Evening Post. TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1891. THE QUEENSLAND STRIKE.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 140, 16 June 1891, Page 2

Evening Post. TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1891. THE QUEENSLAND STRIKE.

The collapso of the shearera striko in Queensland can scarcely fail to give gonoral satisfaction in this colony, and to Unionists j as wellasnon-Unionists. It was undoubtedly the most serious demonstration of tlio kind which has ever been seen in these colonies, and tho excesses it led to were of a very alarming oharaotor, and calculated to bring undeserved discredit on the cause of Unionism generally. It is difficult to say precisely what the objects aimed at by the leadors of tho movement really were. They evidently went far beyond the limits of legithnato Unionism, and were to a considerable extent of a seditious and treasonable character. This was abundantly proved by the evidence in the late trials of captured rioters, and tho papers found in the possession of some of the officers. That the leaders were thoroughly unscrupulous, and had no hesitation about adopting most atrociously criminal means of forwarding their ends, has also been demonstrated. Apparently these leaders were not even faithful and honest to tho men they were leading into trouble and excess, ior we now hear of their having decoivod their followers in regard to financial resources. This is not a matter of surprise A similar deception, on a small scale, was practised in this colony not long ago with disastrous results, which are still suffered from by many a poor family. For the shoarers' own Hake it is a matter for rejoicing that tho schemes of their leaders have miscarried, for nothing bnt evil could have resulted from their success. Tho leaders confess thenisolves repulsed but not defeated. We are inclined to think that their defeat has boen complete and that the repulse is a rout. Their own followers have begun to find them out, and have recoiled in horror from the position into which it was sought to load them. To the Government of Queensland, which has acted with great firmness and judgment throughout the trouble, tho collapse of the strike must be a great relief, because the financial strain caused by tho means which had to be adopted to cope with it was very severe. To the Queensland runholders the relief must be great indeed, for not only was the growing wool crop in danger, bnt so also wero all other descriptions of property, and the very lives of themselves and families. The men who have been on strike must have suffered a good deal, and it will probably take them some time to rocover their position. When they do so wo trust they will be wiser than betore, and refrain from again endangering it by resort to violent or unlawful means of endeavouring to secure evon a good and desirable object. For ourselves in this colony, wo can sincerely rejoice in the peacoful" solution of a difficulty which has lately threatened to involve us in some degree of trouble. Both sides have recently appealed to New Zealand— the strikers by sending down a delegate to seek for pecuniary aid and practical sympathy, tho pastorahsts by app'ealinj* for free labour. Tho delegate, we are glad to say, has received little of what ho sought. Unionists in New Zealand bavo had a bitter experience of tho folly of mixing thomsolves up in Australian quarrels, and have not hesitated to oxpress the strongest and most honost detestation of tho criminal means resortod to in Queensland. The froo labourers have not, wo bclievo, shown any groat alacrity in accepting the allurements offered by tho Postoralists to go to Queensland. Wo confess that we have seen with a good deal of pain tho advertisements asking men to Iqavo New Zealand, oven though coupled with the promise of return passages. This colony is already suffering sufficiently from denudation of population, without any oxtra inducement being held out to able-bodiod men to emigrate. It may of course bo said that the labour market is overstocked, and that thore is a large body of unemployed in the colony. Admitting this, wo attribute the fact merely to temporary causes, easily removable. That tho colony can usefully absorb far more labonr than it now contains, and support in comfort and affluence a population ten times greater than the lato Census shows, no observant man can doubt. That it does not do this, and finds a difficulty in providing for any portion of the handful of people scattered over its surface, is due to bad government and bad laws. When these causos cease to operato, prosperity will return, employment becorao plentiful, and a stream of healthy immigration once more bo directed to onr shores. Wo trust the day when these prospects will be realised is not far off. In the moantime we should spare no effort to keep what population we possess, and should carefully eschew all participation in tho labour Cjnarrels of our neighbours. The collapse of tho Queensland strike relieves us of temptation in more directions than one, and must on all grounds be hailed with pleasure. Sineo tho abovo was written wo learn with regret that tho Victorian and New South Wales Shearers' Unions are .anxious to promote strife, and onoourago tho prolongation of the struggle. AVo hope the Queensland men will be strong enough to resist bad advice such as is tendered to them from the sister colonios. The consideration proposed to bo shown by the Queensland Government to tho misguided strikers is politic and most commendable.