The Coal Strike

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 230, 24 June 1932, Page 13

The Coal Strike

Sir, —When one reads in your columns the thoughtful, patriotic and humanitarian letter of Mr. .Goertz, from The Vicarage, Ashhurst, on the above subject, one is driven to profound reflections on what he so truly terms the “cold-blooded pursuit of selfish aims” which has driven the whole world almost to ruin. As he points out, even the miner in his ‘ coldblooded pursuit of selfish aims elects to go down into the deeps of the earth to win coal instead of unselfishly staying above ground and writing charitablyworded letters to the Press. Such action cannot be too roundly condemned, and when these same miners have the nerve to actually wish to discuss the price they will pay for their seffish indulgence, they certainly should not, in, the country’s interests, be listened to. Mr. Goertz is quite right—the patriotic and unselfish attitude of the Minister of Mines, in refusing to do anything, is to be highly commended. There ■ are lots of other workers who are just as selfish as the miners—even railwaymen, whom we see every day selfishly enjoying themselves by running trains; and seamen who run ships, all in the same “cold-blooded pursuit of selfish aims.” None of them need do those things—they are otuy doing them from choice. And if they, are determined to maintain themselves in thew courses instead of unselfishly settling down in vicarages and such places, wen let them just take what s coming to them.—l am, hexsHAW. Wellington, June 21.