BACKSLIDING WEST COAST

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 146, 17 December 1913, Page 6

BACKSLIDING WEST COAST

Mr. Hunter's story about the complete success of strike rule on tho West Coast finds an effective counterblast in the decision (subject to confirmation) of the Greymouth Wharf Labourers' Union to return to work. One ounce of fact is worth a ton of rhetoric, and this backsliding on the militant West Coast — also, by the way, in. the very electorate cap* tured by the *'Red Feds." in Julyspeaks volumes. Considering the trouble Mr. Hunter went to in painting his picture of the startling success of syndicalistic rule in the land of coal and timber, the action of the Grey watersiders in giving the show away at this stage would appear to be a little unkind. Where are thos© Syndicalist Btalwatts who come down from the hills "in the dead of night" and march through the port towns four abreast "prepared to act"? According to Mr. Hunter, tha Strike Committee summoned these men "when there was talk of opening the port." Just at present there is moro than talk of "opening the port" at Greymouth. A meeting of Grey •watersiders has decided, to open it, and to declare the strike off, and these gentlemen probably know the inner workings, of West Coast Syndicalism much better than we do. The policy of bluster and unblushing prevarication does not fool anybody for very long. But it is a pity that Wellington waterside workers cannot appraise it as shrewdly aa do their comrades in Greytnouth. With commendable insight, the watersidert at Grey recognised the formation of an Arbitration Union as the cue for returning to their jobs. With more obstinacy than judgment, the Wellington men ignored (the warning, and were left outside. If anything on earth can open the eye* of the local strikers, surely it is this simple study in contrasts. There is, however, another aspect of the return to work by the Grey waterside workerß. Yesterday we advocated that colliery owners on the West Coast should consider the advisability of opening their mines to Arbitration worker* onlyj and the earn© thing might well occupy the thoughts of employers of waterside labour at Groymouth. Yesterday's news showed that the machinery of an Arbitration Union of waterside workers was ready, and that registration had been applied for ; and it is questionable whether this needed machinery should be scrapped because of the eleventh-hour repentance of the astute strikers in Greymouth. We do not know exactly what the fighting spirit of the employing and mercantile community on the West Coast is, because this important industrial district is comparatively isolated. But it« isolation was not sufficient to prevent the West Coaet from breeding and disseminating elsewhere the Syndicalistic Federation of Labour; nor should it be sufficient to debar Coast employers from falling into line with the rest of the Dominion in making a stand against revolutionary tactics and the recognition of the Reds. A welcome stop in this direction is the formation of a Defence Committee in Westporb. We must not forget, moreover, that one of the biggest West Coast employers is the Government, whose State coal mine at Runanga was the birthplace of tho .Red Federation; and if Mr. Massey and Mr. Fraser do not utilise the present situation to put the Federation ia its place, New Zealand generally will bo greatly disappointed. Contrast the bad faith of the State coalminers, living in State cottages, with the" loyalty of the railway service. Search for the cause of the difference, and you find it at oiaee in Syndicalism.