WEST COAST COAL TROUBLE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 126, 24 November 1923, Page 13

WEST COAST COAL TROUBLE

SHALL THE LAW BE ENFORCED?

The Welfare League writes :—

"In this Dominion we are supposed to be governed.by a law;of Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration, designed to prevent Btrikes and lock-outs, yet in face of that we find some five coal mines on the West Coast have been shut down for a period of. ten weeks. No work has been- done;, plant and capital • is lying idle; workmen and their families' are being, .expected to live, on doles meted out to them from a strike'or lock-out:fund, what is most serious is that from present appearances it seems as if the direct parties to the dispute and .the Government^ as respecting the public, are disposed to let this condition of affairs run on interminably. . "We are advised.by some critics that we ought to 'sympathise with the under dog, which, in this instance, means that the Miners' Unions ; that are registered under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act should be allowed to set the Act aside arid name » tribunal of their own other than the Arbitration Court., In our opinion that would only be. attempting to settle one: trouble by invoking another. If -the miners, whilst;;registered under the Act, repudiate its provisions,, then all other unions, and- the employers as well, could justly claim the eaiue power; so we might say good-bye to the whole system of conciliation and arbitration Our entire sympathy is with tha bottom dog, which, in this instance, as in other strikes and lock-outs, is the general public. It is the public that will in tha main hare to foot the bill. At present, "instead of being allowed to work pur own. mines, we are being' forced' to rely on supplies from outside the Dominion, and that is •already affecting the trade of companies other than those engaged in the dispute. '"We are strongly of opinion that this state of affairs be brought to a head by some more drastic action on the part of the Government than has yet been taken. That the law of the country is being set at defiance is plainly evident. The Government has done all that could' be expected of it to settle the trouble by means of peaceful and helpful mediation, only to find its recommendations turned down. The Government has, we understand^, taken legal advice as to whether any .action lies against the parties to the* dispute for the acts they, have committed: As these acts have involved the public in serious loss, it is only right that the law should be allowed 'to take' its course.' It is not because we want to see the miners or the employers punished, but rather that the case should be brought into Court for the purpose of having the facts disclosed by judicial examination. There have been so many ex parte statements both from industrial and political motives that the matter is being looked upon as if it-were a mere partisan struggle in which the public is little concerned. Our contention has always been that; in these industrial disputes the public, is the third party,, and as vitally concerned as either of the other two parties. The essence of our industrial law is that it shall' not be left solely to the immediate employers and labour unionists to carry on. conflicts without regard to how these effect the public: In the instance of this coal stoppage the Government should find a, means o f compelling the disputants to consider and respect the public interest. , "It has lieen said from the one side that the miners compelled the. owners to close down by enforcing a 'go-«low' practice; on. the other side it ie asserted that the 'go-slow' was not practised, though'a.ballot.in favour was carried to forca a conference, but the employers closed the mines as a punishment to'the miners. • Both parties were bound by an award of the' Arbitration. Court, and on the clear fact of.. the stoppage of the industry that award is made of no effect. ' The award has been broken, and we maintain that an action should at once be taken to determine who is responsible for breaking it. If the employ - for any interest other than their own, hands without due warrant or regard for any .interest other than theirown, then that should be made clear by a judicial pronouncement, and if'the miners have broken the award without concern for anything but their own will, that should likewise be pronounced upon by the Court. "If each industrial disputant is going to be judge and jury >'n tUeir own-case, and carry out their own verdict, then it is utterly ridiculous that such' parties, should. have the protection of our industrial law by way of registration:, thereunder. If these industrial conflicts are to be conducted outside the law, let us understand it-co; but if they are to be within the law, then instead of postponing legal procedure in order to placate grown-up men as if we were, dealing with children 'the law should be enforced insofar as it'has application. "One Minister of-Labour in New Zealand said: 'You cannot have Arbitration and strikes together,' but evidently we have reached this ridiculous position—We appear to be for the Arbitration Act (by registration) and against _it at the eamo time. A remedy for this 3tate of affairs is urgently called for."