CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 11, 12 July 1912, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE

THE MINING TROUBLE TQ THB EDITOR. . Su\ — Much haa been said and written' about the action of the ' Federation of Labour in declaring for a universal strike. It has been argued that the leaderß of the, Federation, in advocating such methods, are a danger to society, and have been condemned by bell, book, and candle from one end of the country to the other as being beyond the pale of human toleration. It is 'said that the threat to Btop the wheels of industry whereby innocent women and children would suffer, is absolutely wicked, and the whole tress of the country denounced such action as being tyrannical. 1 wonder what the Press will have to say of the reported utterance of a member of the Coal MineownerB 1 Association, declaring that it was auite on the cards that every coal mine in the countryinay bo closed down through the dissatisfaction of the mine workers. The owners of the mines have the power to do this now, and the threat to put such drastic action into operation places them quite on a par with the Federation of Labour. The difference between thetwo is that the Federation of Labour is not in a position to cause a stoppage of work, and the coal mineowners are. "We are confronted now with an immediate crisis, which can only be viewed with the greatest alarm by the country. Capital is the danger,' not Labour, and it behoves the Government to take immediate steps to guarantee the mineß will be kept open. Here is an opportunity for the-Massey Government to show its usefulness by at once taking over every! privately-owned mine, and making them the property of the State, thereby bring' ing to an end the antagonism that exists between the mineowners and the men; The power would be taken away from a handful of capitalists to threaten universal disaster, and under State control such a thing as a general strike would be impossible. The capitalistic, element being eliminated, the men would settle down to work, happy in the fact that their labour was not providing huge profits for private . individuals.— -1 am, etc., STATE CONTEOL. 11th July. ■