The Feilding Star Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1921 COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 4219, 16 February 1921, Page 2

The Feilding Star Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1921 COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS

Wi; are too apt these days to dwell upon our grievances and the inconveniences of life. We rarely pause to count up the balancing blessings, Yet there nro compensations for the thst'rejses that afflict the body politic and the troubles of the daily round and common task. The Rimutaktt has just, arrived a) Auckland with 2tX) immigrants on board. It is reported of them that they appeared to be a happy lot. "with high hopes of their prospects in the Dominion." We like the-cheerful and optimistic nofojn thai report. They ought to be happy, for they have conic to the very best country on this footstool -although New /,ealanders ilienis-elve.s generally do not seem to think so, A very little thinking and the briefest of glances at "the outside' world should convince any but the prejudiced that, this is so. .Some of the things to be thankful for to-day are worth enumerating. Unexpectedly, the two most important unions of waterside workers have decided that their members shall accept work after 5 p.m., instead of risking a lockout or any other trouble that would be likely to stop work on our busy wharves. This is something to bo devoutly thankful for. There is a report from the West CoasJ that the output of the. miners for the past week, following upon the decision against, the go-slow policy, has become normal again. If (inly the wlmlo of mil coal mines can get into full working order before the cold snaps .-et in, the. wheel* oi industry will be kept going on full time also throughout the winter. The actions „f the sealarers on the other side of Tasman S»a are intimately related to the policy of similar workers .m tbis side; ami therefore the decision -if the stevedores of Melbourne to accept tie- employers' tonus and re turn to work must affect the seamen and stewards, and must help them to make up their minds to get back to work. Hut it is to be hoped that the employing interests wtll not weaken. An end niusf, bo put to the pinpricking policy pursued during the past three years by unionists throughout Australasia, especially on .ships and wharves, There |ms been no principle involved in the numerous petty strikes, and all tile time lite unionists have ignored the one just menus of remedying grievances • the Industrial Arbitration Court. The sooner worker* in Australia and New Zealand refogiifs.* flint ihcv cannot continue to ho a t.i» Uftlo themselves, the sooner will we gel t.k<b f'n industrial peace. And it is matter I'm tiiMt.Lfulne.ss that over here in New Zealand the workers have been more amenable t-o the dictates of law and order than they have been over in Australia. We should be thankful, (op, that we have the National Treasurer's assurance that our Dominion is fijuuu'|aj|y sound, that on Jim land every prospect, pleases, und that onjy the uncertain state of soiii" of the markets is vile.