, 14 September 1917, Page 6

THE SYDNEY STRIKE

Sir,—Tour sub-leader in Monday's issuer on the Sydney strike is an excellent, article from an employer's point of view. The trifling and unreasonable matter which caused the strike was the introduction of a slave-driving innovation, known as the "Taylor card system," which no body of honest men wonld tolerate. It was tsrned down by the British Munition Department and aiso the American Govornment. Knowing this, the New-South Wales Government introduced the Bye-, tern; 6urely they were put looking for trouble. The strike is brutal and clumsy ? Tee, no doubt, but when the men made repeated representation to Government to havo the bone of contention withdrawn, and the Government resolufely refused, I should like to know what other means the mun had to obtain redress. Tou speak of those who" followblindly the guidance of wild extremists, biit no thinking worker needs*the assistance of a wild extremist to see that such a pernicious system is detrimental to his interests. Tito do'.not expect The Dominion to plead the cause of the workers, but in tho name of Justice publishthe true facts, and let the. public -judge who is to blame for such a. great industrial upheaval.—l am, etc., p*. Featherston, September 10. . [Our correspondent is in error. The card system introduced is one in common, use in private firms, and is recognised to be necessary to ascertain the cost of production of certain classes of work under given conditions, with and without machinery of various kinds. The strikers admitted that they did not know anything about the system proposed to _ba introduced, and they refused even to givo it a trial. For days the Railway Commissioner and the Government urged the. men to give the system a fair trial beforethoy made up their minds about it, but the men refused, and went mstafe There ia not a shadow of doubt that the strikers were responsible for the upheaval, and'no doubt either that their excuse for striking -was trivial nnd unreasonable.] ' : .