TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 71, 20 September 1912, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Members of the Waihi Miners' Union, who complain of an Subsidising alleged travesty _ of a Strike. "working-class justice" and the tyranny of " lawless law," have a peculiar law of their own in regard to strike pay. If a man is just an ordinary "hero"— that is, one > who declines to be seen on the same mine level with an Arbitrationist — he receives strike pay, a " living wage," sufficient to keep himself and his family well nourished and permit possibly an occasional peep at any moving picture show which the strikers have not decided to boycott. If he is an extraordinary "hero" — that is, one who prefers to gaol himself rather than recognise a law which forbids the molestation of free workers — then his strike pay is stopped. We have already commented on the illogical strike "law" vrhich punishes a man's family because tho head of the house, acting valiantly for a " vital' principle," has chosen, amid the plaudits of his comrades, to bo idle and well fed in gaol instead of being idle and well fed out of gaol. The longer the hue of "heroism" in the husband the shorter the commons for the wife and family ! This is surely a queer example of the "new democracy." Women who called on the Waihi Charitable Aid Board yesterday said that strike pay had been stopped by the " Strike Committee " to their imprisoned husbands because the men were not present to answer the roll-call. Because a man is unable to play the heroic part at Mount .uden and simultaneously parade at Waihi for strike money, his family is penalised. This victimisation must be contrary to the wishes of the contributors to the fund. As the Charitable Aid Board is almost penniless, the Prime Minister is to be asked to intervene. The strikers must know that the Government cannot agree to make amends for the "Strike Committee's" callousness. If it is a " vital principle " of that committee not to help the families of " martyrs," that principle must be changed. Mr. Semple has been boasting about a remarkable response to the Red Federation's appeal for funds, and as the amount required is relieved to some extent by the State's maintenance of a number of men, the dependents of the Crown's guests have a greater title than ever to a share of the strike bounty. The Government's duty is to refer the request to the Waihi Union, and firmly decline to be bluffed. Consent to do what the " Strike Committee " inhumanly refuses to do, though it has the necessary funds, would amount to subsidising a strike. "My experience as General Manager of Railways shows that it Railways only requires a certain by Pressure, amount of pressure to A get what is wanted," was the candid confession of Mr. Royayne yesterday. This brief statement contains an extensive indictment of the system of political control, which even the "Reform Government" insists on retaining, though- CommiissioneTs are provided for certain other Departments in the Public Service Reform Bill. Mr. Ronayne has declared in effect that "government by agitation and deputation" has prevailed. Whether "what wae wanted" was good or bad for the country a® a Avhole was immaterial to the district agitators. All that was needed was the "pressure," and the Government of the day succumbed. This deference to the "pressure" of this or that locality has gone on for years, on the General Manager s admission, and the difficulty of making the railways earn a profit must have been enormously increased under such a system. Yet the Prime Minister does not appear willing to order any radical change, though he may be promising himself and the country that he will not be "pressed" to give "what is wanted unless he is satisfied that the granting of tlie Tequest is sound railway policy. Why should he not be willing io place himself outside the pale of temptation, by putting the railways under a management independent of'political wire-pullers? The other day Mr. Veitch, member for Wanganui, said it was not necessary to have Commissioners for the Railway Department, because there was nothing wrong with the railways. We have shown that much is wrong with the railways, and the enterprise will continue to be run on wasteful lines till it is overhauled from top to bottom and the management is reformed. Parliament seems to be afraid to press for a revelation of the real position of tho railways. As long as Ihe Department drifts along somehow from year to year, Parliament and the public seem to be satisfied. We doubt whether two members of the House of Representatives have taken the trouble to thoroughly gift the misleading railway accounts. They man to be more eager to add to the confusion than to help in making the actual .state of affairs clear to the taxpayers. Well-meaning Mr. H. G. Ell obviously nppds to learn some* Tho Problem thing about Wellingof the "Zoo." ton's Zoological Garden before he airs his opinions in Parliament. He should not content himself with the one aided statements of the Zoological Society, which is attempting to play a dictator- . ial part in relation to the public inslittt* lion in Newtown Park. Mr. Ell said yesterday that a clause in the Wellington Empowering Bill, proposing a charge for admission to the "Zoo," tiad been struck out by the Local Bills Committee at the request of the president of the Zoological Society, "through whose efforts the collection of animals and bird? had b«»n e«t8.1>li»lu i d. >l Pflr. haps My. Ell mi« understood the Pfcei*

dent; we hope co, for the president's sake, because such a claim for the Zoological Society is preposterous nonsense. We are assured by Councillor Frost, chairman of the Reserves Committee, that this society has handed over some exhibits (principally birds and monkeys) and raised some money towards the pnrchwe of a bear, but it has given nothing towards tho coet of cages and the general upkeep of the place. The result of the society's enthusiasm hae been not to reduce the burden on the rates, but to add to it, because the gifts of creatures have involved mor«s ( expenditure of public money. This society is by no means representative of the general public, and _ unless its activity is directed to helping in a proper financing of the "Zoo," instead of embarrassing the much- worried Corporation., it will incur the resentment of the public. The city does n6t at all require a society to promote a straggling, costly, haphazard growth of the "Zoo," and then block any reasonable attempt to relieve the rates of at least pa-rt of the bill for maintenance. Happily, the Land* C6m. mittee haa taken a better view of the difficulty, and the clause hae been restored to the Bill. A fact for Parliament to seriously consider is that Wellington cannot continue k> find an increasing sum (now nearly £2000 annually, with prospect* of a rise if that ambitious society is not restrained) out of rabes alone. If authority is dented to the City Council to obtain some revenue from a reasonable scale of admission charges, then the number of the "Zoo" inmates must be reduced. A sum of £1000 a year is quite enough to figure against the rates. No doubt Lord Islington innocently pricked the con* "Art is Long." science of the Weilington Arts Club last night. He spoke of the "City Beautiful," and suggested means by which "the club would have an intimate and stimulating connection with the aesthetic development of the city." This has been the ideal of the club for some time— on paper. We remember the inspiring words about the role which the club was to take in helping to brighten sbme baie or drab parts of Greater Wellington. The club was full of good intentions, and all that it needed for the forward march was the sympathetic co-operation of the Reserves Committee. One year passed, and another, and still the club dreams placidly of the "City Beautiful." The Reserves Committee is still waiting to take glad advantage of the long-promised offer of aid. The club has given something to the National Gallery, and is working to stimulate public interest in pictures, but has hot come notably into the public life of the city. It is not usual for such a club to figure conspicuously on the civic stage, but this particular club made a promise which it should either definitely keep or definitely abandon. Is the city to understand that the club can or can not be counted as a beautifiei 1 ? Volunteers are needed, and we hope that, after all the meditation and all tlie postponement, some members will step out vigorously into the open for the improving of a vista which is not enclosed within four walls. It is good for a city to have picture's, but it is better still to have beauty abundant in the open.